ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORce ARCHIVAL ACTION j) REFERRED TO FOLIO DATE ACTIONED ATTENTION REFERRED INITIALS APPOINTMENT APPOINTMENT IP NO c..) National Archiv s of Australia HQ 5/113/Air Misa Jennifer Fox 27 Kedron Road WOOLOOWIN QLD 4030 Dear Miss Fox, Headquart ra AMBERLEY QLD 4305 2 F bruary 1977 The following info1a ation is aupplied in response to your enquiry regarding unusual aerial sightings. The investigation of reports of unusual aerial aighting in Australia is carried out by the Royal Australian Air Force. Preliminary investigation of the reports is conducted at th near et Royal Australian Air Force base. The reports are then forwarded to the D partment of Defence (Air Force Off ice) where an inv stigating team co plet a the investigation. Between January 1960 and Decenber 1974 882 a1ght1ngs were reported to the Royal Australian Air Force. 90 per cent of the sightings were attributed to causes which included aircraft, eat llit e, met ors, apace debris re-entry, meteorological balloons, stars and planets. Seven per c nt of reports were either received too lat or did not provide sufficient information to pel'lllit proper analysia and evaluation. Three per cent of reports wer attributed to unknown causes. The Unit d Kingdom Air Ministry h s stated that on an average. 90 per cent of the sightings it inveatigatee are explainable by caus a ranging from meteorological balloons and meteor to eircraft lights. The other 10 per cent probably r1aain unexplained bee ua of lack of reliable information. The University of Colorado, under contract to th USAF, spent t two years processing and investigating all American reports. The findings were published in 1968, by Bant Books, as the 'Condon Report'. The general conclusion was that 'nothing has co fr the study of UFOs i the past 21 years that has adeed to scientific knowledge' and that 'furth r tenaive study of UFOs probably cannot be ju tified in the expectation that scienc will b advanced thereb' A pahel of 6mllnent scientiata, chosen by the US Nation 1 AcadeNy of Sciences, has ex ined. and endorsed the Condon R port. National Archives of Australia The USAF 'Project Blue Book' investigation of unidentified aerial objects between 1953 and 1965 analysed 7,641 UFO reports. The conclusions were: a. 80 per cent of sightings were natural phenomena, hoaxes, birds or man-made objects; b. 17 per cent of sightings provided insufficient data to permit thorough ~alysis and evaluation; and c. three per cent were unidentified. United States and Soviet space exploration bas found no evidence to support theotheory of life on planets in our solar system. The Mariner series of space exploration to Mara appears to have proved it a 'dead' planet. The only other source of extra-terrestrial life, therefore, would have to be in another solar system. The nearest visible star to Earth is Alpha Centaur! which is about 25 million million miles away. Even if lif forms existed there and were capable of space travel at speeds currently known to man, ie about 25,000 mph they would take about 115,000 years to reach Earth. Consequently, the probability of extra-terrestrial life forms visiting Earth is extreri1ely Enclosed are five s11111111aries of unusual aerial sightings for the period January 1960 to December 1974. Yours faithfully, (M. GRETTON) Flight Lieutenant for Officer Co11111anding Enclosures National Archives of Australia Royal Australian Air Force A273 -MEMORANDUM May 72 Stock No REFERENCES APPOINTMENT Mr R. Pickles 70 Crater Street INALA QLD 4077 Headquarter AMBERLBY QLD 4305 17 January 1977 Wi tb reference to your recent report of' an unus1lal aerial sighting, should you wish us to proceed vith an investigation into the matter, would you please complete the enclosed pro-to?'laa and return it to the RAAF Base at .Amberley at your convenience. National Archives of Australia Yours faithf'u:lly, ( M. GRE'tTON) Flight Lieutenant for Officer Conu11anding Mr 1v. Debbie ?.foor.oomba Flats POINT LQ.OKOUT QLD 4184 Headquarters .A.."IDERLEY QLD li 305 17 January 1977 1.Yi th reference to your recent report ot an unusual aerial sighting, should you wish us to proceed 'With an investigation into the matter, would you please complete t he enclosed pro-form.a and return it to the RAAF nase at Amberley at your convenience. Yours fait.hfull.y, M. GRETTON) Flight Lieutenant :t'or Officer Co 11nnanding National Archives of Australia NAA: BP990/1, 5/113/AIR PART 1 till' Morrison PO Box 211 :KEfil.fORE QLD 4069 Head.quarters AMBERI.EY QLD 4305 17 January 1977 With reference to your recent report of an unusual erial sighting, should you vish us t o pr oceed Tith an investigation into the matter, would you please complete the enclosed pro-forma and return it to the RAAF Base at Amberley at your convenience. Yours faithfully, fu. GlWI"l'Oii) Flight Lieut ne.nt for Officer COJ01nending National Archives of Australia NAA: BP990/1, 5/113/AIR PART 1 Mr G. Renshaw 7 Devon Street TOOWONG QI.D 4066 Headquarters .AMBERI:EY QLD 4 305 17 Jenuary 1977 With reference to your 1e cent report of an 1musual aerial sighting, should you wish us to proceed with an investigation into the matter, would you please complete the enclosed pro-foxma end return it to the RAAF Base at Amberley t your convenienc Yours faithfully, (M. GIOO'TON) Flight Lieutenant for Officer Co1111nandin g National Archives of Australia Mrs Y. Jones 24 Nurran Street MT GRAVATT QLD 4122 Dear Mrs Jones Headquarters AMBERIEY QLD 4305 1.7 January 1977 With reference to your recent report of' an unusual aerial sighting, should you wish us to proceed with an investigation into th matter, would you please complete the enclosed pro-forma and return it to the RAAF Base at Amberley at your convenience. Yours f'&ith:f'ully, (M. GRETTON) Flight Lieutenant for Officer Co National Archives of Australia National Archives of Australia ~ ic ~-led Jkiu al-e National Archives of Australia ~ IVOaY-t.(S,A-r-L-A7~. National Archives of Australia National Archives of Australia National Archives of Australia : s ea au a a National Archives of Australia 14-24 COLLEGE STREET-SYDNEY ieutenant M. Gretton, Headquarters R.A.A.F. Base, SYDNEY 2001 11 January 1977 to the Officer unusual aerial I refer to your letter dated 30 November 1976 in Charge of Police, Grafton, regarding a report of an sighting near Maclean on the 6 October 1976. 2. Forwarde d herewith are copies of the statement and sketch referred to in your letter. Yours faithfully, Assistant Co11n11issioner of Police. NatioR_al Archives of Australia The Officer in C11arge of Policet Police Station, Maclean.24-635 7th Oct; ober, 1976 Unidentified Flying Object sighted near Maclean on t he night of the 6~10-76 1. .At about 7-50prn on the 6 th October 1976 a r!irs Dobbin of 10 Stanley Street, Maclean reported to me at the Police Residenc e that she ha d been ~atcbing a st~ange object i n the West for abo~t an hour. It had moved along the top of the Ashby Ra nge at v 9rying heights and glowed a dark red colour most of t he time . I went into the street and saw the object that Mrs Dobbin had been watching. It was .in the position that the evening Star is generally located in summer and had the same flickering effect as i t went down over the horizon but Mrs Dobbin assured me that that is where the. object stopp~d after moving along the Range. 2. Mrs Dobbi n ' s son, Desmond came on the scene a short time later and confirmed t he s~ghting and stated that he had been watching t he object through binoculars and gave a more precis e description of the incident. A statement has been obtained from this person and is attached. A plan is also attached showj_ng the outline of the Range as seen from the Police Station across Lhe Clarence River as well as the course taken by the flying ob j ect which to me did net resemble qn aeroplane, star or anything tbat could be explained. Other sightings by reputable citizens of rfl.aclean have confirrned v'1hat; riirs Dobbin had seen o 3.. Later on t he same nicr1t I contacted Fl. Lt.I,arc1ner of the Bor.1bing Range, Evans Head ano. l1e made ar1anger.i.ents f or an aeroplane to petrol in t he vj.cinj_ty but failed to locate anythinc .. He also requested tbat this report be submitted for favour of transmission to his sup eriors at the Amberly R.A.A.FBase 111 Queensla11d o The Officer In Charg e Of Police , GRAFTON. 2460 1. Forwarded for information. ~/~Ser~eant 2nd Class. National Archives of Australia Ne'v Sot1tl1 Wales Police Place: Po2-ice Str:_ti~n ~.