The Monte Cristo Homestead – widely regarded as Australia’s most haunted residence -has been listed for sale for the first time in more than six decades.
Located in the town of Junee in northwest New South Wales, the Victorian-era mansion sits high on a hill and is said to be inhabited by as many as ten ghosts, tied to a series of tragic events that have occurred on the property.
Until recently, the homestead was a major attraction for ghost hunters and tourists, offering guided tours of its reportedly haunted rooms and grounds.
The tours were suspended in November last year following the death of owner Olive Ryan at age 93.
Built in 1885 by local farmer Christopher Crawley, Monte Cristo was constructed after Crawley’s newfound wealth from developing the Junee Hotel alongside the town’s railway station.
Crawley died in 1910, and the property remained in the family until 1948, when it was left to caretakers and subsequently fell into disrepair due to neglect and vandalism.
In 1963, Olive and Reginald Ryan purchased the property and vowed to restore it to its former grandeur – a labour of love they maintained for the rest of their lives.
According to local legend, Crawley and his wife Elizabeth are among at least ten spirits said to haunt the homestead. Others reportedly include two maids allegedly impregnated by Crawley, and the son of one of those women, who was said to have been chained in the coach room after suffering a head injury as a child.
Visitors have long reported strange occurrences at the property, from icy chills and mysterious touches to ghostly voices and apparitions.
Children, in particular, are said to feel uneasy near the main staircase – the site of a 1917 tragedy in which Crawley’s 10-month-old granddaughter died after being dropped by a nursemaid.
Despite the homestead’s haunted reputation, selling agent Jason Barrett from Ray White Junee hopes its historical significance will capture buyers’ attention.
“Where the site was chosen for it would have been the premium site in Junee at the time,” Barrett told 7News.com.au.
“They’re high on the hill overlooking the valley, overlooking the town. It is certainly deserving of that position.”
Barrett acknowledged the ghost stories surrounding Monte Cristo but said his team has experienced nothing unusual.
“There was no glitches in our cameraman’s equipment or anything like that,” he said.
The sale includes the manor, ballroom, pool, stables, and an extensive antique collection amassed by the Ryans over the years.
Barrett said the Ryan family were “saddened” to sell the home but were also “keen to pass on the torch” to someone who will continue the couple’s legacy of preservation.
Images: Ray White
