Report of the supernatural

A number of witnesses have reported experiencing a supernatural phenomenon at Empire Bay Tavern of Saturday, February 7.

One side of a heavy table and chair set were reported to have lifted off the ground, despite a combined weight of over 100 stone holding it down.

Brett Bird, a former policeman of Empire Bay, who weighs 17 stone alone, was sitting at the table late Saturday afternoon, with six friends when the table unexpectedly lifted up on one side, spilling a beer on the table.

The table stayed lifted on one side for a short time before returning to the ground making a loud noise when it hit.

"One end of the table rose up into the air," he said.

"There were four of us sitting and about five standing. Glasses of beer were spilt. We all saw it."

Once the table had dropped to the ground, no one could lift the table.

"You can't lift these tables. They are heavy. We couldn't lift it," he said.

"We all got off but we couldn't make it budge at all unless we lifted it as a group."

The group of friends, which included ex-policemen, even tried tipping up the table to no avail.

"It did not want to move," Mr Bird said.

They have only one explanation for how the table could have moved when they could not move it together.

Mr Bird said that at the time the table lifted he was with old friends who he had not seen in a period of time.

They were talking about his deceased father, Max, and how he used to build similar tables for the Gwabegar Hotel in the Pilliga scrub near Lightning Ridge.

"We reckon it was old Max," he said.

Max Bird was a regular at the Empire Bay Tavern prior to his death two years ago.

He was born in 1939, and his birthday on February 11 this year, just five days after the incident, would have been his 65th birthday.

Originally from Nyngan, Mr Bird senior's great great grandmother was a member of the Darkinjung people, the Aboriginal tribe of the Central Coast.

Mr Brett Bird, who is not actively religious, said that he still has not been able to contemplate the meaning of the event.

"There's no physical explanation for it," he said.

"It's really unusual. I keep thinking it must be Max. I can't think of another reason for it."

Sitting around the table were Brett and his partner, Tracey, and John McKinnon, also a former policeman and Wally and Beverley Quirke who combined weigh 400 to 500kg.

Wally Quirke said that to him the table seemed to jump.

"It was weird. It just jumped up and down."

Mr Quirke said the table rose about two centimetres off the ground and went back down again.

"We were just sitting there talking about how Max used to make those tables for another hotel and the table just jumped.

"Everyone went quiet for a second, I couldn't believe it.

"Those tables are really heavy. They are made out of half logs. You can't move them."

Mr Quirke said that he also did not know whether he believed it really was Max.

"My wife thinks it was him," he said.

"My wife and daughter both believe in the after-life."

"It was just one of those things I suppose," he said.

Alison Branley, February 20