TUFOIC Newsletter - No 059 - 1990

Magazine Overview

Title: TASMANIAN UFO REPORT
Issue: 1990
Publisher: TUFOIC (Tasmanian Unidentified Flying Objects Investigation Centre)
Date: 1990

This issue of the Tasmanian UFO Report, published by TUFOIC, provides a review of UFO activity and investigations in Tasmania during 1989, along with historical data and a detailed account of a significant sighting in London in 1970.

1989 In Review

The year 1989 saw a return to average levels of UFO sightings after a busier period in 1987 and 1988. Reports of unexplained cases were fewer, with most activity consisting of nocturnal lights, primarily in the first half of the year. Membership for TUFOIC remained stable, and the move to the Derwent Regional Library meeting rooms provided a much-needed venue for gatherings. The center also explored the possibility of a state chain parcel system for sharing information.

Media coverage in 1989 was largely focused on topics other than UFO sightings, although mystery rings in British cornfields and abduction books received attention. UFO Research Australia was active in uncovering abduction reports and staying updated on UFO cases nationwide. TUFOIC continued to exchange newsletters with other Australian groups and forward sighting details to the Australian Centre for UFO Studies.

The report notes that the year marked the passing of another decade of UFO sightings and that predicting future trends is difficult. However, the graph of Tasmanian UFO cases from 1960-1989 indicates that the number of unexplained events has remained remarkably consistent over the last ten years.

Statistics

The statistics section provides a year-by-year breakdown of UFO reports and unidentified cases from before 1965 up to 1988. For example, in 1970, there were 45 reports, with 8 unidentified. In 1989, a total of 88 investigations were categorized, with the majority falling under 'Astronomical' (44) and 'Aircraft' (15), while 8 were classified as 'Unidentified'.

Key Personnel and Contact Information

The report lists the key personnel of TUFOIC for 1990, including President Ron Jolly, Secretary/Liaison Paul Jackson, Investigation/Files Keith Roberts, and Committee Member Janine Hunt. Area Representatives are listed for Launceston (Don MacSween), St. Marys (Colin Fletcher), and Swansea (Jenny Lyne). Correspondence should be directed to TUFOIC, P.O. Box 99, North Hobart, Tasmania, 7002. Sightings telephone numbers are provided as 23 6009 or 25 4054 (area code 002).

Meeting dates for 1990 are scheduled for Thursdays at 7:30 PM at the Derwent Regional Library. Specific dates mentioned are March 1st (B-B-Q), June 7th (date and venue to be advised), and September 6th.

The ISSN for UFO Tasmania is 0158-0590, and the publication number is 59.

Aims and Membership

The aims of TUFOIC are to conduct investigations into Tasmanian sightings, collect and disseminate evidence and data related to the UFO phenomenon, and cooperate with organizations engaged in similar research. Membership is open to all who support these aims and can assist in furthering them. Further information can be obtained from the secretary or by attending meetings.

Sightings - 1989

This section details specific sightings reported during 1989:

• January 14th: Five family members on two vessels in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, witnessed a bright blue-white light resembling an aircraft landing light that lost elevation and appeared to head towards them before disappearing.
• January 25th: Two witnesses in Invermay, Tasmania, observed a light that fell from the sky, stopped, moved horizontally with a tail, and then faded away.
• March 5th: Two witnesses on Bruny Island, Tasmania, reported a series of erratic lights in the sky, including a white squarish light and a smaller bluish light.
• March 23rd: Two witnesses on Swanston Road, Tasmania, saw an orange colored light moving slowly at low altitude.
• June 10th: A mother and daughter in George Town, Tasmania, observed a flashing red and white light that changed shape and appeared to be chasing them.
• June 11th: Mrs. F in Kingston, Tasmania, witnessed a bluish light that moved erratically, including a sudden downward movement, and had a sparkling tail.
• July 11th: Ms. C, near Vinces Saddle, Tasmania, reported an oval-shaped light with a fluorescent strip and multiple blue-white lights at its base.
• August 2nd: Two witnesses on the Midland Highway, Tasmania, saw a bright, dome-shaped mass of light with dark squares at its base, which blinked on and off.

London Sighting - 1970

Douglas Lockhart recounts a personal sighting from November 20th, 1970, in London. He and his girlfriend Maureen observed a large, bright, oval-shaped object with a yellow-orange nucleus and a red corona, flying very low and silently. The object exhibited unusual behavior, including stopping, hovering, and moving in a zig-zag pattern before accelerating away.

Following the sighting, Lockhart contacted the Ministry of Defence and was interviewed by the television program TODAY. He was later visited by Commander Prevost, who claimed to be from RAF Sussex, along with two associates. Prevost, who had been compiling UFO sighting records since 1945, described 'Foo fighters' and suggested an 'interdimensional' origin for UFOs. He also mentioned an RAF staff woman who had reported seeing part of a large metal disk above the street two days prior to Lockhart's sighting.

