TUFOIC Newsletter - No 045 - June 1985

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC
Issue: Newsletter - June 1985 - Edition No. 45
Publisher: TASMANIAN U.F.O. INVESTIGATION CENTRE
Date: June 1985

This issue of the TUFOIC newsletter provides an update on UFO investigations and sightings primarily within Tasmania during the first half of 1985. It highlights an increase in local reports, particularly concerning unusual lights, and details several ongoing cases.

Year to Date Report

The Centre expresses disappointment with the limited information received from other Australian UFO groups in the first half of 1985, noting only similar nocturnal light cases from West and South Australia, with no unusual reports from Tasmania itself.

However, the Centre has seen a significant increase in incoming reports via telephone in recent weeks, two years after being listed in the Southern Tasmanian Telephone Directory. A survey of callers revealed that about 50% found the number through the directory or telephone information, while others contacted the police, saw newspaper items, or had prior knowledge. Sources for other calls included the Department of Aviation, the weather Bureau, university contacts, and a few hoax calls.

The Centre is investigating an increased number of reports from across Tasmania, including calls from Huon, Deloraine, Burnie, and the East Coast. Three specific cases are under investigation: Glenorchy, Richmond, and Fingal.

Howrah Affair

A significant number of calls in May were related to the repeated appearance of one or two red/orange lights over the eastern Hobart suburb of Howrah. The first reported sighting was on April 30th, involving a large orange light moving northwest from Bellerive and disappearing. Several witnesses reported a large orange/red light passing overhead on May 3rd around 8:15 pm, heading south over the Derwent River. This was repeated two nights later, with the light seen stationary above houses before moving away. Further reports on May 11th/12th mentioned falling pieces and flickering before the light disappeared. A Hobart radio station ran an item on UFOs over Howrah, prompting further calls. By May 17th and 19th, the Centre suspected that persons unknown were releasing a device, possibly a balloon with a light source, given the falling pieces and flickering. The calm weather conditions allowed the lights to appear stationary or move slowly.

Radar Visual of 1979

This section revisits a sighting from 1979, reported by a witness identified as 'Mr Z'. While the initial report was mentioned in the Advocate newspaper in September 1979, the witness was not located until six years later. The sighting occurred on September 22nd around 10 pm, about 10 miles east-northeast of Low Head. The witness, First Mate on the ketch Lady Jillian, observed a steady white light on the sea, with a radar echo below 25 degrees elevation. The object also had red and green flashing lights. As the ketch approached, the reflection of the white light filled the wheelhouse. The object then moved to the north-northeast, and its white light went out. The radar tracked the object for 23 miles, allowing the witness to calculate its speed at 250 nautical miles per hour. The sighting lasted 15 to 20 minutes.

Georgetown Sounds

This section recalls sightings from Georgetown in 1982 involving an erratic red light accompanied by a high-speed whistle/whizzing sound. Six events were recorded between February and May, with the bulk occurring in May. Witnesses described a red light moving across the sky, mostly from north to south, with the accompanying sound disappearing as the light was lost. Some nights, the sound was heard without a visible light. Witnesses were familiar with the nearby Comalco Works, but inquiries suggested the noise did not emanate from there. A tape recording of the sound was obtained by the Centre. Expert comment from the United States suggested a burglar/fire alarm or industrial alarm as a possible cause. A further tape recording from September 1982 presented a similar case. One witness, going to bed around 10:45 pm, heard an unusual noise and saw a red light low to the west, which he recorded. Contact with Comalco and Temco indicated the noise was not from their works, and residents would be familiar with factory noises. Police investigations into faulty alarms were also unhelpful. The Georgetown noise and light case has reached a standstill.

