Monte Cristo Homestead is a historic Australian property located in the town of Junee, New South Wales. Constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885, it is a double-story late-Victorian manor standing on a hill overlooking the town.
The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948. The house then stood empty under the care of several caretakers until 1963 when it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its current condition. It operates as a museum, antique store and tourist attraction, advertising itself as “Australia’s most haunted house”.
Monte Cristo has been featured in television shows such as A Big Country in 1977, the travel show Getaway in 1992, the paranormal based game/reality show Scream Test in 2000, and Ghost Hunters International 14 January 2010. It was also the focus of the 2012 mockumentary horror film “Muirhouse”.
Monte Cristo Homestead website.
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Australia’s most haunted homestead sits in Junee, New South Wales and has had a series of tragic events unfold throughout i’s history, earning it its much-deserved title.
The property was built in 1885, and in its time of existence it has had a pregnant caretaker pushed over a balcony, a baby thrown down the stairs and a stable boy tragically burn to death while he slept.
Olive Ryan and her late husband purchased the Victorian manor in 1963 and believes it is still haunted by the previous owners — Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley — who died between 1910 and 1933.
When Mrs. Ryan first purchased the property, she calmed the house lit up despite not having any power. Olive Ryan has lived in the home for 50 years and has collected a series of photos of the property in which ghosts appear. The Ryan’s son, Lawrence, grew up on the property and knew from an early age that something was off about Monte Cristo. “It always felt like someone was watching me,” he told The Project.
“I’ve had a hand on my shoulder,” Ms. Ryan told The Project. “I’ve had my name called when I’ve been here by myself. It’s nothing to hear footsteps on the balcony and you go out and there’s no one there.”
