Tradition: Australian Mythology
Alternative Names: Fred Fisher’s Ghost
Category: Ghost

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The Myth

Fisher’s Ghost is a famous apparition said to have appeared near Campbelltown in New South Wales, Australia. The spirit is that of Frederick Fisher, an English-born farmer who disappeared on 17 June 1826. His friend and neighbour, George Worrall, claimed that Fisher had returned to England and had entrusted him with the management of his property. Worrall later stated that Fisher had written to him, declaring that he would not return and that his farm now belonged to Worrall.

Four months after Fisher’s disappearance, a local man named John Farley rushed into a hotel in an agitated state. He claimed that he had seen Fisher’s ghost sitting on the railing of a nearby bridge. The apparition did not speak or move to approach him, but silently pointed toward a paddock beyond a creek before vanishing. Although Farley’s story was initially dismissed, the mysterious disappearance and suspicious claims surrounding Fisher eventually led the authorities to investigate the location indicated by the ghost.

During the search, Fisher’s remains were discovered buried beside the creek. George Worrall was arrested for the murder, confessed to the crime, and was subsequently hanged. Fisher was buried in the cemetery of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Campbelltown. The bridge, the paddock, and the silent apparition became inseparable from the legend, and the nearby waterway became known as Fisher’s Ghost Creek.

The story became one of Australia’s best-known ghost legends, inspiring a silent film and an annual festival in Campbelltown. The exact origin of the apparition story remains uncertain, but the legend endures as a tale in which a murdered man’s ghost revealed the location of his own body and helped expose the person responsible for his death.

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Sources

“Fisher’s ghost.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher%27s_ghost

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