TUFOIC Newsletter - No 014 - 1975

Magazine Overview

This document is the "UFO OVER TASMANIA" Annual Report for 1975, published by The Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre (TUFOIC). It is Edition No. 14 and costs 25c. The report covers UFO sightings and investigations primarily from 1974, with a focus on Tasmania.

Editorial

The editorial section notes a potential shift in public and scientific attitudes towards UFOs, with overseas outlooks appearing to change. It mentions significant UFO flaps in the United States and France in late 1973, where official bodies like the Gendarmerie in France were collaborating with UFO groups to document sightings. The French Minister for Defence acknowledged the reality of UFO phenomena, stating that a lack of understanding does not justify denial. In the US, Dr. J. Allen Hynek of North West University established a Centre for UFO Studies, also collaborating with police forces. TUFOIC is involved in forwarding details of good low-level cases to this US centre. The editorial highlights that TUFOIC has received positive media attention and investigated reports from police officers. It also notes the establishment of Northern Representatives and an unprecedented number of low-level UFO sightings in Tasmania during the past year, including the first known cases of automobiles being stopped and their witnesses experiencing after-effects. A general trend in sightings was observed, with a geographical and temporal distribution across the year.

The editorial concludes by stating TUFOIC's commitment to a responsible approach and hopes for a future shift in official attitudes in Australia. It also mentions a "COVER SKETCH" of an erratic UFO at Scamander, with a witness sketch included.

Table of Contents (Implied from Page 2)

Page 1: Editorial, Meeting dates 1975.
Page 1: Sightings during 1974.
Page 2: Derwent Valley Pacing.
Page 3: Something Strange on Moriarty Road.
Page 4: Sightings Galore.
Page 5: North East Flap.
Page 8: Scamander Case.
Page 8: Auto Stop & After Effects.
Page 9: A Scary Moment.
Page 11: Years Statistics.
Page 12: Stop Press.

TUFOIC Organisation and Meetings

The report lists the office bearers for 1975: Mrs. J. Bigwood (President), W.K. Roberts (Sec/Treas), K. Bennetto (Sightings), P. Jackson (Corres), Mrs. K. Bevis (Librarian), and E. Bantick (Committee). Correspondence should be directed to 366 Huon Road, South Hobart, Tas 7000. Contact details for sightings are provided for K. Bennetto and regional representatives J.C. Dean (Northern Rep) and Linday Hornsey (N.W. Coast).

TUFOIC meeting dates for 1975 are listed, held at the BP Lecture Room, CML Building, Collins St., commencing at 8 pm. Prospective members and those with sighting information are welcome. The dates are: February 14th, April 11th, June 13th, August 8th, October 10th (Annual Meeting), and December 12th. The report encourages interested individuals to join TUFOIC, highlighting the availability of a library, tape recordings, and copies of newsletters and annual reports for members.

Investigations and Sightings in 1974

The report details a sudden increase in low-level UFO sightings investigated by the Centre. For the first time, motor vehicles were reportedly stopped by the presence of unidentified objects, causing terror and nervous reactions in witnesses. TUFOIC members dedicated considerable time and personal expense to track down and investigate these reports. The Centre forwards details of good low-level cases to the US Centre for UFO Studies, hoping for scientific interest.

Lenah Valley Case

An unexplained report from 1973 involved Mr. R. Gibson witnessing a fire-red cylindrical object around 3 am. The object rose, changed direction, and assumed a half-moon shape. It appeared larger than the moon, rose higher, hesitated, and then drifted north. Photographs were attempted but yielded nothing. Satellite, aircraft, and astronomical explanations were ruled out.

Derwent Valley Pacing

In late February 1974, a policeman, referred to as Mr. M, reported an encounter near Westerway and New Norfolk. He observed a large round light in the sky, which later appeared as a yellow glow illuminating his car. The object then positioned itself ahead of his car, following his headlights and sometimes waiting for him. It gained elevation when passing trees and later reappeared as a large light over hills. A truck driver he flagged down dismissed it as a star. Mr. M attempted to photograph the stationary light, but had no film. The object disappeared when he went inside briefly. No aircraft were present at the time, and Venus had not risen.

