DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL TERRITORIES ARClllV AL ACTION Former Papers on EAC OFFICER TO ENTER INlTIALS WHEN CLEARING FOLIO SENDING OFFICER MUST NOT INITIAL HIS OUTWARD ENTRY Later Papers on Referred lo and POST EXAMINEcf"/ Officers fnitiats RctcrrcJ to and Officer'~ Jniti<lls R~lcrreJ lo nnd Officer'-: Lnitials t O O 0 I ooO 0 . 0 OOO OOO O O - O t OOO O INSTRUCTIONS (I) ln Column (1) above, the folio on which action is required wilt be ind1catcd. Colunm (2) will indicate t o whom the tile 11> to be refe rred and the date. (2) When a folio is cleared, the officer dealing with tbo file will place his initials in Column (3) and indicate on next vac.Jnt line to whom the file is to be referred and the date. (3) All entries should be entered in ink.. By Authority: A . J . Aanw C wealtb <Kwt. Printer. Canberra. National Archives of Australia RELATED FILES National Archives of Australia The Director of Air Force Intelligence, Department of Air, CANBERRA A. C. T. 2600 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT -SAIDOR, MADA.NG DISTRICT Attached please find a copy of a memorandum on the above siting from the Department of Foreign Relations and Trade, Papua Ne\'1 Guinea. Ref erred for your information. for Secretary National Archives of Australia DEPARTrtfENT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS AND TRADE TELEGRAMS: AD1iR. TELEPHONE: 44 335 Foreign Relations Divisioi1, K01'1EDOBU. I The Secretary, Department of External i-1ooart Place, 0UJ' Reference: bR16-J.6-J/ 1 Territories, Action Offtoor : lir. A..11. Farapo. Designation: Your Reference: 1tt. Granger illTIDEi: TIFIED FLYING OBJECT - SAIDOR, MADA1 G DISTRICT. We have received the following telegram from Madang and copied for your information:- "DibC 0~1 MADAl\JG S32 BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT SEEN IN Iv!OVING Ii~ Gl!J1'll!JtAL EAST WEST DIRECTJ. CJ.I A'll TI1"1ES l~OVE I l CIRCLE STOPPED GOT BRIGHT AND SEEMED TO I~lCREASED IN SIZE STOP S}1ALL BRIGFIT OBJECT APPEAR TO HM G FR011 LOWER IEFT ~ 0.LlTI OJ. SEEI~ BY 1.f.Al~Y DISTROFF National Archives of Australia 1'lep1lone T E R R 1 T 0 R Y 0 F P A P U A A N D N E \V G U I N E A Plco.se Q~ole lf cc1lli"O as~ for Secretary, Department of External Territories, Port Moresby. 29th January, 1971 Reports on Unidentified Flying Objects Your memoranda 69/4393 of 7th September, 1970 and 19th January, 1971 refer. 2 . In general it is agreed that reports from non- official sources should be declassified. I have now declass- ified my memoranda of 4th June, 1969, 9th July, 1970 and 24th (L. W. JOHNSON) ADlIDITSTRATOR National Archives of Australia Hobart Place, CANBERRA CITY His Honour the Administrator., Department of the Admin,istrator, KONEDOBU. Papua REPORTS ON UllIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Your papers SR16-16-3/1 I ref,er to my memorandum of 7/9/70 reference No. 69/4393 and would appreciate advice of your decision re declassification 1of papers on the abovementioned subject,. National Archives of Australia Hobart Place, CANBERRA CITY His Honour the Administrator, Department of the Administrator, KONEDOBU. Papua REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBdECTS (Your papers SR16-16-3/1) Your memoranda ,of 4 June '69, 9 July 1970, and 24 ,July 1970 report .sightings from non official sources. It would seem reasonable to regard the sightings as ~lie knowledge. 2 . As your reports do not add material of a classified nature could not the memoranda referred to be declassified? As they stand now the pa pers do not seem to come within the defi:niti,on of confidential set down in the Security Handbook. \Jational Archives of Australia C 0 N F I D E N T I A L Hobart Place, CA: B' A CITY, The Secretary, Department of Defence, CANBERRA, A. C. T . 2600 IED FLYING OBJECTS CONFIDENTIAL ,,e forward for your information a reported sighting of an unidentified flying object at Baininga Base Camp, Lussul Bay, East New Britain, which has been forwarded to us by the Administrator of the Territory of Papua and New "The object was seen at Gavit Plantation on the 22nd June, 1970 at 2030 hours by Jackson Low, Ianager of the Plantation, David, Foreman of the Plantation and Manda, Driver of the Plantation. It resembled a bright white light vertically above coming straight down then disappeared about two miles inland behind the hills. It got brighter as it reached the ground. When it paooed down behind the Gavit Range at the baclc of Lilinakaia Plantation the mountains were silhouetted against the bright white light. Man.do was actually in his house and said that he saw only the glow, similar to 1 ightning. " 2 . The Department of Civil viation has advised that in their opinion the object sighted could have been one of two things: an aircraft flare or a meteorite. The Department has no knowledge of any aircraft, either civil or military operating in the East New Britain area at the time stated. Their condusion is that the object sighted may have been a meteorite. National Archives of Australia (F. S. Evatt for Secretary CONFlDENTIAL C 0 N F I D E N T I A L TERRITORY OF PAPUA AND E \V GU I N EA Telegram' c 0 I~ F I D E N T I A L Plcoso Q uote "fp{ephonr If oolling ask for The Secretary, Department of External Territories, CANBERRA, A. C. T. UNIDENTIFIED FLYII~G OBJECT Port l:vl oresb)'. report of the sighting of an unidentified flying object has been received from Bainings Base Camp, Lassul Bay, East Ne'v Britain. 2 . The object was seen at Gavit Plantation on the 22nd June, 1970 at 2030 hours by Jackson Lov1, l'ianager of the Plantation, David, For eman of the Plantation and Mando, Driver of the Plantation. It resembled a bright white light vertically above coming straight do\'1n then disappeared about tv10 miles inland behind the hills . It got bright e r as it reached the ground. hen it passed down behind the Gavit Range at the back of Lilinakaia Plantation the mountains wer e s ilhouetted against the bright white light. Mando v1as actually in his house and said that he sa\V only the glovr, similar to lightning. 3 . The Department of Civil .viation has advised that in their opinion the object sighted could have been one of two t hings: an aircraft flar e or a meteorite. The Department has no kno ledge of any air c raft, ei the1 civi l or militar y , opera t ing in the East Ne'l1 Britain a rea at the time stated. Their conclusion is that the object s ighted may have been a meteorite. National Archives of Australia TE lcgra111s T clcp1tonc T E R R 1 T 0 R '{ 0 F P A P U A A N D N E \V G U I N E A C 0 N F I D E N T I A L ln R<>ply Plccue Quote Tf oolli11g osk for P ort lvl oresby . The Secretary, Department of External Territories, CANBERRA, A.C.T. UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT A report of the sighting of an 11nidentitied flying object has been received from Bainings Base Camp, Lassul Bay, East New Britain. 2. The object waa seen at Gavit Plantation on the 22nd June, 1970 at 2030 hours by Jackson Low, Manager of the Plantation, David, Foreman ot the Plantation and Mando, Driver ot the Plantaton. It resembled a bright white light vertically above coming straight down then disappeared about two miles inland behind the hills. It got brigp.ter as it reached t h e ground. hen it passed down behind the Gavit Range at the back of Lilinakaia Plantation the mounta i na ere silhouetted against the bright white light. l.fando was actually in his house and said that he sa only the glow, simila r to lightning. 3. The Department ot Civil Aviation has advised that in their opinion the objec' sighted could have been one of two things: an aircraft flare or a meteorite. The Department has no knowledge of any aircraft, ei8her civil or military~-~erating in the Fast New Britain area at the time stated. Their conclusion is that the object sighted may h~ve been a meteorite. The Secretary, Department of Defence, Hobart Place, CAI' BERRA CITY, --------- CONFIDENTIAL ,e wish to forward for your information a report that we received from the Administration of Papua and 1 ew Guinea. Captain .u. l I\.eog , pilot-in-command of F . 27 aircraft Vl1-FlTK made tl1e folloY1ing observations from the aircraft radarscope:- "Crossing the Sepik River on tl1e I .. adang- uewak track , on descent from 12,500 feet he echoes a 1pearing on his r adar from 60 green to abeam t11e aircraft. The radar scale v.Jas set at 180 nautical miles and the ccl1oes appeared to be about 60 nautical miles from h i s aircraft and keeping station \vitl1 l1ie1. There \Ve.re five cigar shaped objects. \,itl1 the radar scanner on maximum depression or elevation the echoes disappeared." 3 . Tl1e Department of Civil Aviation has no record of any aircraft in the area at the time . National Archives of Australia (F. s. Evatt) for Secretary CONFIDENTIAL C 0 I, F I D J... N T I A L TERRITORY OF PAT'UA :'\D :\'E\V Gl'l;'\EA The Secretary, CONFIDENTIAL Department of External Territories, UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS PleCJte (>uolP PORT MORESBY A report has been received f om the ionaJ. Director, Department of Civil Aviation of the sighting of unidentified flying objects. 2 . On the 29th June, 1970 at 1720 hours E. S. T. Captain ~.N. Keag, pilot-in-co1Il!'land of F. 27 aircraft VH-FNK matle the following observations from the aircraft radarscope:- Crossing the Sepik River on the Madang-,1ewak traclc, on descent from 12,500 feet he noted echoes appearing on his radar from 60 green to abeam th0 aircraft. The radar scale was set at 180 nautical miles and the echoes appeared to be about 60 nautical miles from his aircraft and keeping station with ~im. There were five cigar shaped objects. With the radar scanner on maxinrum depression or elevation the echoes disappeared. 3 . The Department of Civil Aviation has no record of any aircraft in the area at tle time. 4. Forwarded for your information please. CSJ(Jff "" ~ l\.dministrator; National Archives of Australia C 0 N F ~R DfBN T I A L The Secretary, Department of Defence, CANBERRA, A.C. Ti Hobart Place, CANBERRA CITY, UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS -RABAUL Attached, for yo11r information, is a copy of memorandum SR.16-16-3/l of 4th June from the Administrator of Papua and New Guinea concerning the reported sighting of an unidentified flying object in the Rabau1 area on 16th May, 1969. National A