Mushroom trial: Small Australian town turned magnet for dark tourism

The sun is out in Morwell, but the spotlight feels strange.

For 10 weeks now, this small Gippsland town two hours east of Melbourne has played host to one of the most watched trials in Australia. Inside the local courthouse, Erin Patterson stands accused of murdering three of her former in-laws by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms.

She’s pleaded not guilty to all charges. A fourth guest, pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after falling critically ill.

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The courtroom itself has become a scene packed with lawyers, family members and journalists from around the world. But outside, the impact of the trial has rippled through the town in unexpected ways.

“I didn’t even know she was having her trial here until I saw all the cameras here,” said Shari Holt, who’s lived in Morwell her whole life.

“I thought, 'Oh, what are they here for?' So, it's very weird. It's very weird.”

Holt said she’d never seen anything like it – not just in Morwell, but anywhere in Gippsland.

“It's not something that happens in Gippsland. I don't think it's not something I've ever seen in Gippsland. It's nothing my friends ever seen in Gippsland, or my dad even, and he's been here 20 years.”

Others in the town describe a sort of dark tourism, with not just media but members of the public turning up to watch the case unfold in real time.

At Dear Delilah, a florist nestled in Morwell’s Commercial Rd, owner Donna Hicks said even her own staff have been drawn in by the mystery.

“We actually had one of the girls that works here, she went in one day just wanting to see what it was like. I've had a couple other locals that I know that have just sat in just to see.”

While cafés and motels have seen a lift in business, Hicks said the impact on retail has been more subdued.

“From a retail perspective, it probably hasn’t brought in as many as what people thought at the beginning it would. Maybe the coffee shops have been a lot busier, but not really us.”

While the attention has brought discomfort for some, others have seen a clear boost in business.

At Jay Dees Café, which sits just across from the Latrobe Valley Law Courts, foot traffic has surged.

“Even though it’s not great circumstances, it has been very good for our community because it’s brought people from outside the area into the area,” said café owner Laura Heller.

“As you probably know, people have been lining up early mornings to try and get in the courtroom… so it’s just been good that they’ve been able to come to our town and see what we have to offer.”

The spike has extended to local accommodation providers too.

“Normally a quieter time of the year, it’s been a bit of a boom for the motel and for the area in general,” said John Nicoll, who manages a motel in town.

“It’s really captured the interest of not only the town, but the nation.”

Still, Hicks is proud of the town she’s always called home.

“I was born here – just around the corner. So I've lived here pretty much my whole life. There's still some great community here that sometimes people don't see or realise,” she said.

“I've had the store here for seven years, and we get lots of beautiful customers that come in and see us. There’s a lot of workers around town that are always shopping with us and continually supporting local businesses and community.”

That sentiment is shared by Holt, who said the real essence of Morwell and Gippsland lies in the small, proud details outsiders often miss.

“There’s a bakery in Trafalgar that you can stop into – best baked goods you're gonna get. But there’s a café just out of Churchill that has the hottest coffee you'll ever get on a cold day, and it's fantastic.”

She said she wants people to see her hometown as more than just a backdrop for a high-profile trial.

“It’s a special patch of Gippsland with a small but proud community. I love it – it's the best.”

Whatever the outcome of the trial, she hoped Morwell is remembered not just for the headlines, but for everything else it has to offer.