Embracing the Spirits: True Stories of My Encounters With the Other Side

by Barbara Parks

  said Jodie. “I was disgusted.”

  Her voice suddenly restored, Jodie began screaming. She

  unleashed a torrent of expletives that would under normal cir-

  cumstances have made her blush. Her husband was of course

  woken by the commotion, and leapt up in a panic. He was

  convinced that his wife was being attacked.

  The Michelin Man 241

  By now the Michelin Man had vanished, leaving Jodie

  unable to prove that he had been there at all. Her husband

  tried to convince her that she’d been dreaming.

  Jodie however had no doubts as to the reality of her vis-

  itation. And although further proof was unwarranted, the

  Michelin Man saw fit to show himself once again.

  The perfect opportunity to terrorise his target presented

  itself a few weeks later. Jodie’s husband was away on business, leaving an anxious Jodie alone in the house.

  It wasn’t long after settling into bed that the Michelin Man

  made himself known to her, announcing his presence with a

  sudden whoosh of air. A moment later he was at the end of

  Jodie’s waterbed, which began to undulate as he moved towards

  her.

  “Get out!” Jodie screamed. “Just fuck off!”

  She snapped on the light and bolted out of the bedroom,

  as she continued shouting profanities. She was determined to

  make him go away.

  Peace was restored for at least a little while, until another

  vulnerable woman moved into the master bedroom. By now

  Jodie’s marriage was over and she had moved out. Her ex-hus-

  band was working away, so his sister decided to move in to

  take care of the house.

  “She copped it worse than me,” said Jodie. “She still cries

  about it to this day.”

  Jodie told me that not long after moving out of her mari-

  tal home, she called in to drop off some paperwork. Despite

  the break-up of her marriage, she and her sister-in-law had

  remained good friends. It wasn’t uncommon for Jodie to call

  by for a drink and a chat. This time however, the women’s con-

  versation felt strained and somehow different.

  242 The Michelin Man

  It didn’t take much encouragement for her sister-in-law to

  reveal what was wrong; she had been subjected to the atten-

  tions of the Michelin Man.

  Jodie’s heart sank. She hadn’t wanted to frighten her so had

  kept the details of the frightening visitations to herself. She had hoped that after her abusive tirade the ghost had finally gone.

  Jodie couldn’t have been more wrong, the Michelin Man

  was obviously staying put.

  “It’s hard to even describe him” said her sister-in-law. “It

  was really weird, his body shape just kept changing.”

  “He looks like the Michelin Man, doesn’t he?”

  Her sister-in-law nodded in agreement as the tears began

  to fall. Apparently the entity had violated her, lying on top

  of her as his globular hands trailed her paralysed body. She

  couldn’t even scream.

  A cold uneasiness had settled on the house, the two women

  knew they could never feel safe there again.

  Jodie told me that her sister-in-law dealt with her trauma

  by launching herself into researching the house’s history. She had to make some sense of the terrifying events that had transpired. Perhaps that way she could then finally let them go.

  She discovered that an old recluse named George used to

  live there, and had in fact died in the master bedroom. Had he been trying to scare off its more recent occupants in the belief they were intruders? Or was he simply evil?

  Jodie tells me that she still sees her ex sister-in-law and that she continues to carry the scars of the night she encountered the Michelin Man. The house itself has since been knocked

  down and in its place stands a stylish new residence. I’d hate to think what George would make of it, especially since it

  superseded his beloved home. I have no doubt that if he disap-

  proves, he will waste no time in letting someone know.

  chapter twenty-nine

  T h e G h o s t o f

  G o v e r n m e n t H o u s e

  When I tell people that I write about ghosts and the paranor-

  mal, my revelation is generally met with one of two responses.

  They either become instantly dismissive, or else they are

  intrigued by my subject matter. Of the latter group, many

  go on to tell me about paranormal experiences of their own.

  Their stories are quite often captivating, and many find their way into the pages of one of my books. Others still, capture my imagination to the extent where I am eager to know more,

  and they often set me off on a tangent of research. I think of little else for the duration of writing the chapter. The ghosts become so ingrained in my thoughts that it feels as though I

  owe it to them to find about their history. It’s almost like a sense of obligation to share their stories with the world and work out why it is that these souls have remained earthbound.

  Such was the case when I met Beryl, an elderly patient

  with a firm belief in ghosts. She was eager to hear of my expe-243

  244 Ghost of the Government House

  riences, and was just as enthusiastic to share her own. Work-

  ing as a tour guide at the 150 year-old Government House

  building, gave her quite a selection of stories to choose from.

  Perhaps not surprisingly, the building was reputed to be a

  stomping ground for ghosts.

  One ghost in particular, however, was a doggedly persis-

  tent presence. Rare was the tour that somebody didn’t report

  encountering the mischievous ghost of Cyril; whose atten-

  tions were more often than not directed at the ladies.

