Sydney's historic city neighbourhood of The Rocks has an eerie history of ghost sightings – hence why there are regular ghost tours in the area. And now, a group of Sydneysiders has reported seeing something seriously spooky in the precinct last night (Wednesday, June 19) and the seriously spooky moment was captured on film.
Five influencer friends were in The Rocks to have drinks at the classic old pub, Fortune of War. They chose the spot so they could shoot content about “Sydney’s oldest pub” – what they didn’t expect to capture was what appears to be a ghost, in the window of an empty space above the pub.
We spoke to one of the managers at the Fortune of War, Andrea Rodriguez, who told us that she also spotted the supernatural figure.
“I was leaving, about to head home. I was standing outside with the other managers, and it was crazy,” she says. “Obviously, The Rocks has a lot of history of these types of things, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was very fast, like a white shadow in the window. Next to the balcony above the main entrance.”
Now, photos and video of the sighting are circulating online, and The Rocks has issued a statement:
“We have received reports of a ghost sighting in The Rocks last night. Photos and videos circulating online have sparked curiosity and intrigue. While The Rocks is renowned for its ghost tours and spooky tales, the question remains, should you believe in what you see or can’t see?”
People are speculating about whether it could be “the ghost of the sailor” – an unnamed "George Street sailor" who has been sighted in the area previously. The spot the ghost was seen in was once a sailor's hostel (and brothel) with a rep for illicit activities, and legend goes that a sailor met his tragic end at the hands of an old-timey sex worker right there on the premises.
Rumour has it that the sailor’s spirit never left – stories of ghostly encounters have been passed down through generations, with reports in the Sydney Gazette of mysterious sightings and unexplained footsteps being heard in the dark of night.
We also spoke to Shruti Rawat, a Sydney travel and food blogger from @aussies.upclose, who was there and who posted content from last night on her Instagram channel.
“We just got back to Sydney and we were in The Rocks to visit this oldest pub in Sydney. And while we were shooting our content, we came across this, you know, the ghost. We were shooting and then we just saw something, and then everyone was like, what do you think that was!?” she says.
“It was like seeing a ghost in your dreams – like you know how you just see something and then it goes away? It came and just vanished in seconds.”
To see Shruti’s content, head over here.
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