WILLOW COURTS PARANORMAL ACCOUNTS
WILLOW COURT & ROYAL DERWENT HOSPITAL GHOST STORIES AND ENCOUNTERS
This is a collection of stories that I have heard over the years or that APIU have experienced during Paranormal Investigations.
If you have somthing you would like to contribute please let me know so that I can add it to the list.
Willow Court
Frescati
There are a few stories that have been told about Frescati over the years. One is apparently a man and a woman hung themselves inside the building. Another story is that there is a male hating ghost inside that throws men around.
Apparently a cleaner once went into Frescati and he was found hours later with blood all over the walls stating that he was thrown around by something he couldn’t see.
Another Person believes they have seen the ghost looking back at them through a broken window. I have also heard reports that people can feel a pulse or vibe coming from the building when they touch it.
According to a Troubled Asylum In July 1853 Dr Meyer was living in Frescati for about 6 months when he decided not only to put the house for sale buts its entire contents. The Archdeacon R Davies purchased the house. Records at St Matthews Church read that three of his sons died within a few days of one another.
APIU were lucky enough to get inside this cottage a few times, and had a few experiences. Once a fellow investigator had mysterious scratches down his back, which were unexplainable. We have also managed to capture several strange noises on voice recorder and evp. There is a rather good photo someone has captured in the back shed of Frescati, it appears to be an ectoplasm, so people claim to be able to see a person in the ectoplasm. The picture is located at Australian Paranormal Investigation Facebook Group page.
Ward G (Glenora)
APIU have had many unexplained and possible paranormal experiences in this ward. It is fair to say it’s quite active. In a photo taken in Ward G we have captured what appears to be several face in a window pane, the faces are quite clear and distinct. APIU have tried to investigate this but are unable to replicate the same photo.
APIU have also left and Article regarding the Greens working towards a formal parliamentary apology to children abused and neglected in Sate Care Willow Court. We read the article and left it there along with a voice recorder to hopefully capture any feedback. When we came back about 30 mins later we noticed that the article and been moved and turned the other way. We went back to listen to the voice recorder and we heard something physically pick up the article like when you try and pick up a flat piece of paper from the floor. There was no one else inside the ward at the time and there was also no wind. To this day we do not have any explanation apart from it being paranormal.
APIU have also heard strange noises coming from Ward G along with whistling sounds that carries a tune. APIU have also captured quite a few times and big bright Orb in a particular spot in the cell area. A medium looked at the picks and believes it is a spirit of a little girl that possibly drowned.
The Cave Clan wrote when we were in “Glenora house, I had walked off ahead of the group into the building, leaving the others behind with a single failing torch. I happily wandered around whistling a tune with my head torch beaming brightly around. eventually the others got in, and i walked off to another room. a minute later they yell out to me “was that you whistling” and I said “a few minutes ago before you were in” and they said no just now. i started to creep back towards them and then BANG the sound of a door slam! Ronin yelled “lets get the fuck out of this house NOW” so they ran and I stayed to explore more. I wanted to hear the whistle. I did a lap of the building and came back to the central office/nurses viewing room where they were standing, I was looking at cupboards labeled “Patient records” and “Enema equipment” and then i heard a whistle. This building was a great distance from any houses. but there it was, a whistle. i told myself it was a bird and kept going”.
Ward F (Franklin)
We haven’t done a lot of investigation in this ward however, there undoubtedly seems to get something very odd in this Ward. People seem to feel sick in this ward and there is a particular spot which leads to a bathroom where we have heard strange noises on several occasions, One investigator has been reported actually feeling something brush past him. Someone has uploaded a picture of a face on a window in Ward F which is located on our facebook page. This place warrants a good investigation.
WARD C (Carlton)
Many people have described Ward C as the most haunted and evil place at Willow Court if not Australia. Fellow APIU members who were lucky enough to have been inside Ward C had claimed to have got strange Red Hand marks on their clothes that won’t wash out. The have reported that the hand marks were on parts of their body which would be physically uncomfortable to accidentally do yourself. They have also reported getting strange paper like cuts over there arms which appear the next day. Many people have reported that Ward C emits a depressing and sad feeling and many people just want to huddle in a corner. People say that Ward C is a very tense and scary ward to be in. RIP investigators were extremely lucky to an authorised investigation of Ward C which was reported in The Mercury ripaustralia.com/Home_files/Sunday%20Tas%20Article.pdf
One of the strange occurrence in which RIP experienced was being locked in one of the cells and not being able to get out. After phoning someone from the local council to let them out, one of the investigators jokingly said they are coming to give us the governor’s pardon. As soon as they said this the door mysteriously opened. The council have claimed that slamming doors and other stage occurrences were normal in Ward C. It wasn’t the only trick the sprits played that day. The Mercury photographer lost all of her photos from her memory card.
