The Investigation Todate:
Bill Chalker (UFOICNSW, Sydney) phones Moira McGhee for info on Quirindi and sample and offers to use his scientific analysis contacts for testing. Bryan agrees to have Bill organize the analysis. Bill collects package across town from Moira (very late 15th August, monsoon conditions!).
Bill spends Sunday 16 trying to stabilize container/sample - unwraps package, which only seems to show a small speck of 'something' on the bottom, but does not actually open container/remove plastic film cover. Bill also contacted Mrs. Stansfield directly -- she said she had checked the container/sample later on the 10th and noticed most of the sample had evaporated. She had gone outside in the dark to find/collect (difficult) some more material to add to the container. There is now a possibility the 'sample' to hand may not be the original 'angels hair', but cobweb.
However, Bill extracts a sample of the atmosphere from the container for possible future testing, with some difficulty. Complications: Bill tries to contact a colleague to arrange further testing/viewing of sample (colleague not available for several days; wife has just had a baby). All samples kept cold/constant temperature. Bill had also hoped he might be able to get an air sample (in a yogurt container) from Quirindi, as a 'standard' for any later tests, but delays/etc. suggest this would not be worthwhile.
Bill contacts Moira and Bryan to update them with a detailed progress report of what is happening. He indicates he may only be able to get one or possibly two chances to test the remaining sample, there's so little of it left and that could degrade. Bryan to delay sending his report to Mrs. Stansfield, until sample can be viewed/tested. (Bryan had asked that while the equipment/expertise was available, would it be possible to create and test the white, unstable 'ash' created by a Van De Graaf generator, as a further 'control' sample for the Quirindi material? Bill (rightly) indicates this would be difficult to coordinate at this stage, and the emphasis should be on the Quirindi material in hand.)
Some days later, Bill arranges a 'micro-endoscopic' (cf 'microscopic') inspection of the speck in the bottom of the yogurt container (micro-endoscopy - the sample speck is put on a glass slide and strongly illuminated; light from the sample is collected by a bundle of glass fibles and magnified 5, 50, 5000 times; results shown on a TV 1. (Bryan Dickeson, 18.09.98)
Ross Dowe's Response:
Your recent report on UFO sightings around Australia is nothing short of total bunk..
From the Australian National UFO Hotline's call to the public, this service has received some 50 samples of the "flying web type substance" not only from the public but from official channels as well.
Our findings are that the odd aerial event was cause by cotton farming activity some 300 klm west of Tamworth.
Sample of the flying cotton came in from a 300klm radius of Tamwoth NSW.
These huge Cotton farming companies harvest large areas and the light cotton fibbers get caught in the temperature thermals and travels for 100s of kilometres. During that week the winds were heading east. End of story. (Ross Dowe, 08.09.98)
(In response to Bryan Dickenson's Report - Editor) THIS STORY IS TOTAL RUBBISH and all the solaced facts are incorrect. (Ross Dowe, 15.09.98)
Researcher's Response to Ross Dowe's Comments:
Bill Chalker
I'm not defending Ross Dowe's comments at all, but I think it is premature to rule out anything at this stage. Based on the information Moira McGhee, Bryan Dickeson and myself separately gleaned from the witnesses it is difficult to reconcile the observations of the "dumbbell" shaped objects and the smaller objects. But we should not rush to judgement about certainty on either dismissing the case as a "IFO" or a confirmed "UFO". Currently it is a sighting - an interesting one at that, subject to ongoing investigations.
Now as for the "angel hair". The material I managed to extract from the container provided by the witness was subjected to a powerful video microscopic imaging, with spider's web from my back yard as a control comparison. There were many similarities, and at this stage if I had to draw a conclusion I would be suggesting the material is spidersweb, or something very similar. I will be showing the microscopic videoing imaging during my presentation at the UFO conference at the YWCA, Sydney, on Saturday, Sept. 12th. People can draw their own conclusions. Also I will point out that I took elaborate precautions in the sample transfer to a more secure container, in case we were dealing with a sample that sublimates, as it appeared to do in my hands, in my own experience with possible "angels hair" back in 1969 at Grafton. I also extracted a gas phase via an eppendorf syringe prior to opening the container, just in case. Now the sub-sample on the micro slide we extracted from the sample remained stable throughout the imaging session and seemed comparable to prosaic garden-variety web samples on a separate slide. Both slide samples after a week are still stable and will be subject to further comparative testing when time and other priorities permit.
