A Newcastle woman is hoping the power of social media will connect her with a woman who was born, and used to live, in her suburban house eight decades ago.
Earlier this week, Asha Midson received a handwritten note in her New Lambton house's letterbox from a woman named 'Jenny A'.
Jenny wrote she was born in the house 81 years prior, and detailed what the house used to look like.
"I remember the verandahs facing the home. It was not closed in and I loved the bay window," Jenny wrote.
"Our local school was occupied by the US airforce so as a school age child I had to go to Broadmeadow."
But Ms Midson was not home when Jenny visited.
"When I realised what it was, I was really excited," she said.
"I've seen people do it before, and I've always thought that would be amazing to happen to me, and I'd be the one who would be able to let them in; but I obviously wasn't home, so it was a little bit disheartening."
Ms Midson tried phoning the number Jenny left on the note, but could not be connected.
So she has posted a photo of the note on Facebook, with the hope of tracking down the mysterious former resident.
"I've had so much support from social media — people offering to help me find her through electoral rolls and ownership of house deeds, so it's absolutely been a really fantastic experience," Ms Midson said.
"We've figured out who has lived in the house from 1958 and onwards, but we haven't gotten any further back yet.
"I would love to learn a bit more about what it was like around here.
"I've only lived in Newcastle for seven months, but I absolutely love it and I hope to stay.
"I've lived in this house since I moved down here, and it's absolutely beautiful.
"The house has all the old ceiling work, and everything's just stunning; so it would be really nice to [know] a bit of history [about] it, because it's probably around the time the house was built that she was living here."
Hopes social media will help solve mystery
Ms Midson is a midwife and is fascinated by Jenny being born in her house all those years ago.
"I'm a midwife and first breaths are the best part of life for me, so knowing that someone was actually born here is really special," she said.
"I keep looking around thinking 'Where could it have happened? What would it have been like? What was set up? Did the midwife come to the home? Was it free birth?' — all those kinds of things.
"I'd love to know a bit more about her and her life here."
