The Royal Bull’s Head Inn, located in Draytron Queensland, is reputably haunted by more than half a dozen ghosts!
Frances Lynch, who was the postmistress at the former pub for over half a century, is said to be one of eight ghosts haunting the Royal Bull’s Head Inn.
There’s also the lady in the night dress, first recorded in 1908, and who is believed to be Sarah Horton, the wife of the first proprietor, William Horton.
Bill and Sarah Horton established the inn as the ‘Bull’s Head’ in 1848, and owned the pub for over 15 years.
The Bull’s Head Inn gained its ‘Royal’ title in September 1858 after William Horton returned as publican.
Horton “died suddenly” in 1864 at the age of 47, with his wife “departing this life” the following year, at the young age of 35.
The Toowoomba Chronicle reported on March 9 1865 that “Mrs Horton, widow of the late Mr. William Horton, the well-known proprietor of the Royal Bull’s Head Hotel” had “been in a precarious state of health ever since the death of her husband.”
Also said to be haunting the old pub is a young drover, who died after chewing tobacco contaminated with arsenic in 1870. John Hannay, 19, recently married, had been drinking in the pub the night before his body was found at his step-father’s property.
A “Chinaman”, who died after swallowing throat lozenges soaked in strychnine, is said to be another of the inn’s restless spirits. He was found dead in his humpy, and an inquest, held at the Bull’s Inn, found he committed suicide.
Another ghost who haunts the former pub is said to be a young man, who cut his own throat after the publican, Daniel Neile gave the drifter a free bed for the night in 1870. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday May 19, 1870:
The Toowoomba Chronicle says – “One of those fearful cases of self-destruction, the result, no doubt, of excessive drinking took place at the Royal Bull’s Head, Drayton, either late on Friday night last, or early on Saturday morning, the unfortunate man being a stranger who came into Drayton from Toowoomba on Friday, and took up his quarters at the old look-up. About dusk the police officer in charge, on his way to the police paddock, noticed smoke issuing out of the chimney, he went over to see who was there, when he saw this man, and told him he could not stop there. The man told him that he had been drinking rather heavily, and intended camping there for the night. He had been at the creek washing some of his things, and, to all appearance quite sensible; however, the constable told him to go over to the Bull’s Head, and if he had not the means of paying for his night’s lodging, he would pay for it for him. Mr Neale told him that, as he had blankets of his own, he could lie on the sofa and no charge would be made. He only drank, while there, three glasses of grog. In the morning Mr Daniel Neale went into his room and found him lying on the floor with his throat cut, and dead, the jugular vein being severed in two. He was a young man, middle height, dark complexion, and dark curly hair. There was a magisterial inquiry held on the body. The name of the unfortunate man did not transpire.”
The most chilling ghost story though is undoubtedly the baby in the well. People have reported hearing the cries of a baby near a disused well at the back of the inn.
After the building closed as a pub in 1872, it traded as a post office for over 60 years with Frances Lynch at the helm. Miss Lynch died in 1958, and she is said to be one of the ghosts haunting the historic building.
The history of the Royal Bull’s Head Inn
If the walls of the Royal Bull’s Head Inn could talk, they wouldn’t just speak—they’d spin a yarn full of unruly squatters, holy water, high-society flexes, and a 90-year family secret.
Located in Drayton, Queensland, this heritage-listed gem isn’t just an old building; it was the ultimate 19th-century frontier hotspot.
The Bull’s Head Inn (now the Royal Bull’s Head Inn) was established as a pub in 1848 by ex-convict William Horton.
Horton’s had been a convicted felon at the age of 13, his first crime being that he had run away from a cruel stepmother, and later, in bad company he had stolen a coat. He was sent to Australia in a convict ship in 1830 and assigned to Henry Stuart Russell, who took an immediate liking to him. He became Russell’s greatly trusted and respected overseer on his property at Cecil Plains. To quote Russell: “A truer Englishman never breathed. His was a sterling nature… his faults the fruit of the terrible training through which his early years had been dragged”.
After serving out his sentence Horton worked as a stockman and became renowned as an experienced bushman. He was energetic, enthusiastic and determined to make the best of his situation.
In the early 1840s, William Horton worked in the Queen’s Arms Hotel in Ipswich, where he met his wife Sarah Campbell. She was one of only three women living in Ipswich.
In 1848, William and Sarah moved to Drayton to open the Bull’s Head Inn. William named the inn after a prize Durham bull named ‘Champion’ on Cecil Plains station,
and the image of a bull’s head was used on pub advertisements.
