Ok, I mean ghosts. Maybe. I’m not sure how many others have had similar experiences. This isn’t the sort of thing you talk about over cocktails. Not unless you want people to think you’re odd. But nevertheless, it happened. And even after all these years the memory remains vivid. And my memory is normally anything but fabulous! The only incident that was even vaguely threatening was at Frenchman’s Road.

Here’s my list, from oldest to most recent:

1960’s Boston Road, Balwyn VIC. I woke up in the middle of a moonlit night, and for some reason walked across to the bedroom window and looked out. This house had a big backyard with a concrete footpath running to the rear boundary fence. Moving slowly along that path was something in the shape of a person wearing a pale robe, i.e. the classic ghost appearance. He/she/it did not appear to be aware of my presence or look in my direction. No sound was made.

Mid 1960’s Boston Road, Balwyn VIC. This event occurred in early evening while I brushed my teeth in the bathroom before going to bed. The window was frosted so you couldn’t see through it clearly. I could see the dark shape of what I assumed was a person standing outside and looking at me. No sound was made. This could have been a creepy human rather than a ghost, but this was not my impression at the time. From memory I went and checked outside, and saw no-one.

Mid 1960’s Normanby Street, Middle Brighton, VIC. This event occurred in the early afternoon of a dull wintry day at my grandmother’s house. Her husband (my grandfather) died in 1960. I was briefly left alone in the house. I felt something and walked to the doorway of the living room. I had an intense feeling of a presence being there. I saw a shadow moving down the corridor and into/out of one or more rooms. He/she/it did not appear to be aware of my presence. No sound was made.

Mid 1980’s Frenchman’s Road, Randwick, NSW. I woke up in the middle of the night and it felt like someone was pressing down on me very firmly. I couldn’t get up. No sound was made. At the time I was living with two somewhat immature young women. I moved out soon afterwards. At the time I was contemplating that there was a poltergeist (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist), but (according to Dr. Google) this incident also had a possibly non-spiritual explanation (known as ‘Sleep Paralysis’ – see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/#:~:text=Sleep%20paralysis%20happens%20when%20you,but%20your%20brain%20is%20active).

2001 Airlie Beach, QLD. I had just returned that day from the Sunshine Coast (QLD) after my father died, and I viewed his body to say goodbye. In the middle of the night I strongly felt his presence above me and watching over me. My feeling at the time was very clear, that dad was checking on my welfare and giving me a (final?) farewell.