TUFOIC Newsletter - No 009 - 1972

Magazine Overview

This document is the 1972 Annual Report from TUFOIC (Tasmanian U.F.O. Investigation Centre), detailing their activities and UFO sightings in Tasmania during that year. The cover features the title "UFO'S IN TASMANIA 1972" and an illustration of a disc-shaped object. The publication is identified as Edition No. 9 and priced at 15 cents.

Contents

• The report includes a table of contents listing various sections:
• Meeting Dates for 1973
• Summary of TUFOIC in 1972
• Investigations during 1972, including specific sightings such as the Scamander Sighting, Low Level UFO at Queenstown, Humming Object at Cygnet, Glowing Cigar at New Norfolk, and Swansea Sighting.
• Thoughts on "Chariots of the Gods" by Mrs. D. Burton
• Tasmanian Landing Catalogue, Type 1 Reports by K. Roberts
• Recent UFO Theories by E. Bantick

TUFOIC Officers and Contact Information

The report lists the officers of TUFOIC: E. Bantick (President), Mrs. J. Bigwood (Sec/Treasurer), Mrs. D.Smith (Librarian), and K. Bennetto and K. Roberts (Sightings Officers). Correspondence is directed to TUFOIC at 62 Leonard Ave, Moonah, Tas: 7009. It also announces the first meeting for 1973 on February 9th at 8pm at the Adult Education Centre, Argyle St.

TUFOIC's Meeting Dates 1973

TUFOIC is described as a non-profit, non-political, and non-religious organisation formed in 1965 to collect and examine UFO information, particularly Tasmanian sightings. The report aims to record investigated cases and share information. Membership subscriptions are $2.50 per annum ($1.25 for students). Meetings are held every two months, with a library available to members. The scheduled meeting dates for 1973 are: February 9th, April 13th, June 8th, August 10th, October 12th, and December 14th, all at 8pm at the Adult Education Centre, Argyle St.

A Summary of TUFOIC in 1972

1972 is characterized as a quieter year compared to the 'vintage' year of 1971, with only three or four low-level reports and a smattering of unidentified lights. The year began with a low-level report from Scamander, with similar sightings noted in the area in 1969 and near Binalong Bay in 1967. Mid-February to May saw puzzling lights sightings, some explained and some unidentified. May featured the "Great Balloon Hoax," which generated interest and led to good meeting attendance, though the number of reports later in the year declined. The second half of the year included three low-level cases, one from Queenstown, recalling a possible landing at Lynchford in May 1971. An earlier report from September 1970 is also mentioned, along with sightings from Cygnet and New Norfolk, and a recent report from Swansea.

The publication "UFO Observer" from Launceston went out of print due to lack of interest, potentially leaving northern state sightings unreported. TUFOIC also held a barbecue evening at Lachlan in January and thanked radio station 7HO for their assistance.

Investigation in 1972: The Scamander Sighting

On January 8th, 1972, Mr. P. Long observed a bright orange light east of Scamander, initially mistaken for a ship. The light, estimated at 20-30 degrees above the horizon, moved in a confined area. It later appeared to tilt and take on a disc shape, with a dome and dark squares. Mr. Long heard no sound, possibly due to wave noise. The object, described as a very bright orange with a dome and dark squares, was seen to emit orange light on power lines. A small orange ball shot from the sky into the disc, which then vanished out to sea, leaving a white dome-shaped glow. The sighting lasted about 8 minutes. The report notes two previous sightings in the same area: August 29th, 1967 (six round objects with lights near Binalong Bay) and October 28th, 1969 (a saucer-shaped UFO glowing red/orange near Paddy Island, watched by fishermen for over 3 hours).

Lights and More Lights

Following the Scamander sighting, the first half of 1972 saw numerous reports of puzzling lights. On February 19th, two witnesses at the Elwick Drive-In reported seeing three stationary lights (a large central one flanked by smaller ones) described as orange to dull red, about 30 degrees above the horizon. The lights disappeared briefly and then vanished. The report dismisses Venus as an explanation due to the lack of movement.

On February 23rd, a bright white light was seen near Mt.Faulkner in Windermere, initially with two smaller stationary lights on the mountainside. The main light moved upwards and south-west, disappearing behind cloud and reappearing. The report notes the possibility of an explanation for the smaller lights but finds the larger white light more puzzling.

On March 14th, a yellow orange light was seen briefly from Kingston, appearing from behind hills near Cathedral Rock, moving left and right before disappearing. This is compared to a January 1969 report of a fan-shaped light over Mt.Wellington.

Three reports on April 19th described a similar elliptical to headlight-shaped light travelling down the Derwent River in the Goodwood to Moonah area. Witnesses from Glenorchy, Springfield Ave, and Moonah observed the light, which varied in apparent size and seemed to lose altitude.

Another light report came from Mrs. Shudnat of Glebe, who saw a small yellow star-like light maneuvering unusually over Mt.Wellington in mid-May. The light performed puzzling maneuvers, gaining height, pausing, and moving northwards, then dropping to the skyline before repeating the process at a higher altitude.