The inn was simply built of timber slabs with a shingled timber roof, but it contained a fine parlour and high-quality meals were offered. There was a butcher’s shop on site, enabling a good supply of fresh and salted meat, a blacksmith and a saddler for repairs, and stabling and hay were available for travellers to rest their horses.
Back in the late 1840s, the inn was nothing more than a rustic slab-built hut with a timber-shingled roof. Yet, it was the beating heart of the Darling Downs. It was the only place for miles where you could find a stiff drink and a warm bed. A constant stream of travellers, rugged settlers, and weary coast-dwellers packed the parlour.
It was a rowdy place — until August 20, 1848, when the Reverend Benjamin Glennie walked through the doors. Rolling up his sleeves, he conducted the very first Church of England service on the Darling Downs right there in the inn. Talk about turning water into wine!
In a story published in the Noosa News on January 3, 1974, author and historian Ailsa Dawson explained that Horton built the original inn of slabs in 1847 at the ‘Springs’, the first name given to what is now Drayton.
Bill Horton leased the inn to his old friend and card playing opponent, mariner and Captain William Witham in 1856. Witham had become friendly with Horton when he used to bring ships of the Harris Line from Brisbane up the Bremer River to Ipswich. Horton, nicknamed ‘Fiver’, was said to have been a great raconteur, and an avid card player.
Witham and Horton reportedly spent many hours a night at the card table. Did Witham win the lease of the pub playing cards with Horton? That’s a question we will probably never know the answer. Although we do know that Witham took over the license of the inn from Horton in 1856 and remained there as host till 1858.
William Witham removed the license of the Bulls Head Inn from Drayton to Toowoomba in July 1858 to open the Queens Arms Hotel. This effectively caused the the Bulls Head to close for business, and owner, Horton was forced to apply for a new license for the building.
Horton made major improvements and additions to the old inn and was granted a new license for the building undert the name of the Royal Bulls Head Inn on September 7, 1858. The reason for adding the ‘royal’ to the title is unclear, as research has found not regal or royal visits to the to the region during this time.
The hostelry was rebuilt in the style it is known to-day with its distinctive dormer windows, reminiscent of buildings in England. Horton didn’t just renovate; he flexed. He filled it with gorgeous furniture, making the Bull’s Head officially the swankiest establishment on the Darling Downs. Local gossip even claimed it put the fancy hotels in Brisbane and Ipswich to absolute shame.
Fun Fact: Horton’s glory days were short-lived. He passed away in 1864, and by the next year, his prized, beautiful furniture was scattered to the winds at a massive public auction.
The Royal Bull’s Head Inn traded until 1872 when Henry Neale closed the premises as a licensed pub. The Darling Downs Gazette reported on July 13 1872:
The Royal Bull’s Head Hotel, that for so many years held the highest place as a house of entertainment, has at length succumbed to the general stagnation of trade, its late proprietor, Mr Neale, though a very obliging and painstaking landlord, and though combining other industries with that of nobbier dispensing, finding it would not pay. The loss of this long-established house has, however, been compensated for by Hanrahan’s Hotel and that of Mr Allen, where the hungry and thirsty are sure to find all their longings satisfied and meet with every civility and kindness.
After Horton’s death, a chunk of the original building and the stables were literally sold for removal in 1875 and carted away, leaving only the 1859 extension and the kitchen standing.
Then came the plot twist. In 1879, Horton’s son sold the place to a local saddler named Richard Stephen Lynch and his wife, Sarah.
The Lynches looked at the rowdy hotel and decided, “We’re making this a home.” They:
- Renamed it the posh-sounding “The Terrace.”
- Turned it into a private family sanctuary for more than 90 years.
- Ran the town’s Post Office right out of the building for six decades (until their daughter, Frances, finally stamped her last letter and retired in 1952).
When the last surviving Lynch son passed away in 1973, the National Trust of Queensland stepped in to save the old warrior. What followed was a decades-long extreme makeover.
By 1988, the dust had settled, the cedar gleamed again, and the Governor of Queensland, Sir Walter Campbell, officially reopened the doors with a shiny commemorative plaque. By the time the late ’90s rolled around, the classic 19th-century gardens were blooming, the stables were rebuilt, and the historic kitchen was fully restored to its former glory.
Today, the Royal Bull’s Head Inn is officially immortalized on the Queensland Heritage Register. It’s no longer hosting rowdy 1800s squatters, but it is open to the public on the first weekend of every month.
