Myself and my partner moved to Canberra from Sydney nearly two years ago. Whilst living in the inner west, around 2008, we both became aware of a low-pitched humming noise, a little like the hum sometimes omitted by old stereo speakers that are on the way out. It sounded decidedly electrical in nature, and the sound seemed to oscillate between a low constant bass note and a note about an octave about it. It was most noticeable between 2am and 4am, but also at other times, and had us completely baffled. We ruled out all possible causes that we could think of (faulty electrical equipment, primarily), but the sound continued.
Thinking we might be free of it in Canberra, it was not to be – we can also hear it here in the capital. If you search the internet for hum phenomenon, you’ll find that there are various known hums around the world (Taos, USA; Bristol, UK, Auckland, NZ; Bondi, AU), which various “experts” all seem to be at odds to explain adequately. My own feeling is that it is some sort of auditory response to the microwave radiation that we are all bombarded with constantly these days, which some people pick up on and others don’t.
As the hum in our part of Canberra, not too far from Mt Stromlo, was particularly bad around 1am this morning, I’m curious to know whether anyone else in our fair city can hear it too. And please, no “you’re a nutter” comments – this phenomenon is very real (to some of us, at least).