Archive #122 Larnach Castle

Order order in the court as this week Nick takes us into the tragic past of the one and only castle in New Zealand—Larnach Castle. Dont forget to follow us on Instagram: @theominousarchives  X: @ominousarchives  Tic Tok: @theominousarchives Youtube: @OminousArchives Or email us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ominousarchies@gmail.com 🏰 Larnach Castle: Tragedy Etched in Stone This week, we travel to the misty cliffs of New Zealand’s Otago Peninsula to explore Larnach Castle — the only castle in the country, and perhaps its most haunted. 🧱 A Mansion of Marble, Glass... and Grief Commissioned in 1871 by Australian-born banker and politician William Larnach, the castle took over 15 years to build and featured imported Italian marble, Venetian glass, and craftsmen from Europe. But this architectural marvel hides something darker than opulence. 💔 Ghosts of a Broken Family William's first wife, Eliza, died young. His beloved daughter, Katie, passed from typhoid. Then came two more wives, financial ruin, family betrayal, and a devastating scandal involving Larnach’s third wife and his own son. In 1898, Larnach ended his life inside Parliament itself. Visitors say he never left the castle behind... 🧠 From Castle to Asylum to Sheep Pen After the Larnach family, the castle became everything from a mental hospital to a nun’s retreat — even a sheep pen in the once-elegant ballroom. Talk about haunted history. 🗂️ Ownership Timeline & Paranormal Legacy From 1871 to today, Larnach Castle has changed hands many times — but some say the spirits never left. With every owner, new stories and hauntings emerged. 👻 Sightings and Shadows Guests have heard whispers in empty halls, footsteps in locked rooms, and glimpses of a mourning woman in the ballroom. Is it Eliza? Katie? Or the echo of William’s final despair? 🎧 In This Episode: • Who was William Larnach, and what drove him to despair? • What scandals tore the family apart? • And which ghostly figures are still said to walk the castle grounds? 🗣️ Featured Pronunciations: • Larnach – LAR-nick • Otago – oh-TAH-go • Dunedin – duh-NEE-din 📍 Haunted history meets gothic tragedy — all inside one of the most atmospheric buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. 🕯️ Would you spend the night in Larnach Castle’s ballroom? #LarnachCastle #HauntedNZ #GhostStories #DarkTourism #VictorianGothic #NewZealandFolklore #PukwudgiePodcast Sources  Farrar, J. H. (2019). William Larnach - Victorian Mastermind, Fraudster or Tragic Victim?. The New Zealand Legal Information Institute. https://www.nzlii.org/nz/journals/WkoLawRw/2019/7.pdf In this peer-reviewed article, Professor John H. Farrar, a recognized legal scholar, examines the life and legacy of William Larnach, a prominent 19th-century New Zealand businessman and politician. Published in the Waikato Law Review through the New Zealand Legal Information Institute (NZLII), the piece is a credible and scholarly source. Farrar explores various interpretations of Larnach’s character, weighing whether he was a cunning fraudster, a strategic mastermind, or a tragic figure overwhelmed by personal and financial turmoil. The article is objective and well-researched, drawing on legal and historical evidence to support its analysis. It contributes significantly to understanding Larnach’s controversial story and is parti