What it’s like growing up in Australia’s most haunted house

On a Riverina hilltop overlooking Junee, New South Wales, 1 Homestead Lane has spent decades under the title of ‘Australia’s most haunted house’. With tales of phantom footsteps, flickering lights, and unexplained happenings, the home quickly became a must-visit for ghost hunters and those interested in the supernatural. However, for Noelene Lateen and her family, the infamous Victorian Manor was simply home.

Originally built in 1884 by Christopher William Crawley who founded Junee’s first hotel, store and church, the home was deserted in the 1940s after its entire contents were auctioned off. The estate stood vacant, windswept and steeped in eerie urban lore. After purchasing the landmark property, Noelene’s father, Reg Ryan, gave it a second life. A tailor by trade, Reg saw the opportunity in the manor and realised he’d need to adapt his focus and skills to revive it. “My father was a tailor,” Noelene recalls. “When he started restoring 1 Homestead Lane, he decided he needed to learn about antiques. He started traveling overseas to England, purchasing items over there, sending container shipments back of furniture that he'd bought.”

When the wrought iron verandas crumbled, Reg taught himself to weld. When he wanted authentic horse-drawn carriages, he taught himself wheelwrighting from scratch. His four daughters were right beside him - cleaning salvaged bricks, lawn mowing, and even painting the steep roofline. 

Having opened the grounds in the 60s for a fete, public fascination with the property grew. By the mid-1970s the family decided to open the doors daily - with the exception of Christmas Day - showcasing the vast collection of antiques, European furniture and carriage rooms. They also hosted a period costume ball every year since 1973, welcoming up to 250 guests to dine and dance in the ballroom rebuilt by Reg. Noelene reflects how her dad would remind them of their position; “think how fortunate you are to grow up with all this around you. We should be able to share it with others.’”

With its eerie reputation and ongoing supernatural encounters, the property quickly became known as ‘Australia’s most haunted house’, leading to a major feature on ABC’s A Big Country that brought mediums and psychics to experience the supernatural. But the unusual happenings weren’t anything new, especially to the family. 

Instead of creating fear or concern, the experiences became part of daily life and a subtle connection to the people who walked the estate before them. "Growing up, I’d feel a hand on my shoulder or hear footsteps when no one was home. But I was never frightened. I always found it quite comforting to know that we were accepted by the past residents of the house,” Noelene recounts.