TUFOIC Newsletter - No 022 - September 1977

Magazine Overview

This document is the September 1977 Newsletter No. 22 from the TASMANIAN UFO INVESTIGATION CENTRE. It details a period of increased UFO activity, referred to as a "flap," primarily in the Hobart and Tasman Peninsula areas of Tasmania, from February to August 1977. The newsletter also includes statistical data on UFO sightings in Australia for the year 1976.

UFO Sightings in Tasmania (February - August 1977)

The newsletter reports a surge in sightings starting in May and June, following a lull after August 1976. Earlier reports from March included sightings at Mt. Stuart, Collins Cap, and Park Beach. The "flap" seemed to ease off in July.

• March Sightings:
• March 28th: An erratic whizzing light was observed from Mt. Stuart on three occasions within an hour. Witnesses described a large light moving erratically, with one reporting a bright orange light and a whizzing noise.
• Late March: Sightings at Mt. Stuart, Collins Cap, and Park Beach.

• April Sightings:
• April 5th: At Collins Cap, a lone witness saw a dome-shaped object with six flashing lights at its base hovering over trees for about 30 minutes. The object then lost elevation as if to land.
• Later in April: Strange events at a farm included a flash of white light at a kitchen window and banging noises.
• April/Early May: Nocturnal lights were reported at Montrose, New Town, and Kingston.
• April 30th: A disc-shaped object of light was seen near Lenah Valley.
• Around April 30th: Red and green lights were observed over the sea from Park Beach.

• May Sightings:
• Late May: A series of orange lights were seen at Port Huon.
• Late May: A nocturnal white light moved in front of Mt. Direction, with no aircraft noted.

• Late May to Early June Sightings (Tasman Peninsula):
• Four sightings were reported, mostly lights in the sky.
• A large white light was seen very low over Norfolk Bay, then climbed into the north-western sky.
• May 30th: Mr. O. Bitterman, driving home to Nubeena, witnessed blue flashes and a large white and orange coloured light over Storm Bay. Another witness in Nubeena also saw the flashes. The object moved slowly towards the South Arm. A neighbour reported TV interference during the sighting.

• June Sightings:
• June 11th: A sighting of lights was reported from the East Side Drive In.
• June: A light was seen in the early hours at Scamander.
• June: A large circular white object was observed at 5.00 am from New Norfolk.
• June: A bright white light was seen from Kempton, coming over a hill and moving slowly south-east.

• July Sightings:
• July 2nd: A light appeared behind a car on the road to Sandfly, causing the car to briefly lose power.
• July 3rd: Two sightings from Oatlands of a cylindrical object south-east of the town with flashing lights. A distressed motorist also reported seeing a large cylinder object near the road from York Plains.

• Other Interesting Sightings (Under Investigation):
• A Midland Highway case in July involving a silver cylinder with a rope-like tail seen near Conara.
• A large yellow light seen crossing the sky near Beaconsfield in mid-August.
• A Great Lake sighting by J. Dean.

Hobart Area Statistics:
The Hobart area recorded its highest number of sightings for a calendar year at the time of writing, with 12 cases. This surpassed previous years like 1973 (6 cases) and 1971 (5 cases). The newsletter notes a trend of sighting "flaps" moving southward each year.

Humanoid Encounter in Wales

The newsletter includes a report from London about Pauline Coombs, who claims to be pestered by UFOs and a "man from outer space." Her experiences included sightings of a red and orange ball, a flying fireball chasing her car, and a faceless figure staring through her window. A "spaceman" sighting in west Wales described a silver figure with a luminous glow, about seven to eight feet tall, with a black face and no features. This figure vanished when the police were called. The report notes similar figures and UFO sightings, including landings, have been reported in the area.

Australian UFO Statistics for 1976

Data from the Australian Co-Ordination Section (ACOS) for the Centre for UFO Studies reveals the following for 1976:

• Unidentified Reports: 22.5% unidentified reports, compared to the Air Force's 10.26% for 1976. The Air Force's figures are noted to primarily include nocturnal light cases, which tend to have higher identification rates.
• Witness Demographics: The majority of reports came from males aged 31-40, a shift from 1975 when the majority were males aged 16-20.
• Sighting Times: The greatest number of sightings occurred between 6.00 pm and midnight (consistent with 1975), with Saturday nights being the peak, compared to Friday nights in 1975. The least number of reports were made from 6.00 pm to midnight on Monday and midnight to noon on Tuesday.
• Monthly Activity: Highest activity months were October, February, and September, differing from 1975's peak months of March, May, and August.
• Witness Accounts: Single witness cases accounted for only 34.3% of unidentified reports, while 45.95% of sightings were received from groups via telephone.
• Proximity: In 15 cases, witnesses came within 50 metres of the UFO.
• Object Colours: Nearly 70% of all reports described objects as white or having colours towards the red end of the spectrum, aligning with global trends.
• State Breakdown: NSW had 42 reports, TAS 31, WA 11, SA 8, QLD 3, and VIC 4, totaling 99 reports for the year. The Centre's unidentified cases climbed to 38 for 1976.
• Comparison to Previous Year: As of the end of August 1977, there were 28 unidentified reports out of 115 total reports. In the same period the previous year (1976), the Centre had received 137 cases and had 30 UFOs.

Odds and Ends

• TV Program: TVT 6 featured a program on Tasmanian UFO sightings in their "This Week" series in early August, including interviews and drawings.
• Annual Report: The Centre plans to publish its Annual Report in early 1978, aiming for offset printing for a better finish. Sales of reports have increased significantly, from 30 in 1970 to 645.
• Annual Meeting: An annual meeting is scheduled for October 14th at 8.00 pm at Scots Church rooms. Inquiries can be directed to the Secretary, Keith Roberts.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this newsletter are the detailed reporting of UFO sightings, the analysis of patterns and trends in these sightings (both locally in Tasmania and nationally), and the presentation of statistical data to support these observations. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation and documentation of UFO phenomena, encouraging public reporting and providing a platform for discussion and analysis. The concluding question, "Where do we go from here??", suggests an ongoing inquiry into the nature and implications of these sightings, with a particular note on the apparent southward movement of sighting 'flaps' over the years.