TUFOIC Newsletter - No 039 - June 1983

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC NEWSLETTER
Issue Date: June 1983
Issue Number: 39
Publisher: TUFOIC (Tasmanian U.F.O. Investigation Centre)
Country of Publication: Australia
Language: English

This issue of the TUFOIC Newsletter, dated June 1983, covers a range of topics related to UFO phenomena and investigation in Australia. It includes reports on recent sightings, details of a national UFO conference, and information on the Centre's data management and research projects.

UFO Sightings and Investigations

The newsletter begins by noting a quiet period for unexplained UFO reports in Tasmania, with the last one logged on July 6th, 1982, marking an eleven-month gap. This period is compared to a similar quiet spell in 1966. The Centre has received 20 reports by April of this year, all of which have been explained, a stark contrast to previous years like 1976 when there were 91 reports with 19 unexplained sightings.

A series of paranormal events near Lonnovale in the Huon Valley, Tasmania, is detailed. These events, occurring from late 1982 into 1983, involved a strange black shape described as round to human-like, appearing in daytime, accompanied by prolonged sounds, bumps, and flashes of light at night. Other associated strange events included disappearing dogs, black horses, and a car that seemed to move uphill by itself. The complexity of these events, the number of witnesses, and the distances involved mean the investigation is ongoing and details are not yet finalized.

Three light cases from the Launceston area in May are mentioned, but they appear to have mundane explanations. Even historical case reports have ceased, with the exception of some generated by the presence of UFOCON-7 in Hobart, none of which were particularly significant.

UFO Conference in Hobart

The 7th National Conference of the Australian Centre For UFO Studies (ACUFOS) was held in Hobart from February 12th-14th, 1983. Representatives from four states and the ACT attended. Despite its small size, the conference was described as enthusiastic and outspoken, resolving many important matters for Australian UFOlogy. Key outcomes included the institution of a code of ethics for ACUFOS investigators, the establishment of a nationwide telephone network for quick information sharing between state groups, and an investigation into methods for home computer access to a central information file. The conference also featured interesting papers, and received significant media coverage, including radio talkback, TV current affairs, and local press. TUFOIC was represented by Ron Jolly, Keith Roberts, and Paul Jackson.

Maatsuyker Island and Odd Spot Column

Maatsuyker Island, off the southern tip of Tasmania, is highlighted as a remote location with a significant history of UFO sightings, particularly during the mid-1960s and 1970s. The 'Maatsuyker Island Document', detailing these sightings, is available from TUFOIC for $2.00.

The 'Odd Spot Column' provides statistics on Tasmanian sightings: the longest was 9 hours at Southport Lagoon in March 1969, and the most witnesses (over 100) were at Maydena on February 26th, 1976. A typical Tasmanian sighting is statistically described as occurring on a Saturday in July, between 9 PM and 10 PM on a clear night, involving a round, white object seen for 10 minutes by two witnesses (a female aged 20-30 and a male aged 30-40), likely viewed from the Hobart area.

Publications and Computer File

The Australian Centre For UFO Studies offers a range of publications. The 'Reports Digest', a 12-issue monthly subscription, details recent sightings sent to ACUFOS by its member organizations and costs $11.00. Subscriptions can be sent to ACUFOS, P.O. Box 229, Prospect, South Australia, 5082.

An errata note corrects the edition number for the 1983 ANNUAL REPORT Magazine to 38, not 41.

The 'Tasmanian Unidentifieds Catalogue - Computer File, 1983 Edition' is available for $3.00. It contains brief details on 405 unidentified reports filed between 1948 and the end of 1982. A service is offered to provide computer printouts of sightings based on common factors like car pace cases, sound cases, specific colors, or dates, costing $1.00 for the first extract and 50 cents for subsequent ones.

TUFOIC utilizes a Commodore Vic-20 home computer with a cassette storage and dot matrix printer for its Unidentifieds file and information sheets. This computer allows for quick updates and amendments to the catalogue and information sheets. The Liaison Officer, Paul Jackson, operates the computer and is seeking ideas for its further use in UFO research. He has developed a program to pinpoint object locations on a Star Map using date, time, altitude, and bearing, and can also determine altitude and azimuth from Star Map coordinates, which is useful for identifying planetary positions. The use of this modest but effective computer keeps TUFOIC's UFOlogy efforts on par with global standards.

Hundreds See 'Lights' in Victoria

A significant article reports on a mass sighting of nine brightly-colored UFOs over Bendigo, Victoria, on the night of May 21st, 1983. Hundreds of people witnessed the objects, which were described as cone or cylindrical in shape with oscillating red, green, and white lights. Sightings were reported from Castlemaine, Maryborough, Kyneton, and Bendigo. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced it would investigate. The RAAF and air traffic control at Tullamarine were alerted but could not track the objects on radar, stating they were baffled. Radio announcer Mike Evans of SBO in Bendigo described seeing six objects through his studio window, likening them to a white cone with flashing red and green lights, and described as honeycomb-like on the bottom. He estimated the objects were hovering at about 800 meters and would move, disappear, and reappear. The radio station received numerous calls. A man claimed to be 'tailed' by a UFO from Long Gully into Bendigo. The RAAF conducted radar scans at 11:40 PM and 2:15 AM, but found nothing, noting that objects too high or too low might not be detected. Paul Mulqueen of Bendigo reported seeing eight or nine objects hovering over Kyneton, describing them as cone-shaped, larger than a star, and rotating with changing colors. A Weather Bureau spokesman suggested the lights might have been caused by an atmospheric inversion refracting car headlights, but could not explain why lights would be seen in one area if the inversion covered the whole state.

Search for E-T Life (SETI Project)

Another article details the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project, led by Dr. Carl Sagan and Professor Paul Horowitz. Professor Horowitz, a physicist and electronics expert, has developed a sophisticated radio receiver at Harvard University's Oakridge radio telescope to search for signals from alien societies. A Wicat System 150 computer is interfaced as the system controller, monitoring 131,000 radio channels simultaneously. The project searches for ultra-narrow band signals, distinct from broad signals naturally occurring in the galaxy. The Wicat computer processes the input, displaying signal spectra. Professor Horowitz stated the Wicat system has been 100% satisfactory. The system has been tested at the Arecibo antenna in Puerto Rico, examining nearby sun-like stars. The new receiver is highly sensitive, capable of accomplishing in one minute what previously took 100,000 years using Project Ozma techniques. Dr. Thomas McDonough, SETI co-ordinator, described the project as a major advance in the planet's attempt to detect other civilizations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter reflects TUFOIC's ongoing commitment to investigating and documenting UFO phenomena in Tasmania and Australia. There is a clear emphasis on data collection, analysis, and maintaining a comprehensive database, as evidenced by the 'Tasmanian Unidentifieds Catalogue - Computer File'. The publication also highlights the importance of national collaboration within the UFO research community, as demonstrated by the ACUFOS conference. The inclusion of the SETI project indicates a broader interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation, data-driven analysis, and open communication with the public and other research groups, while also acknowledging the need for critical evaluation of reports and the possibility of mundane explanations.