Cumberland College

Otago · New Zealand · House

At the Dunedin student hall — once a nurses' home — the Grey Lady frightened residents so badly in 2012 that the university called in a chaplain and a Maori elder.

Cumberland College in Dunedin was built in 1916 as housing for the city's hospital nurses and today serves as a residence hall for over 300 University of Otago students. The building is said to be haunted by the Grey Lady — by legend a woman who gave birth at the nearby maternity hospital, was judged unfit to be a mother, had her baby taken from her and died shortly afterwards. In a widely reported 2012 incident, two students encountered a cold, foul-smelling presence in a hallway, after which much of the hall slept with the lights on. The university eventually had a chaplain, a Maori kaumatua and other religious leaders cleanse the grounds with prayers.

FAQ

Where is Cumberland College located?

Cumberland College is in Otago, New Zealand.

More haunted places in Otago

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.