Why we bought a haunted hotel

PHOTO: Rosewood Hotel has been purchased by Luke and Lynnette Chalmers, with selling agent Marc Mayberry (centre) Picture: Richard Walker

A historic and supposedly haunted pub revered by paranormal investigators has new owners, who have already had a few eerie encounters with their ghostly squatters.

Luke and Lynette Chalmers recently bought the Rosewood Hotel near Ipswich, which has attracted various ghost hunters over the years amid ongoing rumours that at least two spirits have refused to leave at closing time.

“Yes, we were told it was haunted, full disclosure from the agent Marc Mayberry and the owners, David Pahlke and Carol Moore,” the couple said.

“Though Carol saved most of her personal experiences until we’d signed on the dotted line. “Not that it would of changed anything, we were already in love with the place.”

Rosewood Hotel has been purchased by Lynnette and Luke Chalmers, with children Charlotte and Lawson- Picture: Richard Walker

The original Rosewood Hotel – one of four in the town in its early days – was built and licenced in 1870, but was gutted by fire in 1912.

It was soon rebuilt, but the story goes that some stubborn souls thought the party must go on.

At least two ghosts are believed to haunt the hotel, including one referred to as the ‘water ghost’.

It has been suggested that the water ghost is responsible for sheets of water flowing over the veranda, clothes being found wet and streams of water dripping from the ceiling, according to an article held by Ipswich Libraries.

Copy of The Queensland Times front page ‘Haunted Hotel’ of Rosewood Hotel, Saturday, June 5, 2004

But a Queensland clairvoyant also reportedly sensed another two spectres at the shuttered watering hole – a red-haired Scotsman and a second “sadder” spirit.

“One day Luke saw a woman standing at the top of the internal stairs but when he did a double take nobody was there,” Lynette said.

“That same day we were showing Luke’s father the hotel and he came outside and asked us if anyone was being funny and tapped him on the shoulder and hid but we were actually measuring up the beer garden area outside well away from him.

“Apparently the ghosts have a better sense of humour than us because that would have been a wicked prank had they not beat us to it.”

Rosewood Hotel has been purchased by Luke and Lynnette Chalmers, who have a lot of work ahead of them before it opens to the public Picture: Richard Walker

The hotel has been visited numerous times by paranormal investigators who have reported seeing unexplained figures and eerie encounters.