DEPARTMENT OF AVIATIO~<O 1 I FILE HUMBER Folio Referred Cleared Related Files Shown Inside Date Initials Related Files FILE DIVISION NOTICE The large number of papers processed in relation to the subject of this file has necessitated a division of the original file at this point. Earlier papers are held on the follow1ng parts. Date Opened Australian Government STATEMENT OF REASONS UNDER SECTION 40(5) OF THE ARCHIVES ACT 1983-INCLUDING DECISION ON Record Series: K95/42 Control symbol: 1986/871 Title: Aerial Phenomena: General Total number of folios (i.e. separate pages) on the record: 9 1. Decision equivalent After examining this record I have d ecided to partially exempt it from public 2. Basis for decision I have taken into account: the content of the record requested the relevant provisions of the Archives Act 1983 (the Act) policy and guidelines of National Archives of Australia that relate to the access ex amination of Commo nwealth records 3. Material withheld Category of material withheld Number of total folios per category Partially exempted folios (certain 3 parts of the text have been expunged Wholly exempted folios 0 Folios n ot within the open access period as d efined in s3 (7) of the Act 4. Findings of fact and reasons for decision A. Findings of fact In Table A in Annexure 1, I have provided a summary of my findings of f act where I ha ve invoked specific provisions under s 33 of the Act. By invoking provisions, I have relied on ma terial listed in part 2 above in order to arrive at my d ecision. B. Reasons for decision In Table A in Annexure 1, I have provided the reasons for my d ecision for each folio exempted and those reasons are d erived from the findings of fact. 5. Appeal rights The National Archives undertakes careful examination of a record before making a d ecision to exempt any part of a record. As part of tha t process we may consul t with other agencies w hich have expertise on specific n ational and international matters. If you do not agree with m y d ecision to exempt information unde r a prov ision of s 33 of the Act, you can contact a referen ce officer in National Archives and seek a further explan ation. If you are still n ot happy with the d ecision and w ithin 28 d ays of receiving it, you can formally appeal by: 1) firs t applying to Archives for an internal reconsid eration of my d ecision; 2) if you still do no t agree with the d ecision, you can apply to the Administra tive Appeals Tribuna l for a review. informa tion please read the National Archives Fact Sheet 12-Whnt to do if we refuse you nccess. You can also lodge a complaint w i th the Commonwealth Ombudsm an in rela tion to the d ecision . Decision maker Gary Billingham Designation APS 4 -Reference officer 4 February 2013 Annexure 1 Table A: Material exempted by folio number and grouped by the application of exemption provisions Relevant legislative provision invoked Folio numbers Finding of facts Reasons for decision under s33 of the Act S 33(1) (g)- information or matter the These folios are wholly or The information withhe ld is of a nature such that its disclosure ure of w hich unde r this Act partially exempt as they contain: would be an unreasonable intrusion on the personal affairs of a would involve the unreasona ble pe rson named in the rec ord and could cause distress to the ure of informa tion rela ting to the Information concerning the pe rsona l affairs of any pe rson pe rsona l a ffa irs of a na med ding a deceased person). There is no evidence ava ilable that the su bject ex pecte d the information to be made publicly known in the intervening It is not likely tha t, if given the opportunity, the subject would nt to the re lease of s uch personal information about the mselves. rmation is of a kind tha t most members of the ommunity would not want disclosed about the mselves if p laced in a similar position lf publicly d isclosed , the informati on could reasona bly be expected to c ause d is tress or e mbarrassment to the person concerned a nd to fa mily members DO NOT OPEN T}_Us acid-free mask c tctn~ 8&7:': ..... folios The contents of the mask are: D Exempt from public access under paragraph(s) ........................ . of the Archives Act 1983. You have a statutory right to seek a review of the exemption. ~Not in the open period as defined by the Archives Act 1983. Date mask applied: ...... 1J.J1.~. RAAF gives ... up chase _: .. CANBERRA: Tbe RAAF ln future wut bother with UFOs only if they appear to be dangerou!l to national security. The investigation of e very sighting-the RAAF prefers to call them Unusual Aerial Sightings (UAS)-has proved too expensive for Australia's aerial defence force. The Defence Minister, Mr Scholes, said yes- terday that the RAAF would now investigate fully only those UAS which suggested "a de fence or national sec urity Implication.'' While the RAAF would continue to be the first point of con tac t, UAS reports con- sidered not to have de fence or security lmpli- ~ cations would not be Investigated further. -Instead, they would ~ be recorded and the ob- server of the U AS would be given the ad- dreu of civUian re- search organisations. Mr Scholes snld that In the paat the RAAF"s lnvesdgalkms of all re-~ ports of UAS had often proved "tlme-consum lng, unproductive and had led to many man- hours of follow-up ac- g tlon by the RAAF