Ghost stories abound, and tales of murder and tragic accidents date back to the early days, when life was more difficult and people lived and died around fields of gold. Daylesford, a small town in rural Victoria, Australia, along with its surroundings, has a wealth of stories, some spooky, some sad, but all interesting.

Locals tell of gold rush murders like the one in 1872, when a miner was killed and his body dumped down a mine shaft, unfortunately for the killer, the body lodged only 30 feet down the shaft and the murderer was accused and hanged. . The ghosts of 2 murdered Aboriginal girls are said to haunt the Fir Tree B&B guest house in nearby Trentham, guests have reported feeling their presence and seeing objects move on their own. The Cosmopolitan Club in Trentham was also said to be haunted by a 12-year-old girl, with sightings reported by former owners and guests. Many other hotels in the area have had reports of ghosts.

Taking the time to take a look at the local cemetery can give you an interesting insight into an area’s history and colorful past. Daylesford Cemetery has a large memorial to 3 little boys who were lost in 1867. Two brothers and a young friend went missing in the winter, looking for goats. A search was carried out with many volunteers, but to no avail. The bodies were later discovered when a local logging dog found a child’s boot. The bodies of the children were found huddled in a hollow tree.

Near Creswick was the scene of Australia’s worst mining accident. Creswick Cemetery has a stone memorial to the disaster where 22 miners lost their lives in 1882 at Australasian Mine No.2. Australasian Mine No. 1, already flooded, broke into Mine No. 2 and drowned the men working there.

The Eganstown Cemetery is located just above Deep Spring Creek. The locals say ‘it gives body to the water’ for bottled mineral water. Of course, the most famous death story in the Spa Region is that of the Hanging Rock Picnic. The story is about a school trip that goes wrong and culminates in the death of 3 girls and their teacher. The story is fictional but the setting is not, it is a beautiful walk and the rock formations are wonderful. Many people believe that the story is based on fact, the book is widely read and has been made into a movie.

Next time you’re in the Daylesford area, take some time to pamper your body and do a little soul-searching.