Australian ufology refers to a historical series of Australian events and or activities pertaining to government departments, civilian groups or individual Australians, which centre on or around the study of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) reports, sightings, encounters and other related phenomena, known as ufology within the Australian context before 1984.
History Early reports about UFOs in and around Australia date back prior to 1947. However, the Kenneth Arnold case (June 1947) and the Roswell UFO incident (July 1947) became international press items and appeared in Australian newspapers.
1940s The first gathering of UFO enthusiasts occurred in Melbourne in March 1949 at the Federal Government's newly established Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL). The minutes of the non-government meeting show an attendance of 23 enthusiasts from various state and local groups such as the British Interplanetary Society,The Melbourne Branch of the Society formed in 1951. Royal Aeronautical Society (RAS), Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Army Research Establishment. By May 1949, this gathering of enthusiasts became known as Aeronautical & Meteorological Phenomena Research (AMPR)AMPR and AFSIC are the same group Doc NAA Point #2 led by Brian Boyle and Jack Seers. AMPR started to list and research UFO stories and produced a small quarterly publication called Interplanetary Saucer.
1950s
AMPR's workload increased as the world ran into its next major sightings flap. In 1951 AMPR became Aeronautics & Phenomena Research Victoria (APRV).
In May 1952, R. M. Seymour, Superintendent of the Federal Civil Aviation Department, Air Traffic Control Branch Melbourne, reported that Australian Intelligence officers had refused his Department permission to investigate flying saucer reports on the grounds that UFOs were "security matters".See Australian Flying Saucer Review, vol1, #, 2 April 1960, p1
In July 1952, Edgar Jarrold founded the Australian Flying Saucer Bureau (AFSB) in Sydney. Its headquarters were in Fairfield. AFSB began publishing the Australian Flying Saucer Magazine in May 1953.
At some point, the APRV made contact with Jarrold and agreed that the AFSB and APRV would assist each other when possible. The APRV nominated John. M. Anderson as their AFSB liaison on the condition that his appointment was seen only as being neutral, and there would be no branch affiliation with AFSB. Apparently Jarrold was seen by APRV as a secretive "loose gun" but both groups maintained an average working relationship.
AMPR decided on 6 February 1953 to form an auxiliary group called the Australian Flying Saucer Investigating Committee (AFSIC) in partnership with the Astronomical Society of Victoria (ASV).
Such was the interest in UFOs during the period that on 20 November 1953, Alexander Downer, the member for the Federal Division of Angas, enquired during Question Time in the House of Representatives about whether the RAAF was investigating the UFO phenomenon. The then Minister for Air, William McMahon (later Prime Minister) replied that the saucers were a problem "more for psychologists than for defence authorities".
In July 1954, AFSIC released a study of 55 sightings.
The flying saucer topic came under intense criticism.Boyle: 1961 p9 Public support for the continuation of investigation into the UFO phenomenon was driven by newspaper coverage of the 1954 sightings. Then-Federal Minister for External Affairs and Minister in charge of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Richard Casey wrote a letter to The Advertiser newspaper (Adelaide) which was published on 30 January 1954. The clipping included this:
Baron Casey was a member of APRV. His time as Minister in charge of the CSIRO and as Minister for External Affairs enabled him to act as a conduit between governmental research, the public, and public enthusiast clubs. Casey’s curiosity on the subject related to UFOs remained with him until his death in June 1976.
In March 1954 Jarrold was contacted by a South Australian called Fred Stone. Stone agreed to form a branch of Jarrold’s group and so the AFSB (SA) was formed. However, this relationship was fragile and as Jarrold's behaviour changed due to stress the relationship deteriorated. The RAAF also noted problems with Jarrold. Sq Leader A.H. Birch, AFC, Air Force Headquarters, Victoria Barracks, Victoria, made note of this in a letter dated 5 April 1955: "...the discussion during the brief interview I had with Mr. Jarrold mainly concerned the possibility of his Society causing embarrassment to the Royal Australian Air Force." National Archives of Australia: A705/1, 114/1/197, digital image p37
The RAAF then changed their policy and shifted their help to other organisations within Australia. "The Director would be happy to extend this service to your Society also." After Sq/Ld Birch meeting with Edger Jarrold's UFO group AFSB collapsed (in February 1955), in just under four years, Jarrold departed the active UFO scene for good, only to appear on rare occasions.
After this, a new state group emerged. The most prominent and first to re-build was under the directorship of Fred Stone, who formed the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (AFSRS) based in Adelaide, South Australia in February 1955. National Archives of Australia: A705/1, 114/1/197, digital image p42 Stone also saw a chance to become the governing body of all Australian Ufology. He asked APRV to come under his plan; they rejected the concept. However, APRV agreed to extend the same relationship they extended to Jarrold's group with John. M. AndersonSee p42 LHS Col NAA National Archives of Australia: A705/1, 114/1/197, digital image p42 as their contact. This arrangement was agreed to and APRV supplied a list of contacts for Stone on possible branch organisers. Stone's plan was to form three new state groups (Victoria, NSW, and Queensland) under his control. With a new members list Stone set his plan into motion. Although each new group developed due to individuals within these groups, in the end Stone had little input into the other two state groups' structure. His concept worked at first but soon ran into administration problems due to distance between states and distant lines of communication.