Something Strange on Moriarty Road

On February 27th, 1974, Greg Thornton and Sally Lamprey reported an unusual sighting on Moriarty Road near Latrobe. They observed a bright orange dot which, after the car stopped, appeared as a bright orange light over the Mersey General Hospital area. The object, estimated to be 250yds away and 80ft high, was beaming brighter and surrounded by a shimmering effect, appearing the size of a tennis ball. As they drove, the object paced them, appearing as a straight orange line when it turned on its side. It accelerated to high speed and vanished behind trees. Later, Mr. J, travelling on the same road, noticed an orange light keeping pace with him. He estimated its size as 20ft in diameter. The UFO followed him towards Latrobe and disappeared near the Bass Highway.

Low Level Catalogue

Keith Basterfield and Bill Chalker are compiling an Australian Catalogue of low-level UFO reports. Over thirty sightings from TUFOIC's files were considered, with about a quarter occurring in the last year. The final Australian list is hoped to appear in the UK magazine Flying Saucer Review.

Sightings Galore (North Tasmania)

• This section details numerous sightings from February to October 1974 in Northern Tasmania:
• Mornington (Jan 19): White zig-zagging light.
• Glenorchy (Mar 6): Red blinking light changing to blue-white.
• Railton (Apr 4): Oval orange light, emitting flashes.
• Mawbanna (Apr 6): Orange-red light fading and reappearing.
• Burnie (Apr 16): Rectangular blue-white light with red flashing colours, and a smaller light.
• Lyell Hwy (Mid-Apr): White light near road, ascending into the sky.
• Lindisfarne (May 2): Large orange bowl object with flashing lights.
• Lilydale Road (May 5): Mysterious UFO sighting by a brother and sister, described as two bright yellow lights.
• Devonport (May 7): Oval light changing colour.
• Linda (May 9): Pulsating large orange light.
• Near Port Latta (Late May): Very bright light, similar to driving into the sun, caused car lights to go out and the engine to stall.
• Lyell Hwy (Jun 25): Bright white light coming over a hill.

North East Flap

• This section details sightings in the North East of Tasmania, starting around 1970. Cases mentioned include:
• Gladstone (Feb 1970): A pastoralist had to dive his light aircraft to avoid collision with a helicopter-type object.
• Ringarooma Bay (1971): A powerful blue light at low elevation.
• Gladstone to Mt. Cameron Road (1972): A bright light with exhaust effect.
• Targa (Apr 1973): Red and white flashing light.
• Lilydale (Jun 1973): Two large round white lights.

The Boobyalla Sightings

Commencing late May, a series of sightings occurred at Boobyalla Estate, NW of Gladstone. Witnesses described a large banana-shaped object, bright orange below and yellow on top, moving slowly and low to the ground. It was estimated to be about 100ft in length. The object was last seen in the paddocks. A similar object was seen two nights later from houses on the estate.

Mystery Lights at Mayfield

On June 12th, hunters sighted a row of yellow/green lights near the ground, which later reappeared as lights several hundred feet up in the sky. The lights seemed to follow the hunters as they left. On June 14th, R. Groves observed a round silver pulsing object south of Gladstone, which paced his car before disappearing at high speed. The object was later seen pulsing and changing colours.

July Sightings

On July 20th, two Police Officers sighted a flashing white and blue light east of Gladstone, which moved at fantastic speed. On July 23rd, three residents sighted a round white ball moving slowly east over the Rushy Lagoon area.

Scamander Case

This case involved a sighting by Roger Brooks and Gary Bensemann at Scamander at 10:20 pm. The UFO was described as a bright yellow/orange object, around 70ft up, moving slowly east. It was visible for about half an hour. The object was later seen as a moving star and disappeared into cloud. The UFO was composed of lights, with a pale yellow dome-shaped object beneath, and flashing lights. Its apparent size at half a mile was estimated to be 20ft across. The object moved in a darting, hovering pattern and was sometimes stationary. Checks ruled out aircraft and satellites.

Auto-Stop

On September 16th, Mrs. A. Richards and her children experienced a car stopping and electrical disturbances on Ansons Bay Road. The car radio went static, the car lost power and stopped dead, with all lights going out. A deafening vibrating noise enveloped the car, followed by electric shocks. The car filled with a choking smell. The family fled the car. The car was later checked and found to be in working order. Mrs. Richards suffered physical after-effects, including swollen arms and fingers, and a numb face, attributed to severe emotional reaction.