The Great Balloon Hoax

The most publicized UFO story of the year was revealed to be a hoax involving balloons released from Lenah Valley on May 26th. Reports described a dome or oval-shaped object with flashing red lights. The Mercury newspaper ran a story on June 3rd detailing how Mr. Hugh Parish and friends released balloons as a joke. TUFOIC's president expressed regret over the hoax, which involved the organization in considerable work. Despite the hoax, TUFOIC meetings saw good attendance, though overall reports to the Centre declined.

Floating Light at Queenstown

On July 26th, a strange floating light baffled Queenstown residents. Described as an upside-down parachute shape with a yellow square, the object was seen hovering over the Sandhills area. Men on the sandhills attempted to follow it as it neared the ground but lost sight of it. No explanation has been ascertained.

The Humming UFO and Glowing Cigar

The second half of the year saw fewer unidentified light reports and more sightings of glowing red low-level objects. The first was from the Cygnet area in early September, followed by a report from New Norfolk and a sighting in Swansea in November.

On September 5th, Mr. A. near Cygnet witnessed a round orange glowing object glide past his house at 330yds distant and 100ft altitude. He heard a vibrating hum, and the object climbed and turned sharply. The humming sound was heard again when the glow reappeared. The object appeared as a large glowing 'oreo'.

On September 16th, a New Norfolk student reported a cigar or bus-shaped object with five or six black window frames, giving off a red glow. The object was seen northwest of the witness, moving behind a hill and then reappearing higher in the sky, with an apparent size of half a full moon. It stopped before disappearing again.

Mystery at Mayfield

On the weekend of November 11th/12th, the Petersen family near Mayfield Bay observed a glowing red UFO. On Saturday night, they saw what appeared to be a fire over Schouten Island. On Sunday evening, the light reappeared, moving in a triangular pattern above the island. The UFO then approached the witnesses, increasing in size and brightness, appearing as a hat-shaped object with a bright glow on its left side. It halted motionless about 1000ft up and 1000yds off the beach before shooting up into the sky and disappearing. The description is similar to a glowing red hat-shaped UFO seen in Lachlan in December. A report from Penguin on the North West Coast from two days prior is also mentioned, involving a large oval-shaped flashing yellow light.

Thoughts on "Chariots of the Gods" by Mrs. D. Burton

Mrs. Dora Burton comments on Erich von Daniken's book "Chariots of the Gods," finding parallels with Velikovsky's "Atlantis." She suggests that while the book stirs interest, it relies on assumptions to reconstruct past higher civilizations. Burton speculates about the origins of humanity, suggesting that a fleet from other planets may have landed on Earth, explaining racial differences and the development of various cultures. She posits that atomic war or exploding suns could have wiped out advanced civilizations, leaving small groups to rebuild, thus explaining the loss of cultural advancement. She also discusses the spread of white people from the East and the mystery of Cro-Magnon man, questioning the origin of primitive man and the link to civilized man.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are UFO sightings, particularly those involving lights, and the investigation of these phenomena by TUFOIC. The organization maintains a non-profit, non-political stance, aiming to collect and disseminate information. The report highlights both genuine sightings and instances of hoaxes, demonstrating a commitment to investigating and explaining events where possible. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, while also acknowledging the need for critical evaluation, as seen in the discussion of the "Great Balloon Hoax" and the commentary on "Chariots of the Gods."

This issue of UFO REPORTS, identified as Volume 11, Issue 11, dated January 1974, focuses on two main areas: speculative theories about ancient extraterrestrial contact and a detailed catalogue of UFO landing incidents in Tasmania. The magazine is published by TUFOIC and appears to be an Australian publication.

Thoughts on Chariots of the Gods

The first section, titled 'THOUGHTS ON CHARIOTS OF THE GODS.', explores theories connecting ancient knowledge with extraterrestrial visitors. The author references Lobsang Rampa's book 'The Cave of the Ancients,' describing a Tibetan cove that functions as a memory bank. This leads to speculation about whether ancient human populations were descendants of rebels from a penal colony established by space visitors, which could explain the nature of humanity and recorded UFO sightings throughout history. Another hypothesis suggests that early settlements might have resulted from a catastrophe, with later visits by space beings serving as check-ups or attempts to help humanity reconstruct its civilization. The author also considers the possibility of a large-scale experiment to observe how a civilization evolves, with warnings about impending floods being a foreknowledge of a catastrophe.

The author acknowledges that the true answer may never be known but finds resonance with the historical and provable aspects of these theories presented in von Daniken's book.

A Tasmanian Landings Catalogue

Authored by K. Roberts, this section presents a catalogue of UFO landing reports from Tasmania, focusing on 'Type One Sightings' (ground level or landed objects). Research indicates that since the early 1950s, there have been numerous landings and low-level sightings in Tasmania. This catalogue specifically lists 19 reports of ground-level or landed objects, excluding sightings at higher altitudes. The catalogue is presented in a table format, reading from left to right, with columns for case number, date, year, time, a symbol indicating the type of sighting (e.g., 'A' for touching ground, '*' for ground level, 'T' for landing traces, 'N' for sound heard, 'XXX' for witnesses name withheld), and the location of the report. The author notes that cases 1, 3, and 4 are derived from newspaper articles, while the rest are from TUFOIC's files. Notably, occupant sightings are absent from the local records up to this point, suggesting this phenomenon has only appeared in recent years.

