Embracing the Spirits: True Stories of My Encounters With the Other Side (29 page)

attending. He had presumably terminated their engagement

some months earlier, by throwing Audrey’s ring into the ocean

in the midst of a heated argument. It is a point of contention as to whether the couple later reconciled, as some sources claim

that they did, whilst others believe that the relationship had been over for months. Audrey herself stated that they were still betrothed following the fateful argument, under the condition

that she kept their renewed engagement a secret.

Despite their supposed reconciliation, Cyril had become

more and more distant. His behaviour, in turn, inspired

Audrey to become what would be today be termed
stalker-

ish,
to the point where she would turn up on his boat without warning. According to those close to Cyril, she would make

increasingly irrational demands.

At one point, ( barely a week before Cyril’s death) she

threatened to kill him if he didn’t commit to their relationship.

The encounter prompted Cyril to write a letter documenting

details of the exchange, “in case she does keep her vow.” The letter was found in Cyril’s cabin the day after he died.

On the night of the fateful ball, Audrey was dumbstruck

to see Cyril in attendance. His pointed disregard enraged her

all the more; he was acting as though he didn’t know her. It

was a very public snub. Audrey was especially upset by the fact Ghost of the Government House 247

that he had told her that he was going away to sea, yet here he was, dancing with another woman, right before her eyes. She

became more and more upset.

Audrey returned to her home on St George’s Terrace some

time around midnight. According to her defence lawyers, she

had intended to take her own life on the banks of the Swan

River, and had gone home to retrieve her gun.

Since she had been dressed in a Pierrot costume for the ear-

lier part of the evening (and her female friend had been dressed as Pierrette) she decided to change into something less frivolous.

She chose an elegant, blue silk gown. Armed with her revolver

wrapped in a white handkerchief, she was soon on her way.

According to Audrey’s testimony, she stopped at the Cathe-

dral on her way to the river, hoping to make her peace with

God before carrying out her suicide. It was there that she had an epiphany; she could not take her own life and she would

forgive Cyril for his transgressions. She felt that it was time to put the nasty affair behind her for once and for all.

A moment later, she was heading back to the ball.

As the final dance played out at 1.30am, Audrey walked up

behind Cyril and placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned

to see who it was. When he saw Audrey standing behind him,

his smile instantly vanished. Those in the vicinity described his expression as one of ill-disguised contempt.

“Pardon me,” he said, turning back towards his partner. “I

am dancing.”

As it turned out, it was to be his final dance. Five minutes

later, he was dead.

With a loud crack, a single shot rang out throughout the

ballroom. Cyril fell to the ground with a sickening thud; blood seeping from his nose and mouth.

248 Ghost of the Government House

Audrey stood by calmly as the police guard on duty ran to

where Cyril lay on the ground.

“I did it,” she said, holding out her wrist. She asked to be

quietly taken away.

The trial that followed was sensational to say the least, and

Cyril was portrayed as an opportunistic cad, with little regard for the feelings of others. The Defence presented a history of shady dealings, and Audrey testified that he had “seduced her

against her will.”

Cyril was portrayed as manipulative and conniving. And

indeed, he had been sent to Australia from England two years

prior to his death, upon his family’s request to “clean up his act.”

Audrey pleaded
not guilty;
claiming that the gun had acci-dentally discharged. The crux of the defence was that Cyr-

il’s bad treatment had pushed Audrey to the point of suicide, which is why she was in possession of the gun.

After a three hour deliberation, the jury presented a verdict

of not guilty. To the astonishment of those present, Audrey

Jacob was acquitted of Cyril Gidley’s murder. But possibly

none were more astonished than Cyril himself, and the not

guilty verdict may well be the reason he is refusing to rest. Of further affront would be the fact that Audrey became the wife

of a wealthy American just a few months later, and started a

new life in the US where her history was unknown.

So, not only were there the issues of a murky past and an

untimely death to contend with, but the unsatisfactory verdict would undoubtedly have thwarted Cyril’s eagerness to move

on.

Although well past any hope of resolution, (since Audrey

herself would be long-dead) I am hopeful that by sharing his

story with a wider audience, Cyril will feel vindicated enough Ghost of the Government House 249

to finally find closure. I’m hopeful that by people being aware of his story and sending him love and healing, he will be able to leave the scene of his death after eighty seven years.

I asked Beryl what her personal impressions of Cyril were.

