THE Australiana Pioneer Village has become a destination for those seeking supernatural encounters.
Since 2011, Helen Scotland has been running midnight guided ghost tours at the village, and the tours have even led one member of staff at the village to believe perhaps there is a supernatural presence there.
Kevin Weeks is the president of the Australiana Pioneer Village, and assists Scotland with her tours.
He admitted to the Gazette that he was initially skeptical and simply did not believe there were ghosts around, however, he has seen things which have made him question his views.
“I was a skeptic when I first started and just thought I wasn't sure about it, but I've had what we call a sighting,” he said.
“I was in the church and the lights were off. There was a flash from a camera and there was a little girl standing beside me with long blonde hair and she was about six years old.”
Weeks said he was not totally convinced, but after his experience his mind was more open to the potential that the idea that there are ghosts at the village.
Scotland said she had run the tours since she started working at the village.
“I find the village at night has a friendly atmosphere about it,” she said.
“I have felt, and heard of others feeling, many spirits around as we walk around the village at night.
“I don't feel afraid or worried to walk around on my own at night. We have had paranormal groups in who have said that the ghosts like us to visit.”
However, despite the fact she has run the tours for six years, she has not had a sighting.
“I personally have not had an encounter with a ghost or spirit, but there have been many things that happened on the tours that I cannot explain,” she said.
Scotland said the tours were usually booked out and consisted of about 40 people. They had a medium guide them through to village to assist people with connecting with the spirits.
Kevin said there were not always sightings on the tours, and nothing was guaranteed. But still people from all around come to the village to catch a glimpse of a ghost.
“We get people coming in on Sunday during the day and they'll ask me about the tours. They say we hear there are ghosts here,” he said.
“We get school excursions during the week and some will turn around and tell me that their mum has said ghosts are there.”
Weeks said despite the fact he was not totally convinced there were ghosts, he said there had been many inexplicable incidents over the years.
“We've had rock throwing here, where little rocks have been thrown across a room,” he said.
“The moving curtains is a mystery because it doesn’t happen all the time.
“They are drawn back from the frame as if someone is peering out. You sort of query whether someone has run upstairs for a lark.”
The next tour is on Friday, while there will also be tours on April 27, May 18, June 15, September 7, October 19 and November 16.
To book, e-mail bookings@theapv.org.au or call 0438 751 775.