It is possible that the sampling sequence carried out by the witnesses may have inadvertently led to a combination of sampling - "angel hair" and "spiders web". That's a bit of a long bow, but may be consistent with the statements made by the witness to me on tape.
All this is preliminary observation but I thought it was appropriate to comment to focus speculation on this event, which seems to be quickly out stepping the facts so far gathered.
As for the "cotton" suggestion: the sample looks superficially like "fine cotton", but better resembles (or is) "spiders web".
This affair is a very instructional and worthwhile exercise in focusing speculation and debate on the issue of "angel hair". It certainly has had me reviewing all the literature, my own 1969 experience and the literature on possible natural explanations.
I will advise when I have further info to hand. But at the moment lets be led by the facts rather that the fancies. I am very interested in the truth, irrespective of where it led us. (Bill Chalker, 10.09.98)
Bryan Dickeson
I had thought Ross Dowe's "cotton-picking" comments so awful and unscientific as to not even warrant consideration (which is pretty typical of much of what he does).
However:
1) You don't need to be an agronomist to know when the cotton is fluffing up and raring to go; certainly not late winter (at best them lil' old cottonseeds will still be tucked up in their lil' old cotton beds, waiting to sprout in the spring!). Ask Ross to check it for himself anyway, the Agriculture Department people are just a phone call away and I believe he can run to that.
2) After a series of days of very high rainfall throughout the district, it is very unlikely that any cotton bolls that might be around would be dry enough the first day of sunshine afterwards to pop their boll en-masse.
3) Most of the fertile riverbed 'bottom lands' used to grow cotton (which requires a lot of water and fertilizer to grow) were flooded by those same rainfalls - result (at best) soggy cotton, or cotton plantlets -- any that had been planted up to the rains would probably have to be replanted once the floods subside.
4) The Meteorological Department says there was no wind in the area (just the thermals mentioned by the main witness) - suggest Ross 'phone the Met folk to check this as well.
And there are other considerations.
Where does that guy get his info from? - certainly not the Junior Woodchuck's Manual. I don't know why he wastes everyone's time or even why we give him e-space. (Bryan Dickeson, 16.09.98). (Source Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au.)
REPORTS:
07.01.96 Central East Northern Territory 2020hrs (CE1)
(Source: Brian Richards. Credit: Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au. The Keith Basterfield Network 17.09.98)
Sunday 7th January 1996 8.20pm, Central East NT cattle station hand has daylight sighting of battleship gray object 100ft wide by 40ft height, box shape beneath 25ft wide, 6ft high. Altitude 130ft. Top of object spinning. Bottom half-unmoving and emitting a vapour(?) and smell like steam off hot metal. A whirlwind or vortex underneath near wild livestock. Station hand ex-marine and UN force member took photos and reported the cattle and wild horses 'transfixed by the object'. (UFORUM)
November 1996 Honeymoon Gap, nr Alice Springs, NT (CE2)
(Source: Keith Douglass Credit: INUFOR Digest Vol.4 No.2 October 1998)
"Mary Adams" and a friend were driving from west to east - passing Honeymoon Gap (10 km west of Alice Springs) when they noticed a bright blue "glow" in the trees at the base of the mountain about 1/2km away. It was very low, and lit up the ground, and Mary believes it had actually landed.
Suddenly the "light" rose up, and moved towards them. They could see it was a solid object, about 40 metres in diameter, with a flat base and a rounded top. It was huge - "the size of a semi-trailer, with lines around the bottom". The blue light formed a "halo" around the craft, and as it "floated" overhead they could hear a "whirly noise". It was about 11.20pm and as the object followed them "above the car" for a short time, they felt they were being "watched". They were relieved when it flew back over the hills towards Pine Gap.