~aclean 2~63 S'1 ~ "J'EMENT in matter of: Unidentified Flying Object sighted near Maclean on the 6-10-76 ?th October, 1976 Desn1ond Y7ilJ.iam (S1rnamc in r.apital) _10 Stanley Street, I Occupation: At about 7-20pm on Wednesday the 6 th October, 19'76 I had driven froc::i home to pi cl;: my 11~other up in River Street Maclean and as I was drivi.ng home I noticed thi glow~ng object over the Ashby Range. At first I tbought it \vasr1' t mo\ring and as we carr1e around a corner we SE1\~1 that it was rnoving SOii. 1Ne came dov111 to the Police Station arid. sa\~1 that it .was stiJ.l moving so I \met home anc.1 got the bi11ocu.lars ancl had a look at it from my home. We watched it :for aboLJ.t three quarters of an hour with some other people and we saw it move along the Range and go down over the end of tbe range. As it \Vas coming along it ,stopped and rotated a cot.1ple of time and chang ed colours. It then started to fade away and go down over tbe end of the range. We went and reported it to the Polica S~ation and be came aout and had a look and a short time later an aeroplane came over but by then it had disa,peared. I have never seen anything like it before but it reminded me of a jellyfish in the water. D .Dobbin Signature: St 6417 V. C. t-l. J11ight, Government Printer National Archives of Australia Object rotated at this poi:ia:t "' and glowed as per sltetcJ4' l : ; ASHBY RAl\fGE CLA?.ErTCE RIVER Sighting dista11~e not estiraated National Archives of Australia Telephone: Mr D. Collins 61 Brisbane Street BEAUDESERT QIJ) 4285 Headquarters AMBERLEY QLD 4305 17 December 1976 With reference to your observation of an 11n11s11al aerial sighting recently, should you wish us to conduct an investigation to dete11hine the cs:tJ.se would you please co111plete the attached profo1111a and return it to us as soon as possible. Yours faith:f'i1J ly (M. GRNrTON) Flight Lieutenant for Officer Corrnna.nding National Archives of Australia ' bi JSl(1s ~.. '-J~;f:H AddoH (3nl) LO G " -i.J.6 l 'AJonuor t+:JM; 6E99QL1. SL:l.:l 3/AIB P~RT 1 5/ll3/Ail"(6l} Dep nt ot Detenc {.Air Fore Ot:tic ) ( adqua.1ters Operatioel d ( tt : SO Further to t Re:fi renc t captain or t Anaett El ctra, add.itio>al information to t t i l . tor into tio loaure: Report ot U usual National Archives of Australia coi:tain little i f'orwd The Officer in Charge of Police GRAFTON NSW 2460 Headq11s1ters AMBERLEY QLD 4305 30 November 1976 REPORT OF UNUSUAL AERIAL SIGHTING A copy of a letter from the Maclean police to yourself regarding an unusual aerial sighting on 6 October 1976 has been received at this base. In the letter a statement and a sketch are referred to To enable investigation of this matter to proceed, would you please forward either originals or copies of these documents as soon s possible. GRE'l9l'ON} Flight Lieutenant for Officer Co111111e.nding National Archives of Australia NAA: BP990/1, 5/113/AIR PART 1 National Archives llF;P<JRT O_l' U1'li.:)U.fl.L A .RIAL SIC+}ITil\JGS l\TaJne of Observer f(. _ /?_A Address_ ....... ftK1"1 Postcode_ J.,A.10 Occupation Phone (home)b Ll> (o;ps 332.].,\S (Bu.siness)M'IJS'm /),i?J1tJ!5 32017 / Start of observation: Date 4 -11-76 Time ;l//O 6111r am/f)ffi End of observation: Date 4-1/7~ Timel?#Ri),o, .2(.JrJ c, .. "ram/p.m of observation, referring to Weather conditions at time clol-ld, vling visibility etc In what direction was the sighting f'irst observed? .2S '/YJ l/PP/&l{ _l\.t wh8.t angl e to th_e horizon? hori:zQn a I n 1t1hat direction was tl1e sighting last observed? I fo J"'1 At vJhat angle to the horizon? fiDr-1.zon _ Estimate of distance and/or altitude from observer /0 -IS l)ffj g'-Jo <R11> Fr Describe t l1e object(s)/light(s) in your own 1<Tords, referring to the nwnber, colour, size, shape, brightness (relative to full moon/star), movement, sound, speed, method of prop11lsion, manner of disappearance and any other 11nusual features. If possible provide a sketch. De s c r iption /sketch of object CooL A ,J G.ci't-=rA /'f'VJ.tZ_ D&; Elf( vfSb Bi-..i ops p G S' i "TT 1)-N A2 TIRJ IJ~I National Archives of Australia Have you any photographs of the sightin8 or is there physica l evide11ce of fragments, scorching or ground HovJ ma.ny otl1er \\Ti tnesses to the sighting? (P ease provide names a.nc1 addresses if -pos~:ible) .._ ...J:::.-. _ {AN &11t1S1Lr;l-.!J adcl i tional cominenl;s you. 1vish to f'1t="i lP't National Archives of Australia