RESEARCH DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: RESEARCH DIGEST
Issue: 14
Date: September 1990
Publisher: UFO RESEARCH AUSTRALIA
Compiler: Keith Basterfield

This issue of the RESEARCH DIGEST marks a format change, being prepared on a 40 megabyte Micro Byte IBM compatible computer and transferred to a Desktop Publishing program before laser printing. It also welcomes the Gympie branch of UFOR(Qld) to the Digest. The publication focuses on UFO sighting reports from across Australia and includes research notes on crop circles and government archives.

Cases from the Network

The digest presents a series of UFO sighting reports cataloged with UFORA codes, dates, locations, and witness details. These reports span various regions of Australia and different time periods, with a concentration on recent events from 1990 and earlier cases from the late 1980s and 1950s.

UFORA90078 (10 May 1990, North Beach, WA): A 76-year-old man observed a large, vaporous trail moving from north-west to east, which he excluded as aircraft due to its form and color.

UFORA90075 (25 Apr 1990, Coondoo, QLD): A woman reported being awoken by agitated animals, followed by seeing a bright light moving through trees. The light dimmed, revealing blinking yellow lights, and was accompanied by a swishing sound and blue light shafts. A loss of time may have occurred, and subsequent property searches yielded no physical evidence.

UFORA90076 (Pre 11 Sep 1985, Sunnybank, QLD): The same witness from the Coondoo case reported seeing an extremely bright, stationary light behind a neighbor's house that moved left and right. The object emitted a loud 'hard' sound, and the witness may have lost time. Local airport inquiries found no coinciding aircraft movements.

UFORA90079 (8 Nov 1989, Coolum, QLD): A woman walking her dog saw a bright, crystal-shaped object in the east over the sea. Her dog was adversely affected, remaining motionless and silent. Local radio station 4SS also received reports of the same object the following morning.

UFORA90080 (8 Nov 1989, Coolum, QLD): A female pensioner observed an unusually bright light in the east, describing it as having a rich, sparkling golden glow.

UFORA90081 (26 Jun 1990, Gympie, QLD): Three people witnessed an orange-red light at treetop level in the eastern sky. It moved at tremendous speed to the north-west, then performed an abrupt upward and downward movement before stopping and disappearing.

UFORA90082 (1955/56, Darwin, NT): Two people fishing sighted a large, Moon-sized object with a dark center and surrounding light. It approached, stopped soundlessly, moved over the harbor, and appeared to have multiple 'stories' with internal movement. It remained stationary for about 10 minutes.

UFORA90083 (3 Jul 1990, Bokarina, QLD): Three people surf fishing observed a large, bright Moon-sked light that hovered before moving towards the sea. Witnesses reported feeling physically affected, with some experiencing nausea.

UFORA90084 (6 Jul 1990, Wurtulla, QLD): A driver saw a bright, low, hovering object resembling a street lamp approximately 300m away and 150m up. The object disappeared or switched off after 15 seconds.

UFORA90085 (Pre Apr 1967, Maroochydore, QLD): Several people observed unusual activity, including an oval-shaped, stationary 'spaceship' that disgorged smaller objects over a 10-15 minute period.

UFORA90086 (1970, Em Can Bay, QLD): Two fishermen saw a well-lit, hovering object with portholes. It descended and rose multiple times before rapidly departing to the south.

UFORA90087 (8 Aug 1990, Balhannah, SA): A stationary white light was reported, believed to be a light aircraft.

UFORA90088 (31 Aug 1990, Banksia Park, SA): Two witnesses independently reported seeing two yellow lights in the sky over a five-minute period.

UFORA90089 (1 Sep 1990, Monarto, SA): Five people in a car saw two lights disappear, followed four minutes later by a third light that appeared to land.

UFORA90090 (26 Jun 1990, Apslawn, TAS): A witness saw a saucer-shaped object with a square top, like a flattened cup, near ground level. It moved along a fence line, then reappeared over a hilltop with a red/orange flame effect before disappearing. The event lasted over five minutes.

New Books

"The Watchers" by R.E. Fowler (1990): This book is presented as a continuation of the 'Andreasson Affair' and 'Andreasson affair, phase two'. It delves into further hypnotic regression investigations of Betty Andreasson's memories, offering revelations about the abduction phenomenon. Investigator Fowler also becomes personally involved, experiencing a 'scoop' mark and confronting his own fears of abduction. The book is recommended for those following the abduction phenomenon from either an extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) or abnormal psychological perspective.

Research Notes

1. Crop Circles: UFORA has been collecting information on UK crop circles from various sources and offers a bibliography upon request via a stamped addressed envelope.

2. Archives Search: An effort to inspect Department of Defence R.A.A.F. files relating to UFOs under the 30-year rule has been ongoing. The Australian Government Archives have located the R.A.A.F.'s policy file on UFOs up to 1959, which is undergoing inspection and declassification. The author hopes to arrange inspection of this file soon.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the detailed reporting of UFO/UAP sightings across Australia, emphasizing witness accounts and observational details. There is a consistent effort to investigate and document these phenomena, as evidenced by the cataloging system and the mention of branch contributions. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent research and information gathering, with an interest in both contemporary sightings and historical cases, as well as broader UFO-related topics like crop circles and government records. The inclusion of book reviews and research notes suggests a commitment to exploring various facets of the UFO field.