The catalogue details specific incidents:

1. May 31, 1954, Elizabeth Town: A dark object seen by two witnesses, appearing to come from ground level and travel straight up at terrific speed, leaving white vapour.
2. Jan 8, 1959, Risdon: Two HEC employees observed a 9ft long object disappear between buildings, with three other objects in the sky, and a fourth like an inverted skittle diving into the Derwent River.
3. 1962, Broadmarsh & Brighton: Letters to the editor mentioned a 20ft black object seen just above ground and a long UFO that touched down, causing fire in a paddock.
4. Oct 1965, Granton: A dark object with flashing colours came from the ground, ascended rapidly, and disappeared, disturbing dogs.
5. Feb 14, 1966, Woodbridge: A large orange/red glow on the ground near an empty house rose and crossed to land on a beach on Bruny Island, appearing as a central light with two smaller lights.
6. Aug 29, 1967, The Gardens: Seven hunters saw six round saucer-like objects emerge from a gully, with bright lights underneath, which darted east when a spotlight was shone on them.
7. May 7, 1969, Kelvedon: Two boys saw a red glowing object with centre lights on the ground near Swansea, which took off across the bay.
8. May 22, 1969, Glenorchy: A witness saw a glowing elliptical object with bright windows ascend vertically, leaving an 18x12ft burnt ring with an oily smell.
9. May 23, 1969, Mt. Lloyd: Half a dozen people saw a red light in a paddock that floated up and returned to the same spot.
10. Aug 24, 1969, Chigwell: Two witnesses saw a round orange/red object descend atop a hill and disappear behind trees.
11. Dec 11, 1970, Mt. Wellington: Three youths saw lights moving above the mountain and observed a dome-shaped area of light with lights coming and going.
12. May 22, 1971, Norwood: A motorist saw a 10ft object with dull white, blue, and red lights touch down near the roadside, then disappear upwards, leaving a flattened area with twisted bracken and undergrowth.
13. May 25, 1971, Lynchford: A humming noise was heard, and dogs were disturbed. A flattened area was found the next day, with crushed grass and blackberries, along with three other areas with indentations.
14. June 24, 1971, Wilmot: Dogs were disturbed as witnesses saw a round bright object land in a paddock, surrounded by small lights, before disappearing.
15. July 9, 1971, Narrawa: An oval white UFO, 16x4ft, was seen in a paddock, moving away as the witness approached.
16. Dec 14, 1971, New Norfolk: A saucer with an orange flashing dome and white lights was seen at rooftop height, emitting a humming noise, before disappearing over a hill followed by an explosion.
17. Dec 15, 1971, Bridgewater: A bright silver disc was seen on a hillside, travelling uphill and disappearing over the top.
18. July 16, 1972, Queenstown: An upside-down parachute object with a yellow square was seen floating low, chased by workmen, and lost to sight as it neared the ground.

The author notes that low-level sightings have increased and it may only be a matter of time before TUFOIC investigates an occupant case.

Recent UFO Theories

Authored by E. Bantick, this section discusses the ongoing research by TUFOIC and other independent UFO groups worldwide. Bantick emphasizes the function of research as gathering data, asking questions, and seeking answers. He raises questions about peculiar UFO characteristics, such as their skipping motion and high magnetic fields, wondering if these are related to their operational principles or serve a special purpose. Anomalies noted in reports include oil marks, grease, and slag where UFOs have landed, and instances where occupants appeared to be having mechanical trouble. Bantick finds it paradoxical that these craft exhibit signs of 'bad engineering' yet are capable of interstellar travel and evade detection. He also touches upon witness contact with UFO occupants, suggesting that the average occupant is humanoid and similar to humans, leading to speculation that UFO operations might be a 'masterpiece of misdirection' or an attempt to teach humanity something.

Analysis of UFO Reports for 1972

This section provides a statistical breakdown of UFO reports in Tasmania as of November 30th, 1972. A total of 44 reports were recorded for 1972, a decrease from the 78 reports in 1971. Since 1948, a cumulative total of 432 UFO reports have been made in Tasmania, with 43 remaining unexplained. The 1972 analysis categorizes reports into UFO (6), Pos: UFO (8), Insufficient Info (6), Astronomical (5), Satellite (10), Planes (1), Balloon (4), Meteorological (1), Car Lights (2), Reflection (2), and Building and Lights (3).

Contact information for TUFOIC sighting officers K. Bennetto and K. Roberts is provided, along with an address for correspondence. The issue concludes with a reminder about TUFOIC's next annual report in January 1974, promoting it as Tasmania's only UFO publication.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the exploration of ancient astronaut theories, the systematic cataloguing and analysis of UFO sightings and landings, and the ongoing investigation into the nature and purpose of UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, data collection, and a commitment to understanding the unexplained, while also acknowledging the speculative nature of some theories.