In April 1956 to deal with an increase in reports the Aeronautics & Phenomena Research Victoria (APRV) changed their structure and name to Phenomena Research Victoria (PRV).
In November 1957 an upwelling of public interest produced the formation of new groups around Australia. The majority of these new state groups did not accept Fred Stone's 1955 plan; those who accepted it only lasted one year before they decided to operate under their own administration. In late 1957 a new group started in Sydney called the Northern Suburbs Flying Saucer Research Association (NSFSRA), established under Mr & Mrs D. Moore.Private correspondence, George Adamski to David Moor – Jan 1958Private correspondence, Mrs. Erica Ingram-Moore to George Adamski – Dec 1957Mirror 19 February 1959 "They'll talk Flying Saucers – U.S. 'Expert' drops in"Daily Telegraph 25 February 1959 "When the space people landed"
Queensland members called for an independent structure and went their own way. They formed the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau (QFSRB), now known as UFO Research Queensland (UFORQld), formed under Charles Middleborough in 1956 and with Stan Seers from 1957. These new groups were infiltrated and members came under the watchful eye of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), as seen in a report dated 4 August 1959. Dossiers and comments on Stan Seers and QFSRB members were produced for the ASIO Regional Director. National Archives of Australia: A6122, digital image p22
However, in Victoria the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (Victorian Branch) (AFSRS Vic), now known as the Victorian UFO Research Society (VUFORS), under Peter E. Norris LL.B and John Pinkney, was formed on 17 February 1957 at Melbourne University. In the first months of 1957 it was a branch of the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (AFSRS) but later that year it also became independent and was re-organised as the Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society (VFSRS). National Archives of Australia:A703/115, 580/1/1 PART 3, digital image p86
At this time the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (NSW Branch) (AFSRS NSW) was formed. This branch followed Victoria's lead and decided to become independent from Fred Stone's South Australia group AFSRS. The NSW membership decided to again change their structure and name and thus became the UFO Investigation Centre (UFOIC) under Dr. W.P. Clifford 1957.
UFOIC's start was overshadowed by a large, more active Sydney group, the Northern Suburbs Flying Saucer Research Association. The two Sydney groups competed for members and soon the relationship between the two broke down. NSFSRA became the central NSW group, primarily due to their public support and hosting of George Adamski on his 1959 Australian visit, organised by Victorian and Queensland Groups. Adamski held his Sydney lecture at Adyar Hall on 27 February 1959. Adamski's visit resulted in UFOIC membership falling away dramatically until it was basically a small, close-knit group of enthusiasts. So bitter was the dispute, UFOIC President Dr. Greenwell resigned in disgust; this opened the position to Dr Miran Lindtner who became president in March 1959. The damage had been done and the Sydney experience scared the NSW UFO community.
1960s The Australian space industry was in full swing and slowly, research facilities that were based in Victoria moved to South Australia and the Woomera Rocket Range. These departmental changes started to affect the administration and membership of PRV. To keep up with the changing world, in 1961, the old AMPR again changed their structure and name from Phenomena Research Victoria (PRV) to Phenomena Research Australia (PRA).Boyle, Brian, The Early Years: From Saucers to UFOs, Phenomena Research Victoria, 1961, pp6
On 27 February 1965, in the country town of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia held its first UFO group congregation. The conference was arranged by W. Howard Sloane, of the Ballarat Astronomical Society. The RAAF was represented by B.G. Roberts, a senior research scientist with the Operational Research Office (ORO), Department of Air, Canberra and two RAAF officers to look after a display. Air Marshal Sir George Jones (who had an interest in UFOs) also attended. Keynote speakers, including the Rev. William GillDEATH – Reverend William (Bill) Booth Gill (1928–2007) – Died 13 June 2007 – age of 79. His funeral service was held at the Church of Holy Trinity, Anglican Parish of Surrey Hills, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. and Charles Brew, gave accounts of their very public UFO experiences. At the conference, a new public group structure was named Commonwealth Aerial Phenomena Investigation Organisation (CAPIO). The assembly voted it into existence, and out of proceedings lawyer Peter E. Norris LL.B (Melb) became CAPIO's first President, under the patronage of Air Marshal Sir George Jones. National Archives of Australia: A8520, HM1/30, digital image p50
October 1965, after setup delays, the Tasmania UFO Investigation Centre (TUFOIC) was founded under Keith Roberts and Paul Jackson.Roberts, Keith, A Short History of TUFOIC, Tasmania UFO Investigation Centre (TUFOIC), 2000, pp1
In 1966, a new group based at Woomera was set up called the Scientific Technical and Astronomical Research Society. This group of scientific and technical personnel collected UFO reports from the Woomera rocket range and local area. With the demise of the British and Australian rocket program, the group was disbanded in 1968.WOOMERA Scientific Technical and Astronomical Research Society part 1 NAA 978675 Ser No D250 Control 56/3568 Part 1 pp100