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Fishers Ghost |
The Fisher’s Ghost Festival is a celebration of a macabre event in the history of Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The festival lasts most of November, and includes a street parade, carnival, marathon, art exhibitions, free entertainment and the obligatory “ghost on a stick” toy sold by the local scouting groups as a fundraising venture.
So what is the meaning behind the festival and the long since dried up creek bed, bearing the name of “Fisher’s Ghost”? Most residents of Campbelltown are aware it has to do with a murder and the victim’s ghost pointing to the location of his missing body. Yes that information is enough to get most intrigued, but my research found me looking beyond Campbelltown, to England where Charles Dickens wrote his own version of the tale of Fisher’s Ghost. I found it amazing that our history had inspired even the most distinguished of writers.
A poem was also written about the case, however it’s origins are unknown.
“Frederick George James Fisher
A convict he had been
Arrived on the Atlas transport
In the year 1816
Freedom soon was his
And Campbelltown showed much charm
That this was where he settled
On his thirty acre farm
Disaster struck June 17
The year 1826
Fred Fisher had disappeared
So a twenty pound reward was fixed
Then a ghost was seen pointing
To the banks along the creek
Blood was found on the bridge
From where the ghost did speak,
On the last day of October,
Fred’s body had been found
Black natives solved the mystery
Buried three feet underground
George Worrall was arrested
Convicted by the Supreme Court
His life on earth was terminated
Justice had been bought”
Frederick George Fisher was born on August 28, 1792 in London. He ran a successful business in London until he was discovered in possession of forged documents. He was sentenced to transportation to Australia on July 26, 1815.
He served his sentence and in 1822 was given a ticket-of-leave, this included a piece of land in Campbelltown.
The man who owned the neighbouring block of land was George Worroll (also Worrell or Worrall). Worroll was also paroled after being transported to Australia, but had continued his criminal ways and soon included Fred Fisher in his dealings. Fred found himself in debt for £80 and was unable to repay them, he began to fret about losing the small house and land he had built.
Worroll decided to help his neighbour by hiding the ownership of Fisher’s farm. He told Fred to sign the ownership over to him so when the debt-collectors came, he would not lose the farm. Frederick agreed and soon Worroll officially owned the farm. When the debt-collectors came and Fred was unable to pay his dues, he was arrested and imprisoned for six months in late 1825.
After serving his sentence, Fred returned home in June 1826, to find that Worroll had taken over the Fisher Farm and really was not expecting Fisher to return. Worroll had been telling people that Fred had sold him the farm and returned to England, so when the man returned and demanded his property be returned, Worroll decided otherwise.
On the night of June 17, 1826 Frederick Fisher was last seen with Worroll by Jane Hopkins. The time was around nine o’clock and the men were about to start drinking, it was the last time he was seen alive.
After several days, people were suspicious of Worroll’s stories of Fisher returning to England and enquiries soon began into Fred’s whereabouts. A local police officer Newland discovered blood splatter on a paling fence on Worroll’s property. Aboriginal trackers were brought in to search the two properties and claimed they could smell a dead white man, yet were unable to find a body.
Most of Fred’s possessions were found amongst Worrell’s property, the man had even begun wearing Fisher’s clothing. A local man was sold Fisher’s horse, when he questioned Worroll about his right to sell the animal, Worroll produced a crudely written and obvious forgery of Fisher’s signature, stating Worroll had power of attorney over the horse. The local townsfolk and constabulary believed that Worrell had murdered his neighbour.
Early September 1826, after a lengthy investigation provided no body or evidence of Fred having left the country had been found a reward was posted to encourage anyone with information to come forward. Soon afterwards James Farley stumbled into a local pub, gasping for breath as he began telling his story. A story that was to become Campbelltown folklore.
Farley’s story was incredible to say the least. The man claimed to have seen the ghost of Fred Fisher sitting on a fence on his property, there was a large wound on the apparition’s forehead. The ghost said nothing to the startled man, he just pointed towards the creek (now known as Fisher’s Ghost Creek).
The police were called to the hotel to hear Farley’s story. The following morning a search was made and the decomposed body of Fred Fisher was discovered partially buried.
On September 17, 1826 Worroll was arrested for the murder of his neighbour Frederick Fisher. At the court trial, no mention was allowable to how Farley had been directed to the body of Fisher. One witness also claimed that when discussing the possible murder of Fred before his body was found, Worroll had “turn[ed] pale, and affect to smile”[1] before attempting to change
Worroll confessed. He claimed to have been walking between the two properties with Fisher when he threw a plank of wood towards one of the horses, it struck Fisher, who fell unconsciously to the ground. He panicked and hid the man’s body, Fisher expired during the night. The following evening Worroll had returned and attempted to bury the man.
Worroll was found guilty of the murder on Friday February 2, 1827 and sentenced to hang the following Monday.
On Monday February 5, 1827 George Worroll was hanged for the wilful murder of Frederick Fisher. He is buried in a cemetery in The Rocks. The body of Fred Fisher is interred in a secret grave in the Anglican Church in Campbelltown. At the time of writing being discussed by Council is whether a gravestone should be re-erected at Fisher’s gravesite or whether a memorial should be erected elsewhere.
The site where Fisher’s Ghost was seen has become a pilgrimage for some interested parties, with a hope of once more seeing the Ghost. The site is now beside the railway lines under a major arterial bridge. Not the place for an almost 200 year old ghost to be spending his eternity, even one as famous as Fred.