The Myths of St Johns
St John's Cemetery and the reformatory ruins have attracted a great deal of
attention over the years, from ghost stories in True Barossa Ghosts
(gathered with good spirit) by Valerie Laughton to documentaries by
Warwick Moss, plus websites, Facebook pages, you-tube videos and newspaper
stories.
Research is being conducted by many paranormal teams,
genealogists, independent researchers, paranormal enthusiasts and a myriad of
journalists, reporters, and authors. Many of the stories currently found,
particularly on the internet, are grossly distorted, personal points of view or lies. It isn't hard to dig for the truth about the place or its people,
one only needs to venture into the Kapunda Public library or the museum archives to find the facts.
Sorting fact from fiction.
It is my goal to educate the masses of people
interested in this location with facts, not rumours, innuendo, or fiction.
Here are some of the rumours and fiction I have come across
on the internet and through hearing stories from the public at the Cemetery.
·
Father Martin Murdered Ruby Bland - Myth
·
Father Martin Got Ruby Bland Pregnant - Myth
·
Babies were thrown in the reformatory furnace -
Myth
·
Ruby hung herself - Myth
·
Vera was in the reformatory - Myth
·
A girl hung herself from the palm tree - Myth
·
A girl hung herself on the large tree in the
field - Myth
·
The Girls were placed in the reformatory for
being pregnant - Myth
·
Father Martin and nuns conducted abortions -
Myth
·
Father Martin became crazed and killed everyone
on-site, then himself - Myth
·
Nuns were killed - Myth
Obviously, some of these rumours are far-fetched, some plain
ridiculous, but all fuel the urban legend being perpetuated by misinformed
individuals. I believe it is part of our job as Paranormal Investigators to
educate people about the truth of this, and other locations, and to instate a
feeling of respect for the cemetery and the people buried within, who all once
lived, and now only have a tombstone to mark their life story.
The Truth:
- FACT - Father Martin did not kill Ruby Bland - Ruby died in
the Kapunda Hospital from complications of what equates today to "gall
bladder stones".
- FACT - No Girls died
whilst in the reformatory.
- FACT - Ruby DID NOT
die from hanging.
- FACT - Vera was born after the reformatory had closed and
was a local celebrity of sorts whose life can easily be traced in the Museum.
- FACT - No one was hung from the palm tree - it would be
mighty difficult to do so.... think about it.
- FACT - The large tree
in the middle of the field has been estimated to not be old enough to have been
there at the time of the reformatory. This rules out that tree being a
"hanging tree".
- FACT - There are no records of girls being placed in the
reformatory for being pregnant; girls in such a state would have been placed in
the Women's Asylum ( now the Migration Museum). Instead, girls in the
Reformatory were usually in for breaking curfew and petty crimes.
- FACT - Father Martin died of Senile Inertia, meaning, he
became so senile he could no longer fend for himself, letters held by Peter
Swann show that the Father lived on in the Presbytery of the Reformatory for
another ten years after it closed, Former interns (girls) often came to check
on him and help feed him, he died alone in his bed. He killed no one, although
his state of mind is questioned in newspaper reports; it is because of his
senility, not because he was a crazed schizophrenic madman; he was a man slowly
losing who he was.
- FACT - Nuns were never killed at the reformatory; however, at
least one Nun is buried in the Cemetery who had worked at St John's, but she
died of natural causes and also worked at St Rose of Lima and the local
Nunnery.
- FACT - Ruby Bland was not one of the 87 Reformatory Girls
who resided in the Reformatory over a span of 20 odd years.
- FACT - Ruby Bland was a NURSE in Kapunda hospital. (documented in her sister's diary).
- FACT - The Reformatory had been earmarked to close on the
date of its closure 6 months previously, as stated publicly in South Australian
Parliament records!
If you hear of any other crazy rumours or stories, please
let me know by emailing eidolon@live.com.au, and I will get to the bottom of
it!