Ward J
APIU have heard squeaky wheelchair like noises coming from this ward.
Admin
There is something sinister about the admin building. We often get an uneasy feeling from this ward. One person has uploaded on youtube a video of a hovering orb then a face in the board room of admin.
Alonnah
We have been inside this ward at night on one occasion and it was very menacing, one investigator liking it to Ward C in its demeanour. As soon as we set foot inside this Ward we instantly felt threatened and surrounded. A couple of minutes into the investigation Aiden said he felt something hit his foot like something was thrown at him. As we approached the window out to the exercise yard I heard this rather unusual whining sound, it didn’t sound like the wind so we decided to leave.
Ward E (Esperance)
Quite a few people have reported either seeing or hearing something in this Ward. A person that used to live across the road from the oval precinct has claimed to see a girl about 9 or 10 with black hair in Ward E. He has stated that this girl like to play games and often hides behind the curtains at Ward E when spotted, he stated that he has seen this girl outside of Ward E around the Oval precinct. This same guy has also seen a man in a long gown hovering above the oval. This man was the same person to capture the hovering Orb on youtube.
Some uploaded a particular picture of a bathroom in Ward E on our facebook group. The next few days I get an email from a lady claiming that she was flicking through the picks when her little son asked “why is that man in the photo sad” she asked more questions and discovered that her son saw a Asian man standing in the bath looking sad.
We have also had a fair share of paranormal encounters in ward E, 2 of our investigators seen a black hovering mass near the stair well on the ground level. We have also captured footsteps, something knocking or moving the camera and very strange lights which we are currently trying to debunk.
Other people have also claimed to see a face of a girl in one of the veranda windows, this picture can be found in our facebook group.
I have heard stories from a few ex-staff members that Esperance was believed to be haunted. I was informed that doors would open and close by themselves.
Olga
A female TAN stated to me that she had an experience in Olga. She stated that the middle dorm had a very scary feeling to it, and she used to run past it.
She said she witnessed something one day in the main sitting room of Olga near the Kitchen. The sitting room had pot plants on the wall and once day she looked over towards the pot plants and seen a little boy with black hair and dressed in a Paige boy outfit, he quickly disappeared.
I am very interested in the paranormal/ghosts. I have been through more than half the buildings in willow court. On one occasion i was in one of the buildings with a friend, just looking around waiting for something to happen or to see something. I walked through a door into a kitchen and to the right there was another door way, as i walked through the door i saw a girl run past the door way to the right. She was wearing a white loose fitting dress and had long hair. Im not sure if they had child patients in Willow Court, but im sure the girl i saw was only a child guessing aged between 8-10. I went through the door way i saw her run past but she was gone.
On another occasion, I was looking around another of the buildings this one was a two storey one. This time i was with two friends. we walked in and headed straight up the stairs, when i was half way up the stairs i got the strangest feeling to get out and that we werent welcome in this paticular building. We continued to the top of the stairs, looked around to the right, then to the left. To the left i couldnt feel anything. But when i was looking around to the right side of the building, the air was really heavy and the pressance of what was there wasnt welcoming and didnt want us there. I started to feel a little freaked out and uncomfortable, so the three of us headed back down the stairs. We walked to the right and just started looking around when all of a sudden there was a huge bang on the ceiling (Bang on the floor of upstairs). One of my friends bolted out the entrance, while my other friend and i stood there frozen. Then we started hearing strange noises in the air and strange noises on the floor of up stairs. I wanted to go back up stairs(even though i didnt feel welcome) But was to scared to go up by myself. So we then went out the front of the building where my second friend was. We stood there freaking out.(i was excited at the same time)When we were about to walk away, i suddenly felt like the building wanted me to go back in there and it litteraly felt as if the air was trying to pull me back towards the building, which i couldnt understand because we werent welcome the first time we went in. We walked about 5/10 metres away from the building, Then i stopped and staired up stairs to the windows and i thaught i saw a white/see through face staring at me. I told my other two friends what i could see, but they said they couldnt see what i was seeing.?. Before we were out of sight of the building, i stopped again to kook back at the biulding and thaught i could see a funny gold/white/silver light. We were to far awy by this stage for me to make out what it actually was.
These two accurances are both true and both happened at night time. I do have a few other minor experiences regarding Willow Court, but these two are the most exciting.
Ever since i can remember i have been able to see and hear things that no one else could see or hear.