Occupant Seen, Old Case of 1975

This section details a sighting from early 1975 in the Lake District, specifically around the Interlaken area. The witness, identified as 'A', was building a shed on a Midland property and saw the object while driving from Hobart around 7 am on a sunny morning. He heard a thumping noise that continued throughout the sighting. The object, described as a long dome-shaped craft with a dull grey dome encased by a clear dome, came up from behind his vehicle. It had three figures standing on a rim in front of a door. The object moved slowly ahead, about 1/2 kilometers, at a speed faster than A's 50 kph. The object was estimated to be 30m from the road and 20m above the paddocks, approximately 20m wide and up to 15m high. The figures were wearing brown one-piece garments. One figure faced the direction of travel, the second faced A, and the third looked into the door. The figures were described as short but normally proportioned, with hands and faces visible. The witness felt the second figure saw him but took no notice. The figure facing him had features resembling a 'Bhudda', with long eyes, a fatter nose, and a slightly wider mouth. There was no movement from the figures. A sketch of the occupant and object is included.

Investigations

'UFO' seen landing in Fingal Valley

This article from the Mercury on May 18th, 1984, reports that Mr Don Ives, a music teacher and former bank manager, claimed to have seen a UFO landing in the Fingal Valley at 1:45 am on Wednesday. He described it as a craft the size of a small plane with port-hole type lights of all colours, about half a kilometre away down in a gully. It was drizzling at the time, and he stopped his car to observe. He noted the craft was making no sound. The object disappeared below a hill, but its lights were still visible. Mr Ives stated that unless Civil Aviation could prove otherwise, he believed it was a craft from outer space. A spokesman for Civil Aviation confirmed no reports coinciding with this claim had been received.

Three cases are still under investigation

• Glenorchy Case (March 11th, 11:30 pm): A single witness saw a glow of white light passing above hazy cloud, travelling from the south, turning southwest, and disappearing over Mt Wellington. Checks with Hobart Airport, the Department of Aviation, and the Royal Australian Air Force failed to provide an explanation.
• Richmond Case (May 1st, early morning): Mrs T was awoken by her dog and noticed a large light, soon joined by another from overhead and a third from the northeast. Over several hours, the lights moved in a random pattern. Eventually, only one light was visible, heading towards Hobart Airport. This light came closer, turned red, and appeared stationary about 200m from the house, illuminating the bedroom with an amber glow for five minutes before receding northeast. Investigations indicated it was not a plane, Venus, or a satellite.
• Fingal Case (May 15th, about 1:50 am): A single witness reported seeing winking lights of green, orange, yellow, and violet moving over a paddock. The four lights with a spherical green glow moved out of sight over a low hill without noise. As the witness drove on, the clouds above were illuminated with a purple hue. Investigations are continuing.

Bright light puzzle

This section, dated May 4th, 1985, from the Sunday Tasmanian, asks what the bright red light seen outside a Richmond house between 3 am and 4 am last Wednesday was. Investigator Keith Roberts of TUFOIC is seeking information from anyone who saw it. The witness reported seeing three white lights, like big stars, moving erratically in the eastern sky. One vanished north, another west, and the third headed for the house, coming in at tree-top level, growing bigger, and changing colour to red. It stopped within 200 metres of the window, radiating a reddish glow into the bedroom and staying for five minutes. Investigations suggested it was not a plane, Venus, or a satellite.

Contact Information

Readers are invited to write to the TASMANIAN UFO INVESTIGATION CENTRE at PO Box 99, NthHobart. A publications list, past Annual Reports, and Newsletters are available. Sightings can be reported to Keith Roberts at 236009. The Centre is a member of the AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR UFO STUDIES (ACUFOS).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the investigation of unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly lights and objects, and the collection of witness testimonies. TUFOIC appears to maintain a diligent, investigative stance, attempting to gather detailed accounts, cross-reference information, and seek explanations from official sources like Civil Aviation and the Department of Aviation. The editorial stance is one of open inquiry, acknowledging the puzzling nature of many sightings while also considering potential mundane explanations, as seen in the Howrah case analysis. The newsletter serves as a platform for documenting and disseminating UFO-related information within Tasmania.