Tas Hospital Staff Report Seeing Ghost- Royal Derwent/Willow Court

**The Canberra Times- **Thursday 25 July 1991

HOBART: Professional counsellors have been called in to help frightened hospital workers who say they are being terrorised by a ghost at Tasmania’s major psychiatric hospital.

One male nurse told management he had been grabbed by an apparition and thrown into a doorway on three separate occasions last week while on duty in Ward 5 of the Royal Derwent Hospital at New Norfolk, 30km north of Hobart.

He has since been moved from duties in the ward and was undergoing counselling.

Other workers reported hearing strange music, doors banging and windows opening of their own accord.

Disability and community support services manager Mark Francis confirmed yesterday that six employees had reported seeing an apparition in the ward.

He said they worked for the nearby Willow Court Centre, which cared for moderate to severely intellectually handicapped patients. The centre built in the 1830s to rehabilitate convicts, is using the Royal Derwent’s ward 5 on a short-term basis.

Mr Francis said he was told on Tuesday of the poltergeist after staff gave a report to the general manager of Willow Court last Friday.

He said 25 patients were kept in the ward but there had been no change in their behaviour  to indicate they may have been disturbed by any paranormal activity.

Mr Francis said his department was adopting a “wait and see” attitude and would assess reports from counsellors after they interviewed staff.