  “He was quite the ladies’ man, you see,” chuckled Beryl.

  “In fact, that’s exactly what got him into trouble!”

  As the story went, Cyril’s womanising ways incurred the

  wrath of his jilted fiancé, who shot him at point blank range during the annual St John of God Hospital Ball. It’s believed that Cyril has been haunting the ballroom ever since, and Beryl’s stories seem to suggest that this is indeed true.

  There are numerous reports of people seeing a darting,

  black-dressed figure, and indeed Cyril was dressed in a black

  tuxedo at the time of his death. Others still, report being

  touched, and of course, these claims invariably come from

  women! The cold, ghostly fingers are reported to gently caress one’s cheek, or sometimes Cyril prefers to stroke the person’s hair or their neck. Cyril had also been known to place a definite hand on guests’ shoulders; a manifestation so alarming

  that the person in question is often traumatised to the point of leaving mid-tour.

  Beryl, however, found Cyril to be charming. Even though

  his most spectacular ghostly displays were centred around her, Beryl refused to be frightened. She spoke of him with such

  affection that I just had to know more. Who exactly was this

  ghost and how long had he been prowling the halls of Govern-

  Ghost of the Government House 245

  ment House? Was he stuck and unable to move on? Or was he

  happy creating mischief amongst the building’s female guests?

  I decided to do some research to find out all I could about

  Cyril.

  Of course the murder had been quite a scandal, and accounts

  of Cyril’s
untimely demise dominated the news of the day. It

  wasn’t hard uncovering the details of Cyril’s story, as the Government House murder was invariably plastered all over the front

  page of the Australian papers. The more I delved into the newspaper archives, the more of a connection I felt with this tragic ghost. Given the circumstances of his death, it seemed unlikely he would be anything but earthbound.

  Cyril Gidley was a twenty five year old marine engineer

  when he met his untimely death in 1925.

  This is a photograph of Cyril Gidley.

  He was quite a handsome man!

  246 Ghost of the Government House

  In the early hours of August 27th, Cyril’s one time fiancé,

  Audrey Campbell Jacob (an attractive, twenty year-old art stu-

  dent) approached him as he was dancing with another woman.

  Reports from the evening state that Cyril had been pointedly

  ignoring the love-sick Audrey all evening; a situation which led to the jilted Audrey feeling more and more incensed.

  According to transcripts from the trial, Audrey had attended

  the ball with a female friend, unaware that Cyril would be

  attending. He had presumably terminated their engagement

  some months earlier, by throwing Audrey’s ring into the ocean

  in the midst of a heated argument. It is a point of contention as to whether the couple later reconciled, as some sources claim

  that they did, whilst others believe that the relationship had been over for months. Audrey herself stated that they were still betrothed following the fateful argument, under the condition

  that she kept their renewed engagement a secret.

  Despite their supposed reconciliation, Cyril had become

  more and more distant. His behaviour, in turn, inspired

  Audrey to become what would be today be termed stalker-

  ish, to the point where she would turn up on his boat without warning. According to those close to Cyril, she would make

  increasingly irrational demands.

  At one point, ( barely a week before Cyril’s death) she

  threatened to kill him if he didn’t commit to their relationship.

  The encounter prompted Cyril to write a letter documenting

  details of the exchange, “in case she does keep her vow.” The letter was found in Cyril’s cabin the day after he died.

  On the night of the fateful ball, Audrey was dumbstruck

  to see Cyril in attendance. His pointed disregard enraged her

  all the more; he was acting as though he didn’t know her. It

  was a very public snub. Audrey was especially upset by the fact Ghost of the Government House 247

  that he had told her that he was going away to sea, yet here he was, dancing with another woman, right before her eyes. She

  became more and more upset.

  Audrey returned to her home on St George’s Terrace some

  time around midnight. According to her defence lawyers, she

  had intended to take her own life on the banks of the Swan

  River, and had gone home to retrieve her gun.

  Since she had been dressed in a Pierrot costume for the ear-

  lier part of the evening (and her female friend had been dressed as Pierrette) she decided to change into something less frivolous.

  She chose an elegant, blue silk gown. Armed with her revolver

  wrapped in a white handkerchief, she was soon on her way.

  According to Audrey’s testimony, she stopped at the Cathe-

  dral on her way to the river, hoping to make her peace with

  God before carrying out her suicide. It was there that she had an epiphany; she could not take her own life and she would

  forgive Cyril for his transgressions. She felt that it was time to put the nasty affair behind her for once and for all.

  A moment later, she was heading back to the ball.

  As the final dance played out at 1.30am, Audrey walked up

  behind Cyril and placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned

  to see who it was. When he saw Audrey standing behind him,

  his smile instantly vanished. Those in the vicinity described his expression as one of ill-disguised contempt.

  “Pardon me,” he said, turning back towards his partner. “I

  am dancing.”

