Scientific, Technical and Astronomical Research Society (S.T.A.R.S.) File 56/3568

This file contains correspondence, minutes, and internal memoranda regarding the formation and operation of the Scientific, Technical and Astronomical Research Society (S.T.A.R.S.) at Woomera, South Australia, between 1966 and 1968. The society was formed by local residents, including personnel associated with the Woomera range, to investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The documents reveal a persistent tension between the society's desire to collect and publish sighting reports and the security requirements of the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE). The Woomera Superintendent and the Director of WRE repeatedly emphasized that Woomera was a prohibited area and that any information originating there was subject to strict security controls. The society was permitted to exist provided it did not publicize its activities or the fact of its existence, and it was required to submit its meeting minutes to the Establishment Security Officer for review. By 1967, the WRE implemented a formal procedure for reporting sightings on the Woomera range, requiring that any reports from staff be vetted by the Trials Wing at Salisbury before being forwarded to the Department of Air. The file includes minutes of numerous committee meetings, which detail the society's administrative challenges, such as maintaining membership, managing finances, and attempting to acquire telescopes. The society's activities eventually declined, and the file was closed in April 1968.