28.02.98 Doncaster, VIC 2225hrs (CE1)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
An elliptical shaped object about 80% of the moon's size was seen travelling south to southwest in a straight line. It took four minutes to fly out of sight. (VUFORS)
26.03.98 Oakleigh, VIC 2015-2030hrs (CE1)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
An object, cream colour with lights, which looked like a saucer upside down, flew from the south east to the northwest. (VUFORS)
30.03.98 Werribee, VIC 1720hrs (NL)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
Two bright round lights was seen travelling very slowly upwards on a slight angle. These two object appeared to have long tails. The tails then got shorter until they disappeared and another round, bright star-like object appeared following the first two, only smaller. It stayed for about two seconds then it disappeared. The original one then dimmed slowly like it was moving away at a great speed, until it also disappeared. (VUFORS)
06.06.98 Ayres Rock, NT 2200hrs (NL)
(Source: Keith Douglass Credit: INUFOR Digest Vol.4 No.2 October 1998)
Two astronomers at Ayers Rock were viewing the skies at about 10pm when they noticed one bright "pulsating" star was moving erratically in the sky. Suddenly it changed direction and flew exceptionally fast from west to southwest and out of sight.
13.06.98 nr Riddells Creek (on Riddells Creek Road), VIC 1745hrs (CE1)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
An object about twice the size of a four-wheel drive, passed about 20 metres from the driver. It was a gray object, with blue beams on top and orange beams on the bottom half. The speed was estimated at about 100kms. It was in sight for only 10 seconds before it disappeared from view. (VUFORS)
12.07.98 Katherine, NT late afternoon (DO)
(Source: Keith Douglass Credit: INUFOR Digest Vol.4 No.2 October 1998)
Several prominent citizens saw a most unusual a large round black object, about the size of the moon, above the western horizon. The upper edge seemed to be "rimmed with fire", but the witnesses felt this may have been a reflection of the setting sun. It moved slowly to the west and out of sight. Tindall Air Force Base had not received any reports, and there were no known craft in the area. The object was too large and slow for a plane, and no records of any high atmospheric balloons being released.
15.07.98 Hastings, VIC (possibly identified)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
An object with a red and blue light base and white on top, was observed moving northwest slowly. It them reversed direction. Two lights were seen falling from the object. Possibly a balloon, with Cyalume light-stick falling away. (VUFORS)
24.07.98 Robertsons Beach, VIC 0600hrs (DO)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
Two witnesses reported seeing two objects, one a bright light, the other orange. They were flying from SE to SW. The second was about half the size of the first, about the size of a 5-cent piece held at arms length. Both objects disappeared suddenly. (VUFORS)
02.08.98 Victoria 0223hrs (NL) (U/I)
(Source: The Australian UFO Bulletin September 1998 Issue)
Observer was taking her dog outside when she saw an object larger than the moon (followed by smaller lights) below the clouds. They first traveled slowly, then disappeared suddenly. (VUFORS)
11.08.98 Alice Springs, NT 1630hrs (NL)
(Source: Keith Douglass Credit: INUFOR Digest Vol.4 No.2 October 1998)
It was 6.30pm when Alice Springs tracker Fred Kilah arrived home. As he went down the side of the house he noticed two bright white fluorescent lights high in the northern sky. They were most unusual - one long "cigar" shaped followed by a small "ball". The lights moved slowly north across the sky in a straight line, until they were lost from view over the rooftops.
18.08.98 Forest Hill, VIC 1915hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup Credit: Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au. The Keith Basterfield Network 26.08.98)
On Tuesday, August 18, 1998, at 7:15 p.m., K.K. was "walking towards my car after finishing with work when I saw a golden colour object high up in the sky." His sighting took place at the intersection of the Burwood Highway and Springvale Road in Forest Hill, Victoria.