Was he as much of a rogue as he was depicted in his murder

trial?

“Oh, he’s a rascal alright,” said Beryl. “And to me, he’s a

very strong presence. He’s hanging around by choice, I don’t

think he’s stuck or anything …”

Beryl went on to describe her most memorable encounter

with Cyril, which took place just a few months earlier.

“I knew he was around before anything happened, as a few

people from the day’s tour group had mentioned seeing him.

I was just closing up the ballroom when this almighty breeze

wafted in out of nowhere. All the curtains started thrashing

around like crazy!”

Having no doubt that Cyril was responsible, Beryl openly

admonished him, telling him that he was a naughty boy. Fortu-

nately, it takes a lot to make Beryl scared. After so many years spent working at Government House, she considers Cyril to

just be a normal part of the building. She wasn’t at all per-

turbed by Cyril’s attention-seeking behaviour.

Perhaps Cyril wanted more of a reaction than Beryl’s gen-

tle reprimand, so he proceeded to up the ante to get an appro-

priate response.

“You won’t believe what he did next” said Beryl excitedly.

“He went ahead and wrapped me up in the whole darn thing!”

As Beryl described the scene of being twisted up into one of

the billowing swathes of fabric, I couldn’t help but marvel at her bravery. Despite my long association with ghosts, there are certain behaviours which I find unreservedly confronting. And
this
250 Ghost of the Government House

would definitely be one of them. I told Beryl as much, but she assured me that Cyril was only joking.

“That’s just what Cyril’s like,” she said. “A bit of a scoun-

drel trying to have some fun.”

Having spent the last few days delving into Cyril’s history,

I admittedly feel some kind of affinity to him. I feel sad for him and wish him well; and I wish for his ballroom days to be

finally over. Cyril’s life, it seems, was less than salubrious (and the fact that it was violently terminated well before his time) has perhaps left him trying to make amends. But after eighty

seven years of prowling the halls of Government House,

surely it must be time to cross over. I’m hopeful that by being in the spotlight again after all this time, Cyril will be heartened by the attentions of a sympathetic audience. I’m hope-

ful that the kind thoughts and prayers which will no doubt be

coming his way, will give him the impetus to move on. There

is more joy to be gleaned by crossing over, other than the skerricks derived from the occasional mischief-making prank.

Cyril has more than paid the price for his caddish ways, and

it’s definitely time for his spirit to progress. I have a date with him written in my diary, and I will do my best to convince him of that. He deserves so much better!

And if indeed, peace is restored at Government House,

and Cyril Gidley finally does make the transition to the higher realms of the spirit world, I’m not convinced that
everyone
will be happy about it. I daresay that old Beryl will miss her ghostly, prankster friend. But she will just have to wait until they meet up on the other side.

A N e w C h a p t e r

B e g i n s

As I reflect on my life, I realise just how strongly the spirit world has influenced the person I have become. Not a day

goes by that I don’t experience some form of spirit contact.

I’m constantly reminded that the spirit world is inherent to

our own, and that life on earth is more amazing than we can

ever truly fathom.

The range of paranormal experiences traverses a vast

range of manifestations; from the subtle to the remarkable. A

visit from the other side can be little more than a feather-light touch or a barely audible whisper. It can also be as intense as a smack to the face.

Regardless of where one’s experiences fall within this spec-

trum, glimpses of life after death are almost always life-changing. They challenge our belief systems and bring a precious

gift; the conviction that life goes on irrespective of physical death.

251

252 A New Chapter Begins

Despite the shaky foundations of my clairvoyance, I feel

I have progressed beyond the fears which tainted my earliest

encounters with spirits. I am heartened by the fact that I’m

steadily moving towards full acceptance of my abilities, and

that I’m now able to push myself beyond the barriers of what

feels safe. Despite the occasional times when I falter, I’m convinced my days of feeling victimised are behind me.

These days I try to make a point of consciously remind-

ing myself how far removed I am from the petrified girl I once was. As recently as a year ago, I never would have imagined

that I would be skilled or brave enough to facilitate a séance; yet here I am doing that very thing with inspiring results. It is small advances such as these which nudge me onto the next

phase of my spiritual journey.

As another chapter of my life unfolds, and I extend myself

a little further, I know that there is no turning back. Once

the spirits have tapped you on your shoulder, there is no way

you can revert to being the person you once were. And that is

something that I’m forever grateful for.

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