Womans Day Article

1966 Form 1D & 2A

As Schoolgirls in rural Victoria, these women had an other-worldly experience they've never forgotten

Later, uniformed men, thought to have been police and military personnel (airforce, according to some accounts), were seen attending the scene.

After taking various measurements, some have reported that the paddock was then burnt or turned over by these uniformed men. Some witnesses reported being spoken to, or later visited by, these personnel. Both students and staff were told not to discuss the incident.

Some students reported that staff disciplined them for speaking out. It has been estimated that about 200 people witnessed these events on that autumn day in Melbourne's (then) south-eastern fringe, including people at the adjacent Westall State School.

Many of the people involved in this incident are still alive, and some still live in the area.

On April 6, 1966, many students and some staff of Westall High School (now called Westall Secondary College), in Rosebank Avenue, Clayton South, witnessed a UFO fly over their school, and then descend into a paddock behind the school.

The paddock, adjacent to Fairbank Road, was between the school and an old estate called The Grange (now a nature reserve). Soon after, about five light aircraft appeared, giving chase to the UFO as it rapidly ascended and moved off, never to be seen again. The provenance of the light aircraft was also never resolved.

Shortly afterwards, a circular patch(es) of grass (between one and three) was seen by many witnesses in the paddock.