International ghost-hunting sites often mentioned Bendigo, particularly Fortuna Villa, where people – most often former Army personnel - reported ghosts including a legless torso, a boy in a sailor’s uniform, a bearded man, tapping cane sounds and strange cold spots.

Sounds like an average  Bendigo clubbing party night. But nothing’s ever been pinned down, despite a few attempts.

Unsurprisingly, the creation of the Ulumbarra Theatre in the old Bendigo Jail has led to some mutterings from the corners of some folks’ mouths. Some suspect odd clunks and things that go bump may be pranks from one of the three prisoners hanged there.

We tried to get some of the senior folk to tell us all, but without success, So far. Watch this space.

Clever marketing?

Mind you, this might be just as much a back-door marketing exercise, akin to someone finding gold nuggets near Wedderburn just before the school holidays.

Attire unexplained

Ghost sighting reports are not new to Bendigo.

We came across a really weird one in the Melbourne Argus of September 2, 1898.

It’s all confusion and chaos, but if we understand the report correctly, the cops went to a house of a Mr Johnston where a young man in woman’s clothing had been arrested. He said he was looking for a vicious ghost.

When they arrived, a young woman, Ms Sarah Skilbeck, was found unconscious, and Johnston’s parents said that she’d been shocked by a mysterious figure draped in white and when she threw a rock at it, she was suddenly punched in the mouth and rendered senseless.

Her screams alerted the aforementioned young Johnston who rushed out just in time to see the white apparition fly up the street and straight over the top of a two-metre fence.

Johnston said it was the same spot he had had  a scare at some nights earlier.

Fair enough, we supposed, BUT what the heck was he doing in women’s clothing? There’s got to be a back story to that.

Horse swiped

Speaking of the Ulumbarra… we want to wish all well on the opening weekend of Ned. Break a leg, as Ned might’ve said. Chookers.

According to some reports, Ned himself had a brilliant, dry sense of humour, and there’s one lovely story which should be true, even if it’s not.

Ned liked to drop into a remote sly grog hut in the outback near Glenrowan where the locals made out they did not even recognise him because they knew his fierce reputation.

On this day, he tied his horse to a post out front and strode inside, where everyone found reason to look deeply into their grog.

After a bit, Ned went back outside and found his horse gone. Someone had stolen Ned’s horse!

He roared: “I’m going back inside for 10 minutes and then if that horse is not here, there’ll be big trouble, just like there was in Jerilderie. Got it?”

Ten minutes later, the horse was back and as Ned mounted, a shaking local asked: “If you don’t mind, Sir, what happened in Jerilderie?

“I had to bloody-well walk home,” he laughed.

Full circle

Things from the past frequently come back to haunt us.

For example, we are beyond bemused that the next US presidential election could be between Clinton and Bush.