Over the years Ipswich has been host to a number of uncanny, and sometimes unexplained, occurrences. A browse of old Queensland Times issues reveals mysterious lights in the sky, spooky apparitions appearing in the dead of night, and strange weather incidents.

Raining fish

In May 1930 it rained fish at Bergin’s Hill, Bundamba. Mr Edkins first noticed the fish, apparently perch, in his cow paddock after a torrential shower of rain. On the same day, also after a heavy shower of rain, mud crabs were discovered in a paddock at Laidley. These weren’t isolated experiences – a fishy downpour had occurred a few years earlier in Goodna, and reports exist of similar instances in Longreach (1924) and Coopers Plains in Brisbane (1906).

Lights in the sky

At 5:39am in May 26, 1950 Mr Les McMahon, Electrician, was working at the Ipswich Workshops when a bright, torpedo shaped light passed directly overhead. The object travelled from north to south, with an 8-foot long bright blue trail behind it. It was visible in the sky for around 3 minutes, before it dropped towards the earth and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Mr P.J. Hogan, Fire Watchman, also witnessed the occurrence, stating that a “vivid blue flash” had lit up the Moulders’ shop windows. It’s believed to have been a meteorite.

Moulders’ Shop at the Ipswich Railway Workshops ca.1911 – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich

A similar meteor had been seen in May 1920, causing a spectacular light burst in the sky. Another in August 1894 was visible from Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba. Reports describe it as a very bright light with a long train behind it. It travelled at high speed across the sky, before disappearing. A strange blueish light remained in the sky for some time afterwards.

In July 1948 a meteor struck with such force that it shook houses throughout Ipswich and Brisbane, and even as far north as Maleny. Eye witnesses described the meteor as a blue ball with a tail of red flame streaking low across the sky. A few minutes after fading from view the meteor impacted to the north of Mt Cootha and two large explosions were heard, causing doors, windows and crockery to rattle.

Insect plagues

1936 saw a plague of caterpillars descend on the region. Ripley was quickly denuded by millions of dark green “army worm” caterpillars munching their way across the countryside.

This was followed by a grasshopper plague in 1937. The pests were reported at Raceview and One Mile in September 1937, with a further outbreak between Purga and Ripley.

Ghosts and apparitions

Moving from the scientific to the paranormal, some uncanny experiences are best described as ghostly. Ipswich is home to a number of famous ghost stories, including those of little Bertie Piper, Hubert at the Old Flour Mill, and the water ghost of the Rosewood Hotel.

Another reported ghostly presence was that of the North Ipswich “Spook”. In 1898 a white apparition took to traveling down Pine Street and Downs Street. Reports state that it gave a number of people quite a scare, including chasing a woman along Pine Street, a teenage boy on his way home, and a man coming home through the railway gate late one night. The local bachelor’s club tried to catch the spook but were unsuccessful and the sightings stopped. While the mystery was never solved, the tone of the news article hints that this supposed apparition could quite possibly have been a local prankster.

A year earlier there had been reports of a ghost around the Sangster Memorial, also in North Ipswich. One night George “Holy Joe” Washington was out enjoying the evening breeze, smoking an after-dinner pipe and nursing his youngest child. He was on the green opposite his house when a white shapeless form suddenly appeared and knocked him over. The ghost was never seen again after this.

Memorial to Constable James Sangster, Brown’s Park, North Ipswich (photo ca. 1940) – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich

 

In 1896 Len Johns tells the story of a night time exploration of the new mineshaft at Tivoli. Under the cover of darkness he and his brother crept into the mineshaft. On reaching the point where the new mineshaft joined up with that of the old Eclipse pit they could hear a loud, steady tapping – much like the sound of a miner digging coal. When they shone the lamp in that direction the sound suddenly stopped. The old mineshaft was said to be haunted by the miners who lost their lives there in the 1893 floods and Len was convinced that it was their ghosts he could hear. On hastily exiting the mine Len was hit in the leg by a bat disturbed from its roost, and says he screamed in fright and nearly fainted. Needless to say the two young men were suitably shaken by the whole experience.

References

Shower of fish http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115340017 The Queensland Times, Monday 12 May 1930, page 6

Meteorite over workshops? http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124645654 The Queensland Times, Saturday 27 May 1950, page 2

Meteor seen in Ipswich http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120739600 The Queensland Times, Wednesday 12 May 1920, page 4

Brilliant meteor http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article173159060 The Queensland Times, Monday 27 August 1894, page 4

Meteor rocks houses in Brisbane & Ipswich http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63371462 Townsville Daily Bulletin, Wednesday 28 July 1948, page 1

“Army Worm” Plague of caterpillars http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172910433? The Queensland Times, Wednesday 18 Mar 1936, page 6

Ipswich ghosts: Early memories, local characters by Rose Horstmann http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97720324 The Queensland Times, Sunday 27 May 1934, page 5

A real ghost story http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79762675 The Western Champion and General Advertiser, Tuesday 14 January 1896, page 12