Housing the fate of the country once, the Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia is said to house more than one ghost today. Perhaps one of the most notorious ones is that of the Minister of Murder.
Canberra is known for its beautiful landmarks, but few places in the city hold a darker history than Old Parliament House. This iconic building was the seat of power for Australia’s government for over six decades and witnessed countless political battles. However, there are whispers that the former occupants of this grand structure still linger within its walls.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Australia
Although an office building, the place has seen its fair share of death. Many visitors have reported eerie experiences ranging from unexplained noises to ghostly apparitions. The ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts have long been drawn to this site, and their investigations have uncovered some spine-chilling stories.
Brief history of Old Parliament House
Old Parliament House is an iconic building that has served as the seat of Australia’s government for over six decades. It was built in 1927 and served as the home of the Australian Parliament until 1988 when it was replaced by the new Parliament House. The building is located on Capital Hill in Canberra and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parks.
It used to be the place where they passed the bills and debated the important decisions of the country. Now the building belongs to the Museum of Australian Democracy to teach and keep the wisdom and history that has happened between the walls of this building.
Strange things are said to happen in the building though, and visitors keep seeing shadows in the corners and hearing whispers in the halls when there’s no one there. Could it be ghosts haunting the building? When the building was set aflame during a protest in 2021, it is said that people saw an apparition of a man running through King’s Hall out of the House of Representatives chamber.
The Minister of Murder Haunting the Halls
A lot of the ghost stories we get from the Old Parliament House come from the night shift staff. One of the most well-known apparitions that security guards and other night-time attendees have claimed to have seen has been dubbed the Minister of Murder.
During 1922-25, Thomas Ley, a former NSW state parliamentarian became the minister of justice with a desire to become the prime minister. He signed off on many death sentences at work. He was also tied to suspicious deaths, like with the man who helped fund his election campaign. He was thought to be involved in many shady dealings.
In March 1947 he ended up in prison for the murder of John McBain Mudie. He was a barman that Ley thought slept with his mistress. Three days before his sentencing, the death sentence no less, it was changed and he was deemed mentally unstable. He died not long after in an asylum.
Dying in disgrace without being able to fulfill his ambition of becoming the prime minister, he is said to haunt the Old Parliament House, hanging around the government party room in the building in the dead of night.
The Paranormal Activity Reported at Old Parliament House
Over the years, many visitors have reported strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena. These include mysterious footsteps, unexplained noises, and ghostly apparitions. Some people have even reported feeling a cold breeze or a touch on their shoulder when no one is around.
There are also stories about a tradie, a man on a painting job of some sort walking around the building in white painter’s overalls and carrying a tin of open paint. When security try to chase him down though, they find nothing, not even a drop of paint.
There have also been apparitions that people attribute to former prime ministers, politicians and other well known figures that once passed through these gates.
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Is Old Parliament House Canberra’s most haunted building?
Do Canberra ghosts call Old Parliament House home?