TUFOIC Newsletter - No 097 - February 2005

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC NEWSLETTER
Issue: 97
Volume: February 2005 Edition
Publisher: Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre
Date: February 2005

This issue of the TUFOIC Newsletter provides a review of UFO activity in Tasmania during 2004, details several historical and recent sightings, and promotes the organization's publications.

Year in Review 2004

The 'Year in Review 2004' section notes that 2004 was a quiet year for UFO investigations in Tasmania, with only three unexplained cases reported. The number of calls from the public was also the lowest since 1991. A concern raised is that several Tasmanian sightings were reported to overseas bodies, with one case involving a photograph appearing on a US internet site, despite TUFOIC's efforts to gather more information. Other cases were reported elsewhere in Australia without local investigation.

The newsletter includes TUFOIC Statistics for 2004, which recorded 5 unidentified cases, 17 astronomical sightings, 6 aircraft, 7 satellites, 13 balloon hoaxes, and 9 other reports, totaling 57. A positive note is the research by the Disclosure Australia project, which suggests Australian authorities may not have had answers for early sightings.

Notable Sightings and Incidents

North-East Tasmania - 1974 Document: This highlights the largest UFO flap ever recorded in the north-east of Tasmania in 1974.

Flashing lights hover over Darwin (December 6, 2004): This article details a sighting over Darwin where witnesses described flashing green, blue, and red lights from connected ball-shaped spheres. The object moved intelligently, changing formation and disappearing. The RAAF and airport denied any knowledge of the object, and witnesses stated it was not an aircraft or satellite.

Tasmanian Sightings 1990 (Black Hills): Two witnesses observed several circles of blue to white light in the sky, forming a static and silent display. The lights had tubes and appeared to be a half-moon sized mass.

1998 (Plenty Valley): Two large, round, bright white lights were seen traveling up a valley. They passed a truck at a distance of 300-400 meters and then suddenly turned off.

2000 (Arve Valley): A witness driving on the Arve Valley road saw a huge moon-sized white light in his mirror. The light altered position and traveled into the sky.

2002 (Scamander): A bright group of lights, described as rectangular to diamond-shaped, was observed. The lights turned off row by row, with the nearest row going out first.

2004 (Near Forth): A witness described a large, bright, eye-shaped object moving slowly westwards at a crawling speed, estimated to be 100 meters off the ground and 300 meters distant. It had a very bright white color and a shimmering outline.

2004 (Scottsdale): A silent silver oval object, about half-moon sized, with a band of light, approached, passed overhead, and then disappeared into the north-west sky at high speed.

Strange Events of Yesteryear

This section delves into historical mystery reports from Tasmania:

• Early 1900s (New Zealand/Tasmania): Reports of mystery airships and planes are mentioned, including a torpedo to umbrella-shaped object with flashing lights seen over Colebrook, Tasmania, in 1908.
• October 1914 (Silver Bell Siding): A peculiar light was seen traveling from Macquarie Heads, with two visible lights that intermittently disappeared and threw rays to the earth.
• January 10th, 1928 (Whitemark): Three men heard the unmistakable hum of an aircraft engine, followed by a crash. A search revealed nothing, and it was speculated to be a missing flight.
• September 16th, 1931 (Needles, Mole Creek): An aircraft was seen flying from south to north-west, with a plane noise also heard from Deloraine. Children from Red Hills and a Mr H Butler of Caveside also reported a mystery plane.

TUFOIC Publications and Information

The newsletter lists several TUFOIC publications available for purchase, including:

• TASMANIAN U.F.O. SIGHTINGS CATALOGUE TASCAT 2000: A register of over 500 Tasmanian UFO Cases ($3.00).
• TASMANIAN UFO LANDINGS CATALOGUE - Fourth Edition (2000): A compilation of UFOs seen on or near ground level ($3.00).
• CRESSY DOCUMENT: Details of significant UFO Sightings in Cressy ($3.00).
• MAATSUYKER ISLAND DOCUMENT: UFO reports from the lonely lighthouse island ($3.00).
• NORTH-EAST TASMANIA - 1974 DOCUMENT: Information on the 1974 UFO flap ($3.00).
• UFO TASMANIA: The TUFOIC Annual Report (various single editions available at $1.00).
• MYSTERIOUS MELODALE: Details strange paranormal events ($3.00).

All prices include surface mail postage within Australia. Overseas Air Mail rates are available on request. Payment methods include Money Order or Bank cheque for Australia, and International Money Order or Bank cheque for overseas.

TUFOIC also mentions receiving copies of the Australian Ufologist magazine and producing its own in-house Newsletter twice a year. Copies of their publications are lodged at the Tasmanian State Library.

The Centre's contact details are provided: P.O. Box 174, South Hobart, Tasmania, 7004; Email: [email protected]; Web site: www.geocities.com/tufoic/; Telephone: 03 62236009. The President is Janis Burns, Secretary is Keith Roberts, and Librarian is Ray Thomas.

General Interest and Membership

The newsletter notes that U2 flights over Tasmania in the early sixties created UFO sightings. It also mentions that there has been virtually nil coverage in the local media regarding UFO phenomena, leading to a low interest and membership numbers. The hope is expressed that 2005 will bring more interesting sightings.

Membership is open to all who support the aims of the Centre.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the review of recent UFO activity (or lack thereof) in Tasmania, the cataloging and historical documentation of past sightings, and the promotion of TUFOIC's own research and publications. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation and record-keeping, with a concern for the proper reporting and analysis of UFO phenomena, particularly regarding the loss of data to overseas entities. There is also an underlying hope for renewed public interest and more significant sightings in the future.