  As it turned out, it was to be his final dance. Five minutes

  later, he was dead.

  With a loud crack, a single shot rang out throughout the

  ballroom. Cyril fell to the ground with a sickening thud; blood seeping from his nose and mouth.

  248 Ghost of the Government House

  Audrey stood by calmly as the police guard on duty ran to

  where Cyril lay on the ground.

  “I did it,” she said, holding out her wrist. She asked to be

  quietly taken away.

  The trial that followed was sensational to say the least, and

  Cyril was portrayed as an opportunistic cad, with little regard for the feelings of others. The Defence presented a history of shady dealings, and Audrey testified that he had “seduced her

  against her will.”

  Cyril was portrayed as manipulative and conniving. And

  indeed, he had been sent to Australia from England two years

  prior to his death, upon his family’s request to “clean up his act.”

  Audrey pleaded not guilty; claiming that the gun had acci-dentally discharged. The crux of the defence was that Cyr-

  il’s bad treatment had pushed Audrey to the point of suicide, which is why she was in possession of the gun.

  After a three hour deliberation, the jury presented a verdict

  of not guilty. To the astonishment of those present, Audrey

  Jacob was acquitted of Cyril Gidley’s murder. But possibly

  none were more astonished than Cyril himself, and the not

  guilty verdict may well be the reason he is refusing to rest. Of further affront would be the fact that Audrey became the wife

  of a wealthy American just a few months later, and started a

  new life in the US where her history was unknown.

  So, not only were there the issues of a murky past and an

  untimely death to contend with, but the unsatisfactory verdict would undoubtedly have thwarted Cyril’s eagerness to move

  on.

  Although well past any hope of resolution, (since Audrey

  herself would be long-dead) I am hopeful that by sharing his

  story with a wider audience, Cyril will feel vindicated enough Ghost of the Government House 249

  to finally find closure. I’m hopeful that by people being aware of his story and sending him love and healing, he will be able to leave the scene of his death after eighty seven years.

  I asked Beryl what her personal impressions of Cyril were.

  Was he as much of a rogue as he was depicted in his murder

  trial?

  “Oh, he’s a rascal alright,” said Beryl. “And to me, he’s a

  very strong presence. He’s hanging around by choice, I don’t

  think he’s stuck or anything …”

  Beryl went on to describe her most memorable encounter

  with Cyril, which took place just a few months earlier.

  “I knew he was around before anything happened, as a few

  people from the day’s tour group had mentioned seeing him.

  I was just closing up the ballroom when this almighty breeze

  wafted in out of nowhere. All the curtains started thrashing

  around like crazy!”

  Having no doubt that Cyril was responsible, Beryl openly

  admonished him, telling him that he was a naughty boy. Fortu-

  nately, it takes a lot to make Beryl scared. After so many years spent working at Government House, she considers Cyril to

  just
be a normal part of the building. She wasn’t at all per-

  turbed by Cyril’s attention-seeking behaviour.

  Perhaps Cyril wanted more of a reaction than Beryl’s gen-

  tle reprimand, so he proceeded to up the ante to get an appro-

  priate response.

  “You won’t believe what he did next” said Beryl excitedly.

  “He went ahead and wrapped me up in the whole darn thing!”

  As Beryl described the scene of being twisted up into one of

  the billowing swathes of fabric, I couldn’t help but marvel at her bravery. Despite my long association with ghosts, there are certain behaviours which I find unreservedly confronting. And this 250 Ghost of the Government House

  would definitely be one of them. I told Beryl as much, but she assured me that Cyril was only joking.

  “That’s just what Cyril’s like,” she said. “A bit of a scoun-

  drel trying to have some fun.”

  Having spent the last few days delving into Cyril’s history,

  I admittedly feel some kind of affinity to him. I feel sad for him and wish him well; and I wish for his ballroom days to be

  finally over. Cyril’s life, it seems, was less than salubrious (and the fact that it was violently terminated well before his time) has perhaps left him trying to make amends. But after eighty

  seven years of prowling the halls of Government House,

  surely it must be time to cross over. I’m hopeful that by being in the spotlight again after all this time, Cyril will be heartened by the attentions of a sympathetic audience. I’m hope-

  ful that the kind thoughts and prayers which will no doubt be

  coming his way, will give him the impetus to move on. There

  is more joy to be gleaned by crossing over, other than the skerricks derived from the occasional mischief-making prank.

  Cyril has more than paid the price for his caddish ways, and

  it’s definitely time for his spirit to progress. I have a date with him written in my diary, and I will do my best to convince him of that. He deserves so much better!

  And if indeed, peace is restored at Government House,

  and Cyril Gidley finally does make the transition to the higher realms of the spirit world, I’m not convinced that everyone will be happy about it. I daresay that old Beryl will miss her ghostly, prankster friend. But she will just have to wait until they meet up on the other side.

  chapter thirty