Two nights later, Mr. Richards observed a light following his car. When he stopped, the light stopped; when he put his car lights on park, it fell in behind. At home, his son Ricky spotted the object, described as an inverted banana, vibrant yellow. They watched it hover over trees. They believed the light attracted the object, and when they turned their lights out, the crescent shape went further away.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are the increase in UFO sightings, particularly low-level ones, and the detailed investigation of these phenomena by TUFOIC. The report emphasizes the personal commitment and expense of the investigators. There's a consistent effort to rule out conventional explanations (aircraft, satellites, planets) and to document witness accounts meticulously. The editorial stance is one of serious inquiry into UFO phenomena, seeking to legitimize the study of these events and hoping for greater official and scientific acceptance in Australia, mirroring perceived changes in overseas attitudes. The report highlights the fear and disorientation experienced by some witnesses, particularly in cases involving direct interaction with vehicles.

This issue of "UFO Investigator" (Issue 14) focuses on UFO phenomena, featuring a detailed account of a significant sighting, analysis of reported cases, and a collection of brief sighting reports. The magazine is published by the Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre and includes information on how to join the organization.

A SCARY MOMENT

The lead article details an incident experienced by a witness identified as Mrs.W. on the afternoon of September 22nd, near the Tayene and Diddleum Plains roads in Tasmania. While waiting for a relative, Mrs.W. observed a bright, glowing orange and silver object, described as domed on top and about the size of a large car, descending towards her. The object moved between trees and then approached her car, hovering at fence-top height. During the encounter, the car's radio emitted a high-pitched whistle, and the area was illuminated by the object's light. After hovering for about 60 seconds, the UFO dipped to the right and moved away over a valley, then ascended rapidly out of sight. Mrs.W. was understandably disturbed and reported being very shaken, experiencing nervous tension and sickness for several days. She had not previously believed in UFOs. The incident also affected the car's radio, causing distortion. Notably, the front of the car was found to be exceptionally clean, despite the rest of the vehicle being dirty, a condition the witness attributed to the UFO's presence rather than rain. The object's description included a silvery-grey lower section with what appeared to be portholes, reversed stepped bands, a revolving disc at the base, and a protruding box that split into four sections as it sped off.

The sighting was investigated by Mr.John Dean, the Centre's Northern Representative. The area was checked, and Mrs.W. was interviewed two weeks later, still shaken. The RAAF also investigated but found no explanation. The conclusion drawn is that it was a "good low level UFO sighting."

SIGHTINGS GALORE

This section presents a series of brief UFO sighting reports from various locations and dates:

• 14.4.74, 03:30, Bridport: Two witnesses heard a muffled diesel sound and saw two lights approaching from the NW. A larger elliptical yellow disc shone a beam on the beach, while a smaller disc stayed below it. The objects moved slowly NE.
• 16.9.74, 18:20, Antill Ponds: The Slater family saw lights to the east and observed a strange silver-grey cigar-shaped object for 10 minutes. It emitted a slight electric motor hum and had a white light at one end, green at the other, with two red lights in the center. It moved northwards and disappeared.
• 15.9.74, 19:30, Legana: Three youths witnessed a bright yellow circular light fall in the NW sky, sweep across to the north, halt, and then go straight up.
• 21.9.74, 00:30, Spring Hill: A motorist and passenger saw a strange red/yellow ball rise over hills to the east, travel along, and then descend to the east.
• 15.10.74, 20:50, Mowbray: Five witnesses saw a yellow oval object to the south with three yellow lights below and a red light on top. It moved erratically, hovered, brightened, and then disappeared rapidly to the south.
• 18.10.74, 21:00, Ross: Two Police Officers sighted a saucer-shaped object with a red light on one side and blue on the other. It moved erratically before shooting off.
• 19.10.74, 22:45, Boobyalla: A half-moon object was seen moving slowly over Mt. Cameron and then towards Pioneer.
• 20.10.74, 20:30, Gladstone: A motorist saw a bright light behind their car, followed by a yellow half-moon object to the west, moving north. It had a beam of light coming from below.
• 10.11.74, 23:30, Llewellyn: A family saw a bright bluey/green ball object at ground level 400 yards off the road. A red light, like a headlight, followed their car for about 5 miles, a few feet above the ground, before disappearing.

