Greatest UFO Mystery in Australia

Over 200 students and teachers witnessed an unexplained flying object on Wednesday 6th April 1966 around 11.00 am. They reported it descended into a nearby open wild grass field adjacent to a grove of pine trees in an area known as The Grange. The object then ascended in a north-westerly direction over the suburb of Clayton South.

Mr Ryan has interviewed about 30 witnesses, mostly former staff and students from the Westall secondary and primary schools. He has tried obtaining police and RAAF reports, but so far with little luck. The story was covered then by Channel Nine, The Age and local newspapers.

On the UFO, everyone seems to agree, Mr Ryan says. It was a low-flying, silver/grey shining object, either of classical flying saucer shape or close to it, "a cup turned upside down on a saucer". The students were familiar with light aircraft because the schools were close to Moorabbin Airport. Although the UFO was of similar size, "everyone said straight away that they knew it was not a plane", Mr Ryan said, nor a weather balloon.

The object was in view for up to 20 minutes, and many saw it descend. Most agree it landed behind pine trees at the Grange Reserve. Dozens of students ran across what was then an open paddock to the reserve to investigate, but the object had lifted off and vanished.

Other details are sketchier. The UFO appears to have left a circle of scorched grass; others say several circles were left in paddocks bordering Grange Reserve.

Many witnesses, not all, report seeing aircraft, up to five, trailing the UFO. Some say it made no sound, others say it did.

Many reported that police/air force/military personnel inspected the site; some (not all) say the authorities burnt the site. The Dandenong Journal, for which the story was front-page news two weeks in a row, reported that "students and staff have been instructed to 'talk to no-one' about the incident". Nevertheless, one teacher, Andrew Greenwood, gave the paper a detailed account.

"It was silvery-grey and seemed to thicken at times," he said. "The thickening was similar to when a disc is turned a little to show the underside."

One of the closest witnesses was a boy whose family leased land at Grange Reserve for horses.

Shaun Matthews (not a student at Westall) was on holidays and spending time on the land.

"I saw the thing come across the horizon and drop down behind the pine trees," he told The Sunday Age this week. "I couldn't tell you what it was. It certainly wasn't a light aircraft or anything of the like ...

"I saw the thing drop down behind the pine trees and saw it leave again. I couldn't tell you how long it was there for, it was such a long time ago."

Mr Matthews, 51 and now living in Greenvale, said the object "went up and off very very rapidly".

"I went over and there was a circle in the clearing. It looked like it had been cooked or boiled, not burnt as I remember," he said. "A heap of kids from Westall primary and high school came charging through to see what had happened — 'look at this, look at that, we saw it as well', that sort of thing. It was a bit of a talking point for a couple of days."

Mr Matthews said the object, about the size of "two family cars", passed him at a distance of about "four football fields". "It was silvery, but it had a sort-of purple hue to it, very bright, but not bright enough that you couldn't look at it," he said.

"I saw that it dropped down behind the trees, and I thought, 'hello, hang on'. A minute or so later, it went straight up, just gone."

He said police and other officials interviewed his mother. But he cannot remember them burning the landing site, as others have alleged. And he did not see any light aircraft trailing the object, as others did.

"The way this thing moved there is no way it could have been a weather balloon or a light aircraft," he said.

"A helicopter? No way — no noise, wrong shape, and it didn't move like it. It came out of the distance, stopped, and then just dropped.

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[openmindedaussie]

@Zoink... Yeah it has been there for AGES, but what gets me is how many Australians don't even know what it is, or that it even exists....The curiosity factor is killing me....:-)

[Zoink555]

@openmindedaussie Most older people know its there it's sure no secret. Just a spy joint so I don't give a shit? Why do you worry about the place?

[openmindedaussie]

Do some research into Pine Gap in the centre of Australia people..... Its not even Australian owned.....

[Zoink555]

@openmindedaussie Fuck mate that's common knowledge. The place has only been there since the late 70's

[Zoink555]

@openmindedaussie They are that fucked up with Americanism that they even fly in all food from USA. hahaha

[simpsonmark]

What happened to the girl who disappeared?

[Zoink555]

@simpsonmark Most probably got made into pet food on some alien planet. :)

[LittleMissJmoo]

There is drawings found dating way before christ of alien type things.Yes it could be imagination , though its good imagination.Also before cities when the sky was clear and you could see 1000 times better, there is drawings once again going back before christ of a type of war happening in the sky on our planet.The people used to watch as entertainment.Before religion we studied the earth and universe and had more understanding, till the brainwashing of religion started!

[LittleMissJmoo]

Not to mention its a major cover-up on its potential affects on religion.Which is stupid we should be learning out our universe instead of covering up, and thinking god made it .. so sick of ignorance

[LittleMissJmoo]

aliens exist.How can people be so stupid to think we're the only ones on this universe, and in this one galaxy when there is millions of other galaxies and solor systems beyond our reach.Also I think they're just trying to seek if we're good or bad.We do know that armys try to come out with newer equipment.Though i like to believe.There is stories and i have seen it on a doco its a shiny foil,though you can crump it up and goes back to straight, and they used sledge hammers to break it,nothing

[005Pippa]

I love how Dr. Martin Plough has a degree in UFOLOGY and doesn't even believe in them.... Talk about a waste of time mate! Way to make your degree sound even more legit than it already does, haha.

[raggedmoorlander]

@ihaveairlockers This sounds as if it's the real thing, this 'once'. I would very much like to hear about it if you can spare the time to tell me about it . I run the YORKSHIRE UFO SOCIETY (you could google in that and contact me there if you prefered).

[raggedmoorlander]

@22bbn Why are all the people who write in capitals belligerent, crass, foul-mouthed half-wits? I ask merely for information.

[AxelWiresmith]

@krissyeh Well the perhaps you can identify it for us all? so as it is no-longer unidentified (It's old by now anyways) If as you say that it's not 'Unidentified Flying Object' Clearly none of these people could identify it hence: UFO. Nobody said: alien spacecraft or the like! Sorry But im sick of ppl talking that way as it perpetuates the stigma. BTW I know plenty of ADF personnel who have seen UFO's Does that make them hoaxing fame-seekers?

[AxelWiresmith]

@openmindedaussie It's not 'