Fortuna Villa in Bendigo was built in 1855 during the gold rush and in later times used primarily by the Australian Army. It's reportedly the site of many strange sounds and spooky spectres, one of which is believed to be the ghost of George Lansell, a founder of Bendigo. The mansion now functions as an events space and hosts regular High Teas.
Victorian ghost towns
Almost-ghost towns are scattered around regional Victoria, remnants of the state's gold rush era. Thriving hubs in their heyday, most are now home to a small number of residents and a good spooky story or two.
The historic gold-mining town of Steiglitz, around an hour's drive from Melbourne on the way to Geelong, housed 1500 residents at its peak. A small handful remain today. Steiglitz Historic Park can be explored during the day or at night, either self-guided or as part of a tour.
Former mining town Linton, 33 kilometres from Ballarat, is home to a few hundred residents. Cycle along the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail, go for a bushwalk or explore the local cemetery while you're here. Graves date back to the 1860s and the site contains a large Chinese burial section, the final resting place of miners who travelled to this region of the world, pursuing dreams of wealth and fortune.
A 15-minute drive from the regional hub of Castlemaine, Fryerstown was a boom town in its own right, with more than 15,000 residents during the gold rush. The site is full of beautiful examples of late 1800s architecture, such as the Court House and Mechanic's Institute. Remaining structures include church buildings, mine ruins and the local cemetery.
Travel through Gippsland to visit Walhalla, with a top pop of around 20 permanent residents. The town is known for its historic and well-preserved buildings, beautiful autumn foliage and spring blooms, and its sprawling old cemetery, the only one in Australia to have been placed on the side of a hill. Some 1100 souls are buried in these grounds, with graves dating back to the 1870s. Watch out for the cursed grave of James Mitchell, bearing the description: 'Oh let my sudden doom a warning be to all. Here while thou bendeth over my tomb, thou may quickly fall.' Discover more about Walhalla's spooky history by jumping on a local Saturday-night ghost tour.
The mystery of Hanging Rock
The eroded remains of an extinct volcano less than an hour from Melbourne, famed Hanging Rock is best known as the setting for the novel (and subsequent movie and TV series) Picnic at Hanging Rock. There has long been speculation that the fictional story was based in fact; author Joan Lindsay is said to have been inspired by disappearances of local women in the 1800s.
For the region's Indigenous people, the ancient volcano is an important site, both culturally and spiritually, for sacred ceremonies and initiations.
The area is open daily for hikes and picnics (if you dare) and hosts occasional large-scale events. Visitors have claimed that watches and electronic devices malfunction on approaching Hanging Rock, further fuelling the mystery and intrigue surrounding the area.