NORTH EAST FLAP

• July, Winnelaah to Pioneer road: Mr.J.Groves sighted a round yellow/white object about 500 ft altitude. The object paced his car and then moved to his right. No sound was heard, and it vanished towards the east.

CLOSE APPROACH AT ROCKBANK

This section details an incident that occurred on September 13th, involving three witnesses shooting in a paddock 5 miles north of Rushy Lagoon. At 10 pm, they observed a pulsating orange vibrating ball UFO approaching from the north-east. The object was initially seen at a higher altitude but descended to 20-30 feet. It crossed the road behind their Landrover and paced them for about a mile, remaining a couple of hundred yards from the road and about 150 yards behind. The UFO then veered away to the south-east and was lost from view. The incident lasted about half an hour. A subsequent search by a group found nothing.

UFO BUZZED BALLISTIC MISSILE

This article reports on an incident where US Army radar operators at a missile base in Huntsville, Alabama, detected unexplained "ghost ships" during a tracking exercise in the Pacific in August. Major Dallas Van Hoose confirmed that "unexplained aerial phenomena" were observed. Experts described the objects as unlike anything they had seen before. During a Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile test, radar tracked an inverted-saucer shaped object, approximately 10ft high and 40ft long, moving near the ICBM's nose cone. It crossed the warhead's trajectory before disappearing. Three other identical objects were also reportedly seen. The objects were described as flying under their own power, but the source of this power was unexplained.

ANALYSIS OF REPORTS FOR 1974

As of December 31st, 1974, the Centre had investigated 133 reports during the year, plus cases from prior years. Comparative figures show:

• 1969: 72 reports, 12 unexplained (17%)
• 1970: 42 reports, 5 unexplained (12%)
• 1971: 88 reports, 16 unexplained (18%)
• 1972: 59 reports, 8 unexplained (14%)
• 1973: 125 reports, 19 unexplained (15%)
• 1974: 133 reports, 37 unexplained (28%)

The year 1974 saw a record breaking 28% of unexplained reports. Early in the year, many sightings were attributed to satellites, Venus, and Jupiter. Aircraft misidentifications were common, particularly from Hobart and Launceston areas, where aircraft lights appeared as bright white balls instead of the usual green and red. Two possible hoaxes were reported, where newspaper offices were contacted with fictitious names and addresses.

The breakdown of 1974 reports is as follows:

• UFO: 37
• Insufficient Info: 13
• Satellites: 24
• Astronomical: 25
• Aircraft: 18
• Flares: 6
• Possible Hoax: 2
• Meteorological: 6
• Noise Only: 1
• Weather Balloon: 1
• Total: 133

STOP PRESS - SIGHTING AT CRESSY

Mr & Mrs Nichols reported a sighting in late July near Cressy. They observed a red stationary light, followed by a bright yellow light that rose from behind a hedge and moved away at high speed, remaining at a consistent height. The object was unlike any aircraft they had seen before.

IF YOU HAVE A SIGHTING

This section provides instructions for reporting UFO sightings, urging witnesses to record full details (times, movements, elevation, size, color, shape, direction) and contact the Centre's Sightings Officer, Ken Bennetto, by phone or mail.

SKY WATCH

A poem by I.Bogus reflecting on the mystery and fascination of observing the night sky for UFOs.

TUFOIC MEMBERSHIP

Information on joining TUFOIC, including the membership fee ($3.50, Students $2.00), and details about future meetings held at Scots Church Rooms in Hobart. The publication is printed and published on behalf of the Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are detailed UFO sighting reports, the analysis of these reports to identify patterns and potential misidentifications, and the ongoing investigation efforts by organizations like TUFOIC and the RAAF. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into UFO phenomena, presenting evidence and analysis while acknowledging the unexplained nature of many sightings. There is a clear emphasis on encouraging public reporting of sightings and promoting membership in the investigation centre. The inclusion of a poem and the detailed breakdown of report categories suggest a comprehensive approach to the subject matter.