and l! other agencies such as I the Avlatlon Depart ment and the Bureau of Meteorology." s In the past decade, _ U1ere ha been be-s slghtlngs reported to i the JtA E1fACb year. ~ A r1e!ence Depart-~ ment spokesman said last night that of these all except about three per cent had been ex- WA.TBEROO WA 6513 I refer to your letter of 28 February 1983 in which rou reported details of the sighting of a UFO on 25 Febru&ry" 1983. I wish to advise that rour letter bas been forwarded on to the Officer Commanding, RAAF :Base, Pearce for information end necessar,y action. Yours sincerelY", for Regional Director Officer Commanding PEARCE WA 6085 UFO Sighting on 25 i'eb~ 1983 The attached letter refers to a UFO 8ighttng on the evening of 25 i'ebru&%'7 1983 and is for- warded !or information and necessa1"7 action. W.i'. DtnmE for Regional Director Western Australia Region Crop Protection Consultants P 0. Box 32 Watheroo, West Australia 6513 Phone 10951417 062 30 Albert Rd. Lesmurdoe, West Australia 6076 Phone 109) 291 6880 'i Technical AdVIsory Service -Farm and Business. Chem1cal Research and Development-Contract and Independent. I Application Technique and Equipment Resecrch. I' Newsletter for Farmers . Regional Director Dept of Aviation PERTII 6000 RE: UFO SIGHTING 25th february, 1983 This is confirmation of my phoned report to the Flight Service Officer at Perth Brief1ng at 2030 on 25th Februory. The attached sketch contains most o f the details as I recall them. The initial sighting was made by my passenger Mr a Senior Technical Officer with r -Ltd. Simultaneous to his exclam- ation to look I picked up a fast moving set of 3 intense silver gold lights about 20-30 above the horizon at what I felt vas about 2 miles distance. hese traversed an arc about 60 at an estimated speed of in excess of 350kts, with a 10-20 downward trajectory, moving from N ~s. It dis- appeared whilst still above the horizon (a ridge), but the impression was oneof turning and/or acceleration at this point. We both felt or heard absolutely nothing. We both made notes of location of sun, SEC wires, houses, other cars etc but could see no possibility of reflections from the sun-which had set behind us. lJe could find no vind- screen flaws . Other points of note are on my sketch. The phenomena did not appear to be a fast moving military jet. (No noise, no after burner glow, no smoke). Neither Mr nor my self could identify any source of light or reflected light which vas evidently caus- ing thi s effect. I might add that we were both of sound and sober mind and that both of us would be highly embarrassed should there be any release of this report. I ' ve been a CPL for 18 years and 3500 hours experience in Australia and New Guinea. My eyesight is still 20/20, so you can de assured that I really did see the effect as described (attached). Yours sil}~?erely, fiA lt-J,sh~,J ~ a//r,-.!Jvrn,r-9/ou/ op.. I<! II 2~ jnoo. oo z No siYobe /,CJljs na v l/(1hls Ct" bn~con f,c;f,k, DO NOT OPEN This acid-free mask contains ... -:1.. ..... folios The contents of the mask are: ~Exempt from public access under paragraph(s) .... g.~.Q} .. ~ ....... of the Archives Act 1983. You have a statutory right to seek a review of the exemption. 0 Not in the open period as defined by the Archives Act 1983. Date mask applied: ..... t./.?:./L~ llr D Ferguson 5 Stallard Court Austnillnd 6232 I refer to your letter of 21 July 1982 in which you seek certain information. The only civil radar for Air Traffic Control purposes is located et Kalamunda and has a range of 160 nautical miles. In respect to reports of odd aerial phenomena these matters are referred to the RAAF :Base at As to the matter you referred to on the 11.3.82 our ini tia.J. understanding was advice given b,y the Observatory that the light was caused by .:fupi ter I trust this informat1Dn is helpful to you. Yours faithfully, (D.G. Brown) for REGIONAL DIRECTOR 5 Stallard Court Australind 'ilA 623? Dept of T a ~port Ae:r-ial DiviRon 1 am writing to ask fo1.' your asPiE>tance. 1 am Luc.. .... ved in tr research of odd <.erial phenorrena. To this end I would like f'ome jrfr "mation on the fol! c vi lE i terns. ~) ':'he exent of radar coverage of \\'A air~pece in eeneral. ie :o\' rr: y rarla:r f'tRtionf' are loc?ted in \i'A 2nd hours of W'1e Civil Clnd ,,ilit y , .... "' JJ state under cover frail' O!'E o f two locnles etc. '!hat h?ppens to any rerorts o ': odd prenorren? th?t are m?de to your o.r ~ ,... Do yo u look iPto them or are they sent to others ie RAAF. c ) ?ollo~lne ~--above On M:nch 11 r2 ( 11.3. f?) Lt W?.ein Wa an odd event is reported I ma0e e"lquiri( s ar'd from t!-e witnesses le;:~rnt that yo 1 had been contacted. Tbe eve:1t involved a Nocturnal 1ie;ht tl at interfered with c> car rarlio and apparent -:1unly ran car off road f1t about OA'"'O rs local. The witnesses contacted a ~alice o!~lc~r who Rlf'o sighted olject. He contacted you. 1 the .. efol'e hope you can enli'1ten me with eny re~ults of thi~ events inv~stie~tion. eor.r r1 .t'~voJrab : ren y rr. -rrt, . Referred to Date t-----IFolio ft .... EX/uumhl ~/c; 4 Referred to Date Folio Referred to FILE DIVISION NOTICE The large number of papers processed in relation to the subject of this file has necessitated a division of the original file at this point. Earlier papers are held on the following parts. Date Opened CA.N<Ait~D