The Broken Heart of Oyster Harbour
A special extract from my new book!
That’s right! I wrote another book! It’s called 100 Tales From Australia’s Most Haunted Places, and it’s out now wherever you happen to buy books. As advertised, the book contains an even century of spooky stories, and not to oversell it but it’s probably the best book you’ll ever read. For evidence, please read the below chapter from the book: the tragic tale of the Broken Heart of Oyster Harbour.
It was in Ireland that Catherine Spense met Cathal, and fell in love, and soon enough the two were married. Together they were happy, but poor, and so Catherine and Cathal crossed the sea to England in the hope of finding better fortunes there. But better fortune they did not find, and a desperate Cathal turned to thievery to keep himself and his young bride alive. Sadly, he was no great shakes at the thieving business, and soon enough he was caught, and soon enough he was sentenced, and almost as soon as that he was clapped in irons, put on a boat and taken off to Australia for ten long, sad years.
Catherine was despondent at her true love’s transportation, but she was also a clever and courageous woman, and so allowed herself only a moment’s moping before setting out to turn things around. In defiance of the fact that it was the 1860s and she was, blatantly, a woman, young Catherine marched out and got herself a job. Working for a wealthy lawyer, she impressed with her infinite resource and sagacity – and if she impressed him in any other respects, or with the performance of tasks not strictly office-related, it is frankly none of our business. The point is she made herself completely indispensable to the old fellow.
Meanwhile, Cathal was also hard at work on a chain gang in Western Australia, and as sad as a man could ever be. Bereft at being torn from his home and the woman he loved and taken to the end of the earth to haul stone for the tyrannical British, his anguish was multiplied by the fact that, as he was completely illiterate, he could not write home to let Catherine know where he was, or even that he was still alive.
But Catherine never lost faith that she would one day be reunited with her beloved Cathal, and in 1877 her faith was rewarded when the rich lawyer fortuitously dropped dead. In recognition of that indispensability I mentioned earlier, he had left Catherine a large sum: large enough, in fact, for her to book passage on a ship to Australia. Which she did forthwith, though she did not know exactly where her husband was, or even whether he was still alive. But Catherine was gutsy and determined, and still, after all these years, in love: she would not be stopped by mere uncertainty. So it was that after many months she arrived in Albany and began making enquiries.
Catherine was told by a local priest that there was a man living across the bay, at Oyster Harbour, who might well be her long lost husband. On Catherine’s behalf, the priest went to visit this man, who revealed that he was indeed Cathal, and overjoyed to hear his lady love was nearby. ‘Tell my wife,’ he said to the priest, ‘that I shall catch a boat across the harbour in two days’ time. I shall meet her on the shore at twilight.’
Catherine’s heart leaped when the priest returned with the message. After ten years of sadness and longing, she was to be reunited with her beloved![1] Two days later, as the sun set over the Indian Ocean, Catherine stood silhouetted against the red sky and watched as the boat carrying Cathal drew nearer.
The boat was no more than a few hundred yards from shore when Cathal spotted his wife waiting on the shore. Overcome with the euphoria of love restored, the unlucky Irishman stood up to wave to Catherine – and tipped the boat over. As his beloved watched from the shore, Cathal flailed, struggled and sank beneath the waves. After ten years of waiting, he perished a stone’s throw from a happy reunion.
Catherine let out a wail that carried for miles. Her heart suddenly shattered, she collapsed to the ground, all life drained from her in that one terrible instant. She was carried to shelter and attempts were made to revive her, but to no avail. Catherine Spense, having worked ten years and crossed the globe to be with her one true love, had died of a broken heart.
And ever since, even to this day, when the air is still around Oyster Bay, you can still hear Catherine’s lovelorn wail, and see her ghostly form walking sadly by the shore up and down Seamen’s Walk. Forever walking, forever weeping, forever hoping that somehow, someday, she and her precious Cathal might be together again.
Buy 100 Tales From Australia’s Most Haunted Places pretty much anywhere, but if you need pointing in the right direction, get it here.
[1] I know, you can see where this is going …