Belinda Gardner
I just read the ward C parragraph, is very strange every time ive been up th willow court my hole body stings, the way a paper cut does. I have also woken up twice with a hand print on my inner thigh. It didnt look like a bruise, but more like the hand that touched me had butnt its hand print on me.
Belinda Gardner
Thanks Belinda for sharing those stories, if you don’t mind I would like to post them as potential paranormal activity in my Willow Court Paranormal Section.
In regards to the girl in white, can you give me more info on the Ward, what it looked like or where it was or near??
In regards to the second story, you said it was a double storey building, can you give me more info on the Ward. Did it over look the oval? Was the stairs lino covered or carpeted. I’m just trying to work out what Ward it was.
Cheers
Nick
I recently went on a night tour through the willow court i did not enter the building and i didnt hacve to i was standing outside one of them looking up at the window there was a large tree behind me and i was with four other people who all begun to yell at me warning me to come back up to the path where they all stood as they took pictures of me and a clear thick white haze was standing beside me as i begun to walk off someone or something threw something at me we didnt stick around in this area we all took off, however over in ward g on that same night we herd losts of strange noises and a girl yelling we couldnt understand what the yell said but it was a clear yell from a girl. We took lots of pictures that night and have a few very very strange one whcih we would like to show the ghost hunters and anyone else who is interested.
Thanks for sharing I would love to see the photos.
Hey Nick, my dad worked at Royal Derwent for 20-odd years, he thinks the Ward 5 ghost is just talk as he worked there many, many night shifts and never witnessed anything. Was apparently started up by a guy named Mal.
What he DID tell me recently was that there is a spot up in the main Millbrook Rise building where everytime you walked past it or stood near it, there would be a strong chill and feeling of unease…this was experienced by everyone, not just a couple of people. It used to be a hospital for wounded soliders in the 1930s so who knows how many died there and how many “ghosts” could be stuck in that place, and for how long. I can’t remember the exact spot he said it was but it might be worth checking out. Strange that he doesn’t think anything of Ward 5′s “Winston” but gets creeped out by Millbrook Rise.
Are you still able to get into the old RDH wards? I want to check the place out myself.
Oh, it’s not an April Fools’ Day trick
Hey Mate
Thanks for leaving the comment.
I just don’t know about the Ward 5 Ghost I have heard from so many people that claimed to have seen it and they swear by it. However, maybe some people are not sensitive enough to see or interact with these ghosts. Take me for example; my other investigators get a lot of personal experiences but It’s pretty rare for me to have a personal experience with a ghost.
As for Millbrook Rise, we were only discussing it about 2 weeks ago. We would love to get in there, we just need to find out who owns it and whether it’s possible for us to Investigate. It’s a beautiful old Ward.
There are only a few Wards left at RDH. Ward 5, 3, & 2 are in the process of demolition, I’m not sure what stage they are at currently. Wards 12, 11 & 1 are intact and accessible; no one will give you any hassle over there. The Wards around the Oval in Willow Court are also open.
Nick
a few friends and I went for a tour of all buildings except willow court and ward c, about 3 years ago. i have about 300 photos from that nigt. 1 photo taken in the frescatti at aroud 1.30 am shows many orbs. one in particular clearly shows a human face in it. another photo taken out the back/ front of the frascatti in the old wooden shed clearly show a mist forming in front of the camera that wasnt visable to the naked eye. another photo taken in ward 7 i think. the one that had the walls around it like a zoo, shows 3 small ghost like children peering at us trough a big hole i9n the roof on the inside. i dont know what is inside the frascatti, however what it is gave me the impression that somthing evil is inside there. i think it lives/dwells in the basment under the trap door.
Thanks for the info, I have sent you an email.
Hey Guys, Just like to know if it’s still possible to go up and look at all the wards? We used to to it last year quite abit but have since heard that police are constantly around the area due to people causing damage. We never really did have “really” creepy moments apart from one that was on the walk way around the house like structure in the middle, over the road from the physio ward. We contacted the owners of the building who own that antique shop there are they told us to feel free and look around so we did. Myself and a friend where standing right in the middle of the arch way near the front door when we were both pushed aside by something extremely cold. Apart from this we have only really gotten photos of bright orbs or a little bit of mist. Were quite keen to head back there before its all gone so any help would be appreciated.
Cheers
Hi sally I would love to see the photo if that’s OK i have a very deep passion for the paranormal my email is angelasmth10@gmail.com
I’ve been in Royal derwent once something did actually happen me and a couple of friends were in a double storey building(the one that overlooks the oval near woolworths) anyway we heard this kind of scream they thought it was me cos I do things like that but the we heard it again and one of the girls swears she felt something touch her leg so we ran and jumped back through the window
we were so scared 
Sounds creepy, thanks for the comment.