The Stockston Haunting
Stockton, nr Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

One of Australia’s most compelling hauntings. Michael and Dianne Cooke fled their house at Stockton, near Newcastle, after a series of hair-raising occurrences. Their beds were found disturbed, toys were moved, a door knob shook loudly and their baby daughter was pulled upright by an unseen person. Friends who came to stay were also unnerved by the ghostly goings-on, but the Cookes had their story corroborated by the previous tenants who had also experienced some mysterious, and at times distressing, incidents at the haunted house. One recalled that he had been woken by somebody shaking his shoulder, another had woken up suddenly to find someone peering at him.

The couple suffered a very eventful fortnight before Michael Cooke had the experience that put the tin lid on things once and for all. He was walking outside when he chanced to look behind him and found that he was being watched by a white face with piercing green eyes staring out of the window. Michael candidly admitted that he became so uncontrollably scared that he felt tears rolling out of his eyes. The Cookes left their undesirable residence soon after.