UFORA Research Digest - No 17 - Dec 1990

Magazine Overview

Title: RESEARCH DIGEST
Issue: 17
Date: December 1990
Publisher: UFO RESEARCH AUSTRALIA
Country: Australia

This issue of Research Digest, compiled by Keith Basterfield and published by UFO Research Australia, presents a collection of recent and historical UFO and UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) reports from across Australia. It also details ongoing research into government documents pertaining to UFO investigations.

Cases from the Network

UFORA90101: Jamestown, SA (October 28, 1990) This case involved a crop circle discovered near Jamestown, South Australia. Initially reported as a 10m diameter circle with a ring, making a total diameter of 16m, in a wheat paddock. However, the property owners later revealed it was a hoax, man-made by rolling a 44-gallon drum. The disclosure of the hoax was covered by local television news. The report notes that Jamestown was also the location of a high strangeness close encounter and potential abduction case approximately two years prior, which was still under investigation.

UFORA90102: Sandfly, TAS (Mid-June 1990) A person driving home on a rural road southwest of Hobart observed a very bright white oval shape to the right of the road, accompanied by an area of white light in a nearby paddock. The object and light moved in unison. The driver stopped when level with the oval object, which was stationary about 90m off the road and less than 100m above the paddock. The object then departed rapidly to the southwest at a 45-degree angle, shrinking to a dot. The ground light was no longer visible. The weather was fine with some cloud.

UFORA90103: Palm Beach, QLD (Early 1988) A woman reported that her husband, Des, experienced an episode of extreme distress, gasping for breath, high temperature, and shaking. He claimed 'they' wanted him to go with 'them'. He felt uneasy and saw what he described as three or four human-like faces at the window of their second-floor bedroom, one face making a lasting impression. Des refused to go, after which he felt stifled and his emotions were affected. He later became very ill, with doctors fearing for his life, but recovered.

UFORA90104: Pomona, QLD (October 22, 1990) A woman in her garden noticed a silver pencil-shaped object in the sky moving steadily from north to south without noise. The sky was clear. When she attempted to call someone, the dial tone was slow to appear, and her television sound was also affected.

UFORA90105: Sydney, NSW (Spring 1969) A 20-year-old female and her male companion observed a bright object from their vehicle. They stopped and saw an object about 500m above them, estimated to be 30m across. It was described as a silver dish shape with a white-blue neon type tube. The object then accelerated rapidly westward and away.

UFORA90106: Sydney, NSW (November 1983) While looking out over the ocean, a 35-year-old woman saw two large metallic balls, estimated at S10m across, moving rapidly. They stopped abruptly and glowed orange. A third ball appeared and pulsated. All three lights then departed, following the cliffs. Photographs were taken.

UFORA90107: Coolum, QLD (August 19, 1990) A loud humming sound woke a 50-year-old woman, accompanied by a sound like rushing wind, though the trees were not moving. The experience recurred an hour later. A woman at a nearby shop had a similar experience that night, which also agitated her dog.

UFORA90108: Lifelong, QLD (Various) This entry details accounts from a man named 'Harry Z'. His mother reported that during her pregnancy, three human-like beings, not of their race, stood at the end of her bed, but she was not scared. Harry himself recalls seeing an object on a mountain ledge in 1924, and later a silver disc taking off straight up. He also saw discs flying down the Blackall Range. Around the mid-1920s, a friend of Harry's, a powder monkey at a Scottish gold mine, discovered a fully glazed tunnel after blasting, which was later sealed by government scientists. In 1946/7, at Bribie Passage, a six-foot being in a silvery astronaut suit entered Harry's bedroom; the being placed its hand on Harry's head and ruffled his hair. Harry claims he felt calm and can still detect UFOs.

UFORA90109: Victor Harbor, SA (November 7, 1990) A man reported seeing a black triangular object, estimated at 2-3m in size, making a low whistling noise as it travelled from southeast to northwest. The duration of the sighting was only one second.

UFORA90110: Handorf, SA (November 13, 1990) Over a ten-minute period, a white/creamy glowing light was observed moving eastwards. The reporter stated it did not appear to be an aircraft.

UPDATE on UFORA89043: Balaklava A farmer reported finding a 2.5m diameter circular hole in rough ground, deeper in the center than at the edge. Although no direct UFO connection was known, the marking was considered out of place. Soil samples were taken from within the mark and compared to a control sample. Analysis showed significantly higher levels of Phosphorous, Potassium, and Nitrates within the mark, along with higher electrical conductivity. Ray Brooke suggested the cause might be a block of frozen toilet waste falling from a commercial aircraft.

New Books

The Jarrold Listings - Volume 1 by P.R. Frola (ed.) is reviewed. This 297-page spiral-bound catalogue, published by UFOR (QLD), covers Australian UFO reports from the early 1800s to 1979, detailing approximately 631 reports. It includes appendices on specific events and UFOlogy aspects, reprints newspaper clippings from 1959, and provides a summary of cases with sources.

Research Notes

1. Crop Circles Following a previous item, UFORA initiated another media appeal to locate Australian crop circles. A media release was sent to newspapers in South Australia's wheat belt, Adelaide's daily papers, national farming publications, and flying clubs. The outcome of this search is pending.

2. Government Documents UFORA has been conducting a search for Australian Government documents related to UFOs for the past two years via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The most fruitful avenue has been the Department of Defence, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

• In September 1989, 108 pages of documents relating to UFO reports submitted to the RAAF between 1984 and 1989 were received under FOI and made available to the network in December 1989.
• Under the Australian Government Archives Act and the 30-year rule, copies of the entire RAAF policy file on UFOs from July 1953 to 1959 were obtained (110 pages).
• This month, an additional 264 pages of RAAF UFO files from approximately 1954 to 1959 were located, containing details of reports and investigations. Copies are expected to be available to network members in early 1991.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting of diverse UFO/UAP sightings across Australia, the investigation of potential physical traces (like the Balaklava hole), and the persistent effort to uncover official government information regarding UFOs. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent research, data collection, and dissemination of information to a network of interested individuals, with a focus on factual reporting and ongoing investigation.