Australia Upclose and Haunted with Cat Ward

About this episode

Cat Ward shares chilling true stories from J Ward, one of Australia's most haunted sites, and her personal experiences living in a haunted hotel.

Dive into the chilling true stories from one of #Australia's most notoriously haunted sites: J Ward in Ararat, Victoria — once a goldfields prison, later the infamous ward for the criminally insane at Ararat Lunatic Asylum (Aradale). Known for its dark history of executions, mistreatment, and restless spirits, J Ward is widely regarded as one of the country's most haunted locations, with reports of apparitions, physical interactions, unexplained voices, and eerie presences that linger in its bluestone walls.In this gripping episode of #SeriouslyStrange, #paranormal researcher and investigator Cat Ward shares her personal experiences after living in a haunted hotel tied to these asylums for 4 years. Hear firsthand accounts of strange encounters, shadowy figures, unexplained phenomena, and what it was like to live amid the echoes of Australia's troubled mental health past.Hosted by #KristianLander and Caroline McKendrick Gibson, who bring their expertise to unpack these eerie tales with open-minded curiosity and critical discussion.Don't miss the Seriously Strange Conference August 2026!BOOKING NOW AVAILABLE — join us for a weekend of lectures, workshops, field reports, and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Caroline McKendrick Gibson, Kristian Lander

Guest: Cat Ward

Topics covered

• haunted locations
• paranormal research
• mental health history

Keywords

• J Ward
• Ararat
• ghosts
• paranormal encounters
• Australia

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Audible, Seriously Strange Conference

Books & works: #SeriouslyStrange

Places: Australia, Ararat, Victoria

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