Cottage may reveal its secrets

Smirk’s Cottage was subject to a ghost hunt earlier this month when TNT Professional Paranormal Investigations and a group of brave explorers entered the heritage-listed buildings at the Kwinana Museum in search ofparanormal activity.

The group uses a range of specialist equipment to gather as much information as possible to find proof of the paranormal.

Led by investigator David Sherriff. the team looked at three different locations on the site on the evening of May 11, taking 26 members of the public along for the ride.

Using a variety of video and audio technologies including four static cameras, night vision cameras and detectors, and electronic voice equipment, the group identified the spaces as “active” locations.

“We still have hours of audio and video footage to review from the night, which we will all look over and listen to,” Mr Sherriff said.

“There’s definitely a presence there of some sort ... I’d say maybe members of the Smirk family or their ancestors.

“We picked up a lot of what we call ‘spirit lights’ or light anomaly.

“The theory behind a light anomaly is that when a spirit enters into an area which also has its own energy, the flow or the exposure of the two mixed energies creates this type of phenomenon.”

According to Mr Sherriff, unlike “orbs”, which are picked up in pictures because of the light from the camera or video recorder, light anomalies look as if light is bouncing or pulsating as it moves.

He said spirit lights were particularly noticeable in Smirk’s Cottage and the museum site.

Built around 1902, Smirk’s Cottage was originally the home of William and Johanna Smirk — both second-generation settlers and the children of convicts.

Smirk’s Cottage is now a museum, housing an eclectic collection of objects that tell the stories of thesettlement, development and history of the area. Kwinana Heritage Group secretary Chris Scambler was among the 26 members to attend the investigation.

“As soon as we walked into the cottage we all noticed a sort of presence,” she said

“They picked up the presence of a soldier and a young child that was playing and being a bit mischievous. A lot of us also picked up activity in the bath tub in the museum.

“The actual process took a long time to set up and all the different equipment they used was mind-blowing.

“I believe in paranormal-type stuff, but there was one sceptic in the group. I’m not sure if he’s still a sceptic or not. But everyone said they felt something.”

Ms Scambler said the investigation opened people’s minds to the history of the heritage-listed buildings and acted as a promotion for the group. “It was great for us to have people come in, a lot of them didn’t even know we were here,” she said.