Interim Report: Unusual Aerial Sightings, Bendigo, Victoria, May 1983

This document is an interim report dated June 1, 1983, regarding unusual aerial sightings reported in the Bendigo area of Victoria, Australia, between May 20 and May 22, 1983. Hundreds of witnesses reported seeing bright, spinning, or rotating lights in the sky, often described as conical or cylindrical, with white, red, green, and blue colors. The sightings were consistent across multiple locations, including Shepparton, Eildon, Ballarat, and Warrnambool. The investigation was led by CINTO, with Flight Lieutenant Brett Biddington serving as the investigating officer. Key witnesses included radio announcer Mike Evans, his mother, and a prison officer named George Fish. Mr. Evans provided original negatives of photographs he took of the lights, which were processed and forwarded to DAFIS. The investigation found evidence of radio ducting and atmospheric inversions in the Bendigo area during the time of the sightings. While some reports suggested the lights were caused by a rock group using laser lighting, this could not be verified. Radar data from Melbourne showed no unusual activity or unaccounted-for radar paints. The report concludes that the lights likely originated from land-based sources like train headlights or lasers, or from celestial bodies like planets and stars, exacerbated by unusual atmospheric conditions. The report explicitly states that the sightings posed no threat to national security. CINTO recommended a follow-up visit to Bendigo to collect additional photographic evidence from a student named Russell Henthorn and to conduct further witness interviews.