Tales of Black Rock House – Looks can be deceiving

For the past 9 months I have been investigating Black Rock House almost weekly and recently started organizing tours for the public to explore the paranormal side of this property. Over this time we have collected quite a few stories about things we have discovered, things that have happened to us and even things that have happened to our guests. The creepy factor increases when the lights go out at Black Rock House. The atmosphere changes. What was a charming farm with its quirks during the day becomes a big question mark in the dark. The secrets that are hidden are waiting to be heard, and so are the ghosts that still lurk. We are often asked to share our stories about Black Rock House, so this is the first installment of what will hopefully be a long series of posts about the beautifully creepy Black Rock House.

Let’s start at the very beginning. Black Rock House was built in 1856 as a holiday home for Victoria’s first Audior General Charles Ebden. He and his family only used the house for about six years, but it remained with the family until the early 20th century, where it was used to entertain Melbourne’s elite socialites and politicians. It then passed through many owners who used it as a holiday home, guest house and main residence until it was almost abandoned. All the while you can imagine all the people coming and going and all the births, deaths and dramas that happened between these four walls. The municipality bought the building in the 1970s and began the arduous task of restoring it to its former glory. I can tell you they did a great job!

This house actually speaks for itself, so I would like to take you on a small tour…

Exterior view towards the rear of Black Rock House

To the average passerby, this looks like your typical old wooden house. In fact, quite a few people from the area didn’t know much about Black Rock House. Now that it is available and also has a ghostly/paranormal link, people are flocking to the open days to find out more about this ‘jewel by the sea’, as it is affectionately known. It is in fact a block away from the beach. On a still crisp winter night you can hear the ocean and the air has a cold bite when it wants to!

Beautiful heritage-listed fig tree – more than meets the eye

One of the first things many people notice as they approach Black Rock House are the two hugely impressive fig trees. There is one at the front and one at the back of the property, as seen in this photo. One of the amazing things about the trees that really set the scene are the figs that fall on the roof. There’s nothing like being in a creepy house in the pitch dark, anticipation building, fear building and everything except hearing a big fig fall on the roof. It still makes me jump even though I expect it and am used to it. Rumor has it that the trees are as old, if not older, than the house itself. What stories has it seen? There are some darker myths associated with the tree. A murder is said to have taken place here. It is said that a man was beaten to death and hung from the tree to set an example for others. We don’t know for what reason. Another myth is that a younger woman, the daughter of a servant, was murdered and buried under the tree. I have not been able to validate any of this based on historical facts. It’s a story we’re still trying to figure out, but several media outlets have picked up similar events surrounding the tree and the stories are very similar. For now it remains a mystery.

Castle gates (the gates themselves are not original, but the sandstone wall certainly is)

The most unique thing that surprises many people about Black Rock House is the completely random castle-like structure that sits at the back of the property. Built in sandstone it is a flashback to the past. Charles Ebden himself modeled this around Black Rock Castle in Ireland (which hello, of course, is how it got its name) and had bigger plans. Unfortunately, during construction, the gold rush struck and his workers abandoned ship, leaving it unfinished. There were many rumors about why a castle wall was built. The main myth is that it was built to keep out the local indigenous tribe. However, history tells us that it is just a myth, as the local tribe would actually trade goods and were not a threat. It’s thought to be more of an ego stab to Charles’ eccentric personality. He once said he was filthy rich. I mean, if you have the money, why not splash it on your own castle wall? This used to be the main entrance to the property and the horses and cart (yes, it was before cars) took a long drive and arrived at the beautiful castle gates.

The courtyard behind the castle gates

Surprisingly behind the walls of these gates and walls there is a stable in the courtyard. Charles had a history with horse and carts, ran a merchant business and was the first person to successfully transport cattle from NSW to Victoria. The stable remains a courtyard today. The rear stables were eventually converted into living accommodation and are also rumored to have once been a nursery for the caretaker children. Is that why we encounter so many children during our investigations? We’ll see them in later posts. There is not much paranormal to report about the stables. There are no real stories or any activities, but the environment makes up for it. Mini markets and even a wedding have been held in this courtyard. It’s really not what you would expect to see. I leave you with the eerie image of the horse cart sitting unattended in the stables. It speaks for itself …..

The last part of the exterior of Black Rock House that I’m going to tease you about is the entrance to the underground cellar. Surrounded by urban myths, legends, ghost stories and possibly even illegal activities, it is one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Black Rock House. Was there an underground tunnel and what was it used for?

You’ll have to wait until the next post to find out muahahahaaha. You didn’t think I was going to take you in and tell you everything right away, did you? Until next time my little happy hunters…….

Unlock the secrets of Black Rock House’s underground cellar in the next part of ‘Tales of Black Rock House’

All photos were taken by Sarah and remain the property of @ Black Rock House Paranormal Tours.

Don’t forget to LIKE the Facebook page for updates on new content www.facebook.com/livinglifeinfullspectrum