RESEARCH DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: RESEARCH DIGEST
Issue: 3
Volume/Date: September 1989
Publisher: UFO RESEARCH AUSTRALIA
Country: Australia
Compiler: Keith Basterfield

This issue of the Research Digest focuses on UFO sightings and related research from Australia. It compiles various case reports, research notes, and reviews of relevant books.

Cases

The "CASES" section details several UFO sightings reported across Australia:

• UFORA89014 (March 1989, Flinders Ranges, SA): A 67-year-old woman reported a large, noiseless white light descending behind a hill. A farmer also sighted a stationary bright white light. Investigations suggested the light was likely Venus, and a ring found nearby was characteristic of a fungus ring.
• UFORA89022 (16 June 1989, Yowah, QLD): Two brothers reported a large, hat-like disk object, estimated to be 4-5 times the size of a football field, moving towards the Moon and becoming stationary. Six smaller objects were also observed. The objects disappeared before friends could see them.
• UFORA89035 (31 May 1989, Townsville, QLD): A woman saw a pink/orange 'cloud' that resolved into two solid golden bands through binoculars. The object moved slowly and was lost to sight over Paluma Range.
• UFORA89038 (10 June 1989, George Town, TAS): Two witnesses saw flashing lights that changed into a white ball shape and approached them. Civil Aviation reported no aircraft.
• UFORA89039 (2 August 1989, Jericho, TAS): A taxi driver and two train drivers observed a disc-shaped object in the northeast sky, emitting a powerful white glare and having four dark square areas. It did not appear to move during the brief sighting.
• UFORA89036 (1968 & later, Largs Bay, SA): A woman recounted a series of experiences starting at age 6, including a close encounter type 1, poltergeist activity, precognitive dreams, OBE, lucid dreams, and recurrent nightmares of encounters with a dwarf.
• UFORA89037 (Early 1970s, Elizabeth, SA): A woman reported observing an object at close range as a child, possibly experiencing missing time.
• UFORA89040 (7 August 1989, Belair, SA): A couple heard a loud humming and high-pitched electrical screaming sound, causing their cat to become agitated, but saw no UFO.
• UFORA89041 (23 August 1989, Port Pirie, SA): A very bright, red to orange object with a visible tail was observed for 6-10 seconds, possibly a meteor.
• UFORA89042 (20 August 1989, Athelstone, SA): A man and his wife observed a white light floating soundlessly in the northwestern sky.
• UFORA89043 (Balaklava, SA): A farmer found a 2.5-3 meter diameter circle in rough ground, deeper in the center. Photographs were taken.
• UFORA89044 (27 August 1989, Marrabel, SA): A group of people saw a light in the sky described as 'the Moon through clouds', with red, white, and blue colors. The object appeared to flicker back when car lights were flicked at it.

Research Notes

1. Mundrabilla Update:
An update on the Mundrabilla incident from January 1988 is provided, based on a letter from the South Australian Police Department. An unknown truck driver reported that the sighting might be attributed to a radio-controlled helicopter. Another truck driver reportedly flies model aircraft to 'buzz' other drivers along the Eyre Highway. Attempts to recontact the informant were unsuccessful.

Freedom of Information Requests:
The publication has initiated Freedom of Information requests to several Federal Government agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, Bureau of Meteorology, and Department of Transport and Communications, seeking documents related to reported UFO sightings. They await replies and encourage readers to share their experiences with FOI requests.

• 3. Books:
• Several books are reviewed or mentioned:
• "The circles effect and its mysteries" by Dr G T. Meaden (UK), focusing on crop markings.
• Whitley Strieber's "Majestic," a novel about the Roswell, USA, crashed saucer story.
• "An alien harvest" by Linda M. Howe, covering cattle mutilations, MJ-12, and government cover-up.
• "MJ-12 and the riddle of hangar 18" by T. Beckley, described as a roundup of crashed saucer stories.

4. An Article to Note:
An article titled "Toward an imaginal interpretation of UFO abductions" by Kenneth Ring, published in MUFON Journal, is recommended for suggesting a third alternative to existing hypotheses.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting and investigation of UFO sightings within Australia, the exploration of potential explanations (including natural phenomena and misidentifications), and the pursuit of information through official channels like Freedom of Information requests. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting reported cases and research findings while also critically evaluating potential explanations, as seen in the Mundrabilla update and the identification of Venus in one case. The inclusion of book reviews indicates an interest in broader UFO-related topics and literature.