Pop in, grab a coffee, browse the bookshop, and see if you can hear the faint echoes of Reverend Glennie competing with the clinking of old beer mugs.
[The Land (Sydney) Friday 27 March 1953]
By A Correspondent
ON the Darling Downs of Queensland is a picturesque old wooden building, which forms an interesting link with the pioneering days of Queensland and northern New South Wales.
During its 113 years of existence it has served as a hotel, a church and a post office, and is now a private residence!
The building was erected in 1840 as the Royal Bull’s Head Hotel.
To the teamsters and drovers from northern New South Wales, and the land-seekers, who came in search of new country, the hotel was like an oasis in the wilderness, and it became a favorite meeting place.
It was also the terminus of what was then the longest pack-horse mail service in Australia. The service operated from Tenterfield to Drayton, the round trip of 400 miles taking almost three months.
A valuable and interesting relic of the mail service is preserved in St. Matthew’s Church of England at Drayton.
This is an old envelope, bearing one of the first postage stamps issued in New South Wales, addressed to Rev. Benjamin Glennie, Drayton, via Tenterfield.
It was the Rev. Glennie who conducted the first church service on the Darling Downs in the parlor of the hotel, on August 20, 1848.
A memento of the occasion now adorns the vestry door of St. Matthew’s – the brass door knocker from the old hotel.
When the hotel was closed, the building was taken over by the Lynch family, who conducted the Drayton Post Office there for nearly 70 years.
Miss Frances Lynch ,who was postmistress for 45 years, retired only last year.
Her length of service as postmistress is believed to be an Australian record.
The old building, which is in a remarkable state of preservation, is now being used as a residence by Miss Lynch and other members of the family.
With a reputation for being the “most haunted” building in Toowoomba, paranormal fanatics are invited to join the ‘South East Paranormal’ team for a Paranormal Investigation of the Royal Bull’s Head Inn. The night ghost tours in Toowoomba started in 2014 at the Royal Bull’s Head Inn and proved to be quite popular so they have kept going. The local Toowoomba locals believe strongly in the paranormal. The experts will guide participants through investigative procedures and are enthusiastically looking forward to sharing the evening with you. For more information: Call: 0490 363 719
[www.thechronicle.com.au April 12 2013 11:53 AM]
Paranormal investigators probe ‘haunted’ historic inn
PARANORMAL investigator Darren Davies hopes triggers from the past will bring some spirits into the future.
The Brisbane-based investigator will visit Drayton’s Royal Bulls Head Inn to determine, once-and-for-all, whether the historic property is haunted.
Using full-spectrum, high-quality electrical equipment and recording devices as well as historical artefacts, Mr Davies will conduct an over-night investigation.
Mr Davies has also thoroughly researched the inn’s history in preparation.
“We have uncovered a lot,” he said.
“And not all of it is nice.
“In fact, it has quite a dark history.
“There have been a number of sudden as well as natural deaths at the inn.”
Mr Davies and a crew from the not-for-profit group, Paranormal Paratek, will take over the inn from sunset to sunrise in an effort to connect with the past.
Using “triggers” such as historical music, antique items and things associated with the inn like playing cards, to evoke spirits.
“If we understand the people that were associated with the inn, what their life was like and what interested them, we can connect with the past,” he said.
“We would like to determine whether there is any spiritual energy and what level of activity there is.”
It is the stuff that would make the ordinary folk’s hair stand on end. But for Mr Davies, it just another day in the office, albeit a creepy office.
“People basically fear the unknown,” he said.
“But we know what to expect.”
Mr Davies said most paranormal activity could be explained away with scientific evidence, electrical interference or simply psychosomatic expectations.
Having said that though, Mr Davies has a “good feeling” that something unexplainable will happen at the Royal Bulls Head Inn.
“Purely because of the number of deaths, particularly suicides,” he said.
“I feel there is something there.”
Ghosts of the Inn
- The Lady in the Night Dress: First recorded in 1908. Believed to Sarah Horton, the wife of the first proprietor, William Horton.
- The Three Drovers: Died after chewing on tobacco contaminated with arsenic.
- The “Chinaman”: Committed suicide after eating throat lozenges soaked in strychnine. Was found dead in an upstairs bedroom.
- The Young Man: Died after having his throat cut on the ground floor.
- The baby in the well: People have reported hearing the cries of a baby near a disused well at the back of the inn.
Whether the ‘ghost busters’ discovered any ghosts, we do not know. If you know of any pub ghost stories, we would be eager to hear from you. Place your stories in the comment section below.
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Categories: Queensland hotels
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