An attempt to involve Commander Prevost in a television program about UFOs was thwarted when he stated he had been 'put on the mat' by his superiors. The Ministry of Defence later responded to Lockhart's report, stating they could not identify the source of the light but were satisfied it had no implications for the country's air defence.

Australian Sightings 1988/89

A table lists various UFO sightings across Australia during 1988 and 1989, with details on date, state, time, type, location, notes, and source. Examples include a vehicle losing power near Walcha, NSW, a blue/white light approaching a boat in Tasmania, and a silver cigar hovering over a farm shed in Victoria.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the detailed reporting of individual UFO sightings, the statistical analysis of UFO phenomena over time, and the investigation efforts of organizations like TUFOIC and UFO Research Australia. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation and data collection, acknowledging the persistent nature of unexplained aerial phenomena while maintaining a grounded approach. The report emphasizes the importance of witness testimony and the challenges in definitively identifying the nature of these events, as evidenced by the Ministry of Defence's cautious response to the London sighting.

Title: PEOPLE Magazine
Issue Date: July 1989

This issue of PEOPLE Magazine focuses on UFO sightings and evidence, presenting several compelling accounts and investigations from around the world.

A Red-Domed UFO in Victoria

The magazine reports on a "red-domed UFO" with "uncanny clicking sounds" that was observed by Mavis Muir, 76, and her neighbor in Blairgowrie, Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, Australia. Mavis described the experience as "the most frightening moments of my life," detailing a green, red-topped craft with a brilliant spotlight that swept along her street. She heard strange clicking noises, like a camera, and saw a blinding brilliance. A neighbor corroborated the intense clicking sounds and blinding light, suggesting the craft was taking pictures of the street. Peninsula police have also investigated mysterious burned circles in gardens following overnight UFO sightings.

Evidence for UFOs?

A conference in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on the 20th anniversary of the Moon landing, brought together UFO enthusiasts. Hundreds of spotters viewed evidence, including 39 color photographs claimed to have withstood rigorous testing. Walter Andrus, director of a major investigation group, presented photos of a large grey UFO hovering above Gulf Breeze, Florida, with a dazzling white light. He stated this was the most positive evidence to date that other beings exist beyond Earth. Some pictures showed two spacecraft traveling across the Texas sky before shooting apart. Philip Mantle, organizer of the UK-based independent UFO network, described these findings as "overwhelming."

Japanese Video Film Catches a 'Real UFO'

In Kanazawa, Japan, a civil servant named Yoshikazu Hamazaki videotaped an unidentified flying object on July 6. The tape was sent to the UFO Research Institute Fund in the US for analysis. Bruce Maccabee, a physics professor and former science-technology adviser to the US Navy, used a computer to scrutinize the footage. After two months, Prof. Maccabee concluded that the object differed from all existing aircraft and could be called a "real UFO."

Moscow: The Aliens Are Coming!

Scientists in Moscow have concluded that giant creatures with small heads, emerging from an unidentified flying object, were aliens. Tass news agency reported that frightened residents in the Russian city had seen a large shining ball hover above a park and then land. On at least three occasions, a hatch opened, and two or three creatures, described as three to four meters high with very small heads, emerged. They walked near the ball and then disappeared inside. Onlookers were overwhelmed with fear. Scientists identified the landing site and found traces of aliens who "made a short promenade about the park."

Councillor Aims to Entice UFOs

In Nashville, Tennessee, a city official named George Darden is attempting to get his colleagues on the Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Council to fund the construction of a landing pad for extraterrestrials. Although he faced teasing and his proposal was defeated, Darden appeared on the Joan Rivers Show, where he met others interested in UFOs. He mentioned a woman who spent $29,000 turning her mother's house into a communications center to talk to UFOs, and a man who spent $30,000 building a ship similar to descriptions he had heard. Darden, who has not seen a UFO himself, feels compelled to continue the issue, with people continuing to call him about sightings.

TUFOIC Membership and Publications

The magazine also includes information about TUFOIC (Tasmanian UFO Centre), a civilian organization investigating UFO reports scientifically. TUFOIC offers membership and a publications-only subscription. They exchange publications with other groups to gain a worldwide picture of UFO phenomena. TUFOIC also lists its publications, including a "Tasmanian U.F.O. Computer Catalogue," "Tasmanian Landings Catalogue," "Maatsuyker Island Document," "UFO Tasmania Magazines," and "North-East 1974 Document."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the presentation of evidence for UFOs and alien life, including photographic and video proof, witness testimonies, and scientific analysis. The magazine appears to adopt a stance of reporting on these phenomena with a degree of seriousness, highlighting credible sources and investigations, while also acknowledging the public's fascination and the ongoing mystery surrounding UFOs. The editorial stance is one of presenting information and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, as indicated by TUFOIC's approach of not drawing conclusions from its investigations other than that unexplained phenomena exist.