"Unlike a star, it was gleaming golden - bigger than a star--perhaps half the size of the moon and also spherical in shape," K.K. reported. "Just after I looked, the object accelerated straight into the clouds and disappeared. I didn't have time to call security or someone else to witness this object. Hopefully, I will have enough time the next time around. The object was moving very slowly, then shot off to the north at a very high speed, but not in a straight line, more of a curvy line. Half the sky was cloudy, the other half clear. The object traveled from the clear half to the cloudy half. It was high above the clouds." (Email Interview).
30.08.98 Alice Springs, NT 2200hrs (NL)
(Source: Keith Douglass Credit: Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au. The Keith Basterfield Network 26.09.98)
Baptist Church Group out camping just north of Alice Springs.
The group slit up into 3 groups of 8 children, so to settle for a night of camp. Each group camped around 100 meters apart. When one group noticed a bright silver ball of white light flickering and moving up and around it was bigger than the stars around it so it stood out, then they saw more white lights moving in the same direction. The children all grouped together to watch the dancing lights, they watched them for around 2 minutes then the lights grouped and moved away at fast speed.
13.09.98 Gold Coast, QLD (Identified as Venus) 0520hrs
(Source: Personal Files)
A bright light was observed in clear sky, with no other stars present and a half moon visible. The sun was rising. The light was seen in the NW over mountains (not sure of range) on the Gold Coast.. Observed the object for approximately 30mins. It was moving slowly away from its initial observation point. Speed indeterminable. Observed through binoculars by three witnesses. Two separate lights was seen by two of the witnesses. Definitely not an aircraft as no flight lights was seen. The Sun was to the witnesses backs whilst watching the object. One of the witnesses saw the same object the following morning in roughly the same area. (Robert Frola)
16.09.98 Redcliffe, QLD 2320-2345hrs (NL)
(Source: Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au. The Keith Basterfield Network 16.09.98)
Mr. D anonymous, said that he went out side 11.20pm and just happened to look up at the sky, where he saw a bright lights colour was Red, Blue, Green, it was moving and was followed by approx. 7 smaller lights which looked like stars. Mr. D went back in side and rang a friend 11.25pm and asked her to go out side to see if she could see them from her place. Mrs. Clark went out side at 11.30pm and saw the same thing she thought, that's strange why are the stars moving. She then saw the lights start to do a number of formations.
1. straight line then of into a V joined
2. a circle with a tail.
3. a wide V
4. a V with a line through the middle.
She said she watched this for around 15 to 20 minutes then they disappeared. (UFOICQ)
28.09.98 Brisbane, QLD (Redland Bay) 1830hrs
(Source: Diane Harrison, e-mail: tkbnetw@fan.net.au. The Keith Basterfield Network 29.09.98)
Miss K, 24yrs was on her way to work when see saw what she thought to be 2 very bright lights in the sky they where bigger than the stars around them and a plane passed by them, she said she stopped her car to get a better look.
The 2 bright lights stayed stationary, then to her surprise, another 1 appeared and joined the 2. She watched them for a few minutes then the 3 lights formed a circle and put on the best light display, she said, it was like Christmas lights. But the strangest thing happened, she thought she heard beautiful music in her heard, she said it was amazing to watch, then they suddenly disappeared. (UFOICQ)
The Terara Sightings
Investigators: Brad Mildern
Report written by: witness
I hope the following is of use to you. Until the first Sunday in January 1970 I was a non-believer in UFOs.
Although I grew up in a family who were not open minded as to things of an extraterrestrial nature I still managed to follow the progress of the US and Russian space programs, believing that their achievements were milestones in mankind's quest for a better understanding of the universe. Now these events seem primitive compared to the craft I witnessed at Terara and Culburra.
My parent s and I moved to Terara from St George's Basin in mid 1969 after selling our eight-acre farm on Island Point Road. My father bought a five-acre property near the intersection of Milbank Road and the main Terara Road. While we were building our house we lived in a corrugated iron shed which would eventually be a workshop and provide storage for the tractor and farm implements. Our shed was probably 40 feet long by 15 feet wide. I mention these measurements because they are relevant to the first sighting.
