Disclosure Australia (AURA) - No 22 - April 2005

Magazine Overview

This document is a newsletter from Disclosure Australia, dated April 2005, detailing the progress and findings of the Disclosure Australia Project. The project, initiated in July 2003, focuses on examining Australian Government files related to UFOs, building upon the earlier work of Bill Chalker.

The Disclosure Australia Project

The project's primary mission is to investigate Australian Government files on UFOs, particularly those within easy public reach. As of April 2005, the project was nearing the end of this phase, with ongoing efforts to locate more elusive files. The newsletter lists numerous government departments and organizations whose files have been examined, including:

• The former Department of Supply
• The former Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the current Department of Transport & Regional Services (DOTRS)
• The former Department of Territories
• The former Department of External Affairs
• The Attorney General's Department - ASIO
• The Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
• The Department of Defence (DOD), including the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force.

Beyond official files, the project has also gained insights from individuals who worked within government agencies like CSIRO and the former DOD Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) and investigated the UFO phenomenon independently.

The core questions arising from the examination of thousands of government UFO documents are: "What did these Government Departments do with the material they gathered, and why?" and "Did any Government Agency conduct scientific research into the subject?"

Examination of Government Department Files

The newsletter provides a detailed breakdown of findings from various departments:

Former Department of Supply (1952-1972)

Files primarily featured incidents at Woomera in the early 1950s, with security personnel thoroughly documenting sightings. However, little analysis was present, with the department seemingly focused on collecting and forwarding reports to Head Office and the Department of Air (DOA). A hint of internal interest in UFOs emerged in a 1971 RAAF file.

Former Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) & Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTRS) (1952-2005)

The DCA was a lead agency in collecting "flying saucer" reports in the early 1950s, liaising with the DOA. For 20 years, it collected and forwarded reports. Its successor, DOTRS, confirmed its aviation occurrence database OASIS contained a small number of "UFO" reports.

Former Department of Territories (1959-1965)

This agency administered Papua New Guinea (PNG) and referred raw reports from PNG to the DOD between 1959 and 1965 without analysis.

Former Department of External Affairs (1954)

The Federal Minister, Rt Hon R G Casey, took a personal interest in the subject in 1954, corresponding with Australian Embassies and CSIRO staff.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) (1956-1972)

Two files emerged from ASIO and the former Commonwealth Investigation Section (CIS), concerning the Queensland Flying Saucer Bureau and the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society, aligning with ASIO's charter.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (1952-1989)

Two files were located. CSIRO generally advised enquirers that it did not conduct field work on the subject, though some staff investigated reports individually, notably Dr Michael Duggin. The organization primarily answered public queries and cooperated with the RAAF in 1966 by examining reports forwarded by DOA, though few were actually sent.

Department of Defence (1951-2005)

• Royal Australian Navy: Four Navy files were located, two dealing with the 1954 Nowra Navy pilot incident.
• Australian Army: Four Army files were found. One file, "Flying saucers re O L Alwin," contained a letter from Mrs O L Alwin detailing a sighting. Another, "Reports-General-Flying Objects," included a memo stating that enquiries had failed to locate information on a reported UFO. A "Fire Services-general UFO" file contained a logbook and sealed folios, with one file titled "Request for information flying objects Raoul & Bandish." Contrary to some views, the Army does not appear to have been a major player in UFO investigations in Australia.
• Former Department of Air / Current RAAF: The Directorate of Air Force Intelligence (DAFI) of the former DOA (1939-1973) led the collection and examination of UFO reports from the early 1950s. The Project is seeking early material to clarify why DOA was tasked with this role. The material suggests DAFI was not primarily interested in scientific research, viewing UFO investigations as a tedious task with little faith or interest. Comments from RAAF policy files indicate a focus on potential threats to Australian security rather than detailed scientific investigation. However, there were instances of softening attitudes, such as an internal memo from D/DAFI (Ops) to DAFI in 1966, acknowledging scientists' interest in "unexplained UFO's" and suggesting cooperation.

DAFI attempted to shift the UFO investigation task to other agencies, including the Joint Intelligence Bureau (1957), the Department of Supply (1971), and the CSIRO (1973). However, these efforts did not result in a formal transfer of responsibility, leaving DAFI as the "Official" Government UFO agency.

RAAF Policy Change in 1984

A major policy change was announced on May 2, 1984, stating that the RAAF would investigate only Unusual Aerial Sightings (UAS) suggesting a defense or national security implication. Other reports would be recorded, and observers directed to civilian UFO research organizations. This policy shift aimed to reduce time-consuming and unproductive investigations. The announcement implied that some reports did have a "national security implication," though the exact definition remained unclear.

Internal documents revealed that the RAAF accepted UAS reports and attempted reliability allocation, but few were of direct interest. The Condon report conclusions were mentioned, and it was stated that the RAAF was responsible for UAS evaluation, with those suggesting defense or security implications being further investigated. Reports not deemed significant were filed at Command HQ's. Intriguingly, a document stated that "further investigation is to be confined to sightings of a terrestrial, rather than an extra-terrestrial nature," suggesting the RAAF was aware of potential extra-terrestrial sightings but not interested in pursuing them.

RAAF Policy Change in 1994

This new policy lasted ten years. In 1994, the DOD policy changed again, with the RAAF ceasing to devote resources to recording, investigating, and explaining UAS, stating that the "scientific record suggests that, whilst not all UAS have a ready explanation, there is no compelling reason for the RAAF to continue to devote resources..." The RAAF no longer accepted reports on UAS, directing the public to contact police, civilian aviation authorities, or coast watch. Known UFO groups were to be contacted individually with explanations of the new policy.

Three points were highlighted for comment: the use of "Consideration of the scientific record" when DOA stated it did not conduct detailed scientific investigation; the acknowledgment that not all UAS have ready explanations; and the quiet exit from public UFO investigation without a press release.

Other Areas of the DOD Since 1977

An FOI request in 2004 to other DOD areas (Army, Navy, DSTO, intelligence) yielded no files originating from these areas dealing with UFOs for the period 1977 to 2004.

Post-1994 and Current DOD Position

Following the 1994 policy change, all RAAF areas were instructed to close off files dealing with UAS. Twenty-three such files were collected and lodged with the National Archives in 1994, and examined by the Project in 2004. Since 1994, the DOD has referred all sighting reports to civilian UFO groups, with no evidence of RAAF investigation of UFO reports.

In 2005, the DOD website states that the RAAF "formerly had a responsibility for investigating and assessing the validity of UAS" but determined that the collective evidence did not warrant continued resource allocation. The RAAF has since ceased this function and directs the public to local police or civil UFO research organizations.

Revelations?

The investigation did not uncover evidence of a "secret" Australian Government agency examining UFO reports. While an employee of the former JIB indicated that UFO work was conducted in a non-officially approved capacity, the "official" agency, the DOD (RAAF), was the final stop for raw material, solely concerned with defense and security. The RAAF's own story is that it was not involved in detailed scientific investigation. The newsletter notes that some intriguing cases in RAAF documents appear difficult to explain in mundane terms, but the RAAF was not interested in pursuing "extra-terrestrial" possibilities. The authors wonder if a different outcome might have occurred if CSIRO had been nominated as the prime collection agency with a brief for scientific research.

Future Plans

The Project will continue to search for harder-to-find government files and research early government interest in UFOs. Phase two of the mission plan will focus on documenting and making available Australia's "best" UFO cases from both civilian and government sources. The Project Newsletter will become more irregular, and the "Revelations" column in the "Australasian UFOlogist" will reduce in frequency.

Appendix A: Sample of Interesting Cases from RAAF Files (1960-1972)

The appendix provides details of several UFO cases documented in RAAF files:

• November 15, 1960: A USAF JB-57 aircraft crew reported an unusual object near Launceston, Tasmania, described as "rather translucent" and fuzzy, approximately 90 feet in diameter.
• June 3, 1961: Radar at RAAF Darwin detected an object at 40,000 feet that descended rapidly to 32,000 feet.
• February 15, 1963: A farmer near Willow Grove, Victoria, reported an object descending to about 75 feet, hovering, and then ascending. It was described as bluish and battleship grey, with a rotating lower portion.
• July 25, 1963: A circular object, light shade of grey, with a jet-like noise, was observed near Warragul, Victoria, at approximately 400 feet.
• January 13, 1965: A Qantas flight reported multiple distinct contrails, possibly from large aircraft in formation, near 41S 167E.
• January 19, 1966: A witness near Tully, Queensland, reported a hissing noise and a light grey object rising vertically, described as 25 feet long and 8-9 feet deep.
• August 14, 1966: A bright light and "flying saucer" were observed near Kunnunurra, Western Australia, described as silver and oval, 10 feet high and 180 feet long.
• July 5, 1967: A witness near Murray Bridge, South Australia, experienced car radio interference and engine stoppage, and observed a "large dark shadow" with a greyish-blue glow.
• August 22, 1968: Pilots flying between Adelaide and Perth observed a formation of aircraft-like objects that split and then departed at high speed.
• October 18, 1968: RAF aircrew near Darwin, NT, observed a light with white lights, detected by radar as a fast-moving target.
• February 17, 1969: A witness in Flinders Park, Adelaide, SA, reported a silver-grey inverted saucer on the ground surrounded by white light, with a humanoid figure walking around it.
• May 23, 1969: ATC radar and a witness reported unusual stationary radar returns and a "big street slight" near Kalamunda, WA.
• June 2, 1970: A bright diamond-shaped object was observed near Zanci Station, NSW, described as larger than a semi-trailer and emitting a whistling sound.
• June 29, 1970: A pilot near Sepik River, PNG, reported radar echoes of five cigar-shaped objects keeping station with the aircraft.
• July 3 & 25, 1972: An object with iridescent blue light was observed near Mooraduc Level Crossing, Victoria, hovering and following a car.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this newsletter are the systematic examination of government records, the evolution of official policy regarding UFO investigations in Australia, and the presentation of documented historical sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, seeking to uncover the extent of government knowledge and research into the UFO phenomenon, while also highlighting the limitations and shifts in official approaches over several decades. There is an underlying suggestion that more could have been done in terms of scientific investigation, particularly if agencies like CSIRO had been more centrally involved.

Title: Disclosure Australia Newsletter
Issue: 22
Date: April 2005
Publisher: Disclosure Australia
Country: Australia
Language: English

This issue of the Disclosure Australia Newsletter focuses on unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings reported in Victoria, Australia, primarily during July 1972. The content draws from official files, witness testimonies, and checks with aviation authorities.

Key Incidents and Reports

Mrs Puddy's Sighting (July 20, 1972)

The newsletter details a significant incident involving a Mrs Puddy, whose report was cross-referenced with RAAF file 580/1/1, Parts 17 and 18. Initial checks with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and local helicopter operators at Sale confirmed no military helicopters were operating in the area. Mrs Puddy, who initially expressed a wish not to be interviewed, provided a report that differed from the Duty Officer's initial account. She described an object, like two saucers together, silver-blue in color, emitting a blue light. The object reportedly 'took control' of her car, causing her to pull over. She was unable to open the doors or restart the engine. Mrs Puddy reported sensing a message: 'All your tests will be negative. Tell the media not to panic. We mean no harm. You now have control.' The UFO then vanished. A scared Mrs Puddy drove home via the Rye Police station, having also reported the incident to the Rosebud Police station. Senior Constable Cox of Rosebud described Mrs Puddy as a rational woman not prone to flights of fancy, expressing surprise when she asked the meaning of the word 'media,' indicating she had never heard it before. He also mentioned a Mr and Mrs Beale of Main Ridge.

Main Ridge Sighting (July 25, 1972)

On July 25, 1972, around 2200 hours, Mr. and Mrs. Beale of Main Ridge, Victoria, reported an object appearing suddenly to the west of their property. The object was described as being over the treetops, surrounded by a pinkish glow, and emitting a humming sound. It was heading east. This report is referenced in RAAF file 580/1/1, Part 18.

Montrose Sighting (July 25, 1972)

Also on July 25, 1972, around 2000 hours and 50 seconds, three witnesses (Toal NL) in Montrose, Victoria, observed a blue/white glow at an elevation of 5 degrees in the SSW. The sighting was soundless. This incident is also noted in RAAF file 580/1/1, Part 18.

Contact Information

The newsletter provides contact details for Disclosure Australia, including a postal address in Jimboomba, Queensland, and an email address: [email protected].

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP), witness testimonies, and the investigation of these events, often referencing official documentation such as RAAF files. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into UAP reports, presenting documented cases and witness accounts for public consideration. The emphasis on official files and the corroboration of witness credibility (e.g., Senior Constable Cox's statement about Mrs Puddy) suggests a commitment to factual reporting within the field of ufology.