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THE LEGEND OF FISHER’S GHOST Tales of the supernatural
Dallas Sherringham
THERE aren’t too many places around the world that can claim a ghost as its most famous citizen, but that’s certainly the case in Campbelltown district.
Most locals have heard of the Fishers Ghost Festival held every November, but the actual story behind the troublesome spirit and how came to haunt the famous bridge will never be fully known.
As a young boy I remember my father driving me over the bridge on trips to my Auntie’s place at Bowral but I never saw anything spiritual. There was talk in those days - the 1960 s- that the ghost still haunted the bridge and so I begged my father to do a night trip, but sadly it never happened.
Now I have read any stories and claims about the famous spiritual citizen of our region but this is the actual story according to a brochure by the Communications and Marketing Department of Campbelltown City Council- ick Fisher, the appearance of his ghost, the arrest of five men and the eventual hanging of one.
On the Evening of June 17, 1826, a man by the name of Frederick Fisher, left his home in Campbelltown and was not seen again.
Frederick George James Fisher was born on August 28, 1792. By his early twenties he was a shopkeeper, unmarried, but thought to be the father of two children. Either innocently or deliberately, Fred Fisher obtained forged bank notes through his business for which he was arrested and tried at the Surrey Gaol
On the evening of June 17, 1826, Fred Fisher disappeared and George Worrell announced Frederick had sailed for England because he was concerned about a forgery charge recently made against him.
Three weeks later after Fred Fisher's disappearance, George Worrall sold Fisher's horse and personal belongings, claiming Fred Fisher had sold them to him before he set sail.
Several local townspeople became suspicious and on September 17, 1826, George Worrall was arrested on suspicion of Fred Fisher's murder.
Worrall claimed he had not murdered Fred Fisher, but that four other men had in fact committed the crime. All four men were then arrested.
One month later, October 25, 1826, two young boys were returning home across Fisher's farm and noticed bloodstains on a fence. On closer investigation, a lock of hair and a tooth were also found.
A local constable searched the area to no avail and decided to call in an Aboriginal tracker from Liverpool. On testing the water from puddles in the area, the tracker announced, 'white fellow's fat here.' Fred Fisher's remains were found lying in a shallow grave on George Worrall's land.
But what of subsequent events and sightings around the district?
Well, it has been suggested that Farley invented the ghost story as a way of concealing some other speculated source of his knowledge about the whereabouts of Fisher's body, but this cannot be confirmed.
The ghost story may have originated from an anonymous poem in 1832 which fictionalised Fisher and Worrall. The poem, "The Sprite of the Creek!", has since been identified as the work of James Riley (1795-ca.1860), who would republish it with explanatory footnotes in 1846 under the pseudonym "Felix".
The legend of Fisher's ghost then entered popular folklore and the creek beside which the body was discovered is known as Fisher's Ghost Creek, although it has now been converted into mostly a storm water drain.
Very little physical evidence in Campbelltown, if anything, is left to reminder us of the brief life of Frederick Fisher.
All traces of the house where he lived, a storeroom and brick building he built, his farm and the fence (or possibly bridge) where his ghost appeared have all disappeared. Even the location of his grave has been lost to history.
Records associated with the court case surrounding the murder of Fred Fisher give us some idea of where these sites were. There are also articles written about the appearance of the ghost in the years following the reported sighting.
The festival
The Festival of Fisher's Ghost dates to 1960 and is organised by Campbelltown City Council.
On a night almost four months later, a wealthy and respectable Campbelltown farmer, John Farley, stumbled into a local hotel in a state of shock, and claimed he had seen the ghost of Frederick Fisher.
The ghost according to John Farley, had been sitting on the rail of a bridge and had pointed to a paddock down the creek, then faded away.
He was pale, with a blood dripping down his face from a head wound. He let out a loud moan, raised his arm and pointed in the direction of a nearby creek.
The body of Fred Fisher was later discovered by police in the paddock where the ghost had pointed.
Now, many residents believe the ghost of Fred Fisher haunts the Campbelltown Town Hall.
The legend of Fred Fisher has captured the imagination of generations. The sequence of events leading up to the subsequent trial - the murder of Freder-
Delivery on July 26, 1815, and sentenced to 14 years transportation to Australia.
By 1822 Fred Fisher has served half his sentence and applied for a ticketof-leave and permission to purchase property.
Among other properties, Fred Fisher secured a farm at Campbelltown. His neighbor was a man named William George Worrall, known to be an honest and industrious man.
Argument over money
In 1825 Fred Fisher and a local carpenter, William Brooker, had an argument over money, whereby Fisher pulled a knife. William Brooker was not badly hurt; however Fred Fisher received a light prison sentence.
Worried about his property, Fred Fisher gave George Worrell Power of Attorney during his imprisonment. Fisher served his sentence and returned to town a short time later.
George Worrall sat for trial in a criminal court on February 2, 1827. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging on February 5, 1827.
On the scaffold, Worrall confessed he had murdered Fred Fisher by mistake, thinking him a horse in the wheat crop, however, this confession was never believed by the locals.
All traces have disappeared
It is thought George Worrall had assumed when he had been appointed Fred Fisher's agent, all Fisher's property belonged to him. On Fisher's release from prison, George Worrall murdered him to fully obtain his property.
What then of John Farley's Ghost story? Why was it not used at the trial? Apparently, any tales of the supernatural were not permitted in a Court of Law and could not be used as evidence against the accused.
Fred Fisher was buried in St Peters graveyard by his brother, Henry, however, no headstone was ever erected.”
So, there you have it….or so it seems.
During that period, the legend of Fisher's Ghost experienced an unexpected rise in popularity, fueled by Sydney radio stations and crowds gathered at Fisher's Ghost Creek hoping to spot the famous Ghost. Around 1500 Sydneysiders showed up to wait for the ghost’s appearance. This ‘ghost watch’ continued throughout the late 50s.
Campbelltown Councillor, Greg Percival suggested combining the town festival and the legend and in 1960, the Festival of Fisher's Ghost was born. Funds raised from early festivals went towards the building of an ambulance station in Campbelltown.
It utilises the legend of Fisher's Ghost, to promote community togetherness and the varied activities of a diverse population in an array of creative forms. It is promoted as an energetic, lively and colorful celebration of Campbelltown City's history and its people.
The annual 10-day festival is celebrated in Campbelltown every November and. includes a parade through Queen St, the Fisher's Ghost Art Award, Fun Run, Street Fair, Carnival, Craft Exhibition, music, competitions, open days, children's events, fireworks and the Miss Princess Quest.