On the morning of the first sighting I was unable to sleep as it had been a hot night and inside the shed it was like an oven. Mum and Dad were sleeping so I put the earphone in the radio and tried to take my mind off the heat. I had just settled down when there was a weird whistling and crackling sound followed by nothing. At this stage I should like to mention that I have a keen interest in electronics and anything mechanical. So with this in mind you can understand my curiosity as to what was happening with the radio. I moved the radio around to place the aerial in a better position but that didn't work so I wiggled the earphone plug, still nothing. At first I thought the local oscillator had drifted off frequency or it may have been as simple as an audio stage failure. There was nothing just a low hiss, which seemed normal for a cheap transistor radio when there is no signal to drive the audio stages.
While I was fussing with the radio I noticed it was getting close to dawn so I decided to go outside and cool off. As I usually do I scanned the sky to see what kind of a day it was going to be. As I did I noticed a bright star over towards the Shoalhaven River (northwards) which runs almost parallel to Terara Road. I remember how bright it looked. I had never seen such a bright blue star in that portion of the sky before.
Just as I was trying to get my eyes better focused on it, it disappeared. I remember my thoughts being that stars surely don't just appear to go out, like a light being switched off. After some searching it appeared over our shed, only extremely high, too high to even guess its height. Just as before it vanished from view.
The next time I caught sight of it I almost fell to my knees. It was not very high up, perhaps only one or two thousand feet. It appeared to be flying at the height that single engine aircraft fly over towns etc. Now it was very clear what it was. It was shaped like a huge disk and from the size of our shed I would put its diameter at about 45 feet across. In the centre of the underside there was a beautiful blue glow. This was coming from a smaller circle of about 12 feet. As it descended it was wobbling from side to side and I remember feeling very numb and wondering whether to run or not. I ran to hide behind a post in the fence that separated the house paddock from the rest of the farm.
By now the craft was only a few feet from the ground. It appeared as though it was about 10 feet thick at the centre and tapered to about two or perhaps three feet at the rim. Around the outer edge of the rim I could just make out black rectangular shapes. These were darker than the actual surface of the craft, so I took them to be windows or portholes of some kind. There was no light coming from any of them.
By now the sun was just coming up and as the craft neared the ground it cast an oval shadow on the ground. As it descended even closer to the ground the beautiful blue glow from underneath was illuminating the grass, making it flatten out as though some invisible weight was being placed upon it. There was a low humming sound, something like that you hear when close to the huge transformers at a substation. The air was full of the odour of hot electrical parts. When the craft was about 5 or 6 feet from the ground a sound like a power drill could be heard and then four shiny legs extended at an angle from the underside, each about the thickness of a person's arm. On the end of each leg there was a flat plate on which the craft rested when it landed.
I sat huddled even closer behind my post in the hope that I should not be seen. After a while the electrical smell drifted away and the hum ceased along with the blue glow which just faded away. The craft was a beautiful sight, it certainly was not of this world. There were no seams or rivet marks, just a beautifully polished metallic surface somewhat like gunmetal. It was absolutely stunning to look at, even in those confused moments I wondered what kind of technical skills would be needed to create such a perfect machine as this certainly was. In the morning sun the whole thing glittered as though it was made of gold, even the gunmetal surface seemed to sparkle. The top gently sloped up until it was about 12 or 18 inches thick. At the apex it rose another foot or so where a beautiful golden ball was attached to the shaft. The underside of the craft was only slightly curved; perhaps it could have rested upon the ground even without the landing supports. While all this was happening I was no more than 100 feet away. I decided to get just a bit closer. To do this I would have to crawl through the fence wires. I grabbed the lowest strand of barbed wire and received a hell of an electric shock, which threw me heavily to the ground. (AT THE TIME OF THE SIGHTING THERE WERE NO ELECTRIC FENCES ON OUR PROPERTY). After being flattened by the fence wire whoever or whatever was at the controls must have realized I was close by, because the hum started and the blue glow once more reflected on the grass and the craft began to gently rise. When it had reached a couple of hundred feet it slipped sideways and shot off at tremendous speed towards the river. When it had departed all I was left with was a swish of hot air which once again smelled like burnt electrical components. That wonderful machine was now just a blue dot high over the river, within seconds it had disappeared completely.
After that day I went back to doing nothing for the next few days over the Christmas holiday, but I could not settle down. The whole thing haunted me. I could only ponder the question "Why me?"
The Second Sighting:
On the second Sunday in January I was invited out to stay with a friend of mine at Culburra Beach. I woke early on that Sunday having arranged to go down to the beach at the end of Ocean Street by myself to watch the sunrise.
After my paddle I decided to go back up to the steps and find a nice dry place on the sand and eat my sandwiches and drink. While I was scanning the horizon I noticed a blue blob in the darker portion of the sky over towards the headland which was off to my left. Then just as before it disappeared. I remember thinking at the time that I must be going crazy. "It couldn't happen twice, or could it?" Within a few moments I could see a dark flat looking object coming towards me. It was just above the horizon and growing larger by the minute. As it passed the confines of the headland I could see that the centre looked round while the edges looked thin. I raced back up towards the steps, but something told me not to run that it was all OK and that I would not be harmed. It was an overwhelming feeling of peace and tranquillity. It was as though someone was talking to me, yet I heard no one speak, just that warm feeling of someone being close by. Someone you were sure would not harm you. That's the only way in which I can describe the sensation I experienced as I ran. When I turned around the same craft I saw at Terara was landing on the hard sand just above the breakers. The same events took place on the water's edge as at Terara. The blue glow and the hum slowly died away and all that was left was this beautiful craft sitting majestically on the hard sand. "Why me and how could they know my every move? This and dozens of other questions were running through my mind. I felt that I had been chosen for some very important reason. It certainly was beyond my understanding and as many times as I have pondered the whole thing I am at a loss to understand the significance of both sightings. While all these thoughts were running through my mind I noticed a panel on the side of the craft begin to slide back. It was above the rim and sloping back towards the curvature of the dome. A milky white light filtered out which was so bright it made my eyes water when I tried to look at it. Just as I was trying to come to terms with the opening of the hatch a tall slender figure appeared. It looked black against the white light but for a moment it stepped backwards and I could make out a few details. It was wearing a tight fitting suit that ran from the wrists down to the ankles. In the milky white light the suit looked as though it was dark gray in colour. The head seemed out of proportion to the rest of the body. The hands long and slender hung at its side, theeyes slanted and the facial features flat, there being no signs of emotion - smiles etc. It held out the right hand as though it wanted me to come. I turned away and started crawling back towards the steps, afraid to get up and run.
From that moment on I have no memory of what happened next, but I sure wished I did. My next conscious moment was waking up a couple of miles away on the grass at the end of the headland. My head was pounding with a terrible headache and I had blurred vision. When I looked at my watch it was almost midday, yet it was around 5am by the time I got to the beach. I couldn't work out how I ended up around at the headland. Surely I didn't walk there in an unconscious state, so it seems highly probable that I must have been abducted.
From my studies of UFO cases it seems more than likely that I was chosen at random. However, there are people who seem to have been in contact with these entities all their lives. To this day I have had numerous strange experiences yet I would not relate them in any way to my contact in 1970.
Investigator's Notes:
Abbreviated from a witness statement taken from a Mrs. T.C. Witness was 18 at the time of the sighting. Both sightings occurred just after dawn and within 50 metres of the witness. Anyone wanting further info should contact me direct by email or ph 02 44235463. I have a hand drawn diagram of the UFO (disk shape with a spire and golden ball on top).
Sources for this issue:
The Keith Basterfield E-mail Network, tkbnetw@fan.net.au
Keith Douglass, Alice Springs, NT
INUFOR, PO Box 783, Kogarah, NSW 2217
Brad Mildern, bradm@shoal.net.au
Mike Farrell, PO Box 2526, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444
UFOIC, PO Box W42, West Pennant Hills, NSW 2125
UFOICQ, PO Box 805, Springwood, QLD 4127
UFORNSW, PO Box Q95, Queen Vic Bldg, Sydney, NSW 2000
UFORUM, PO Box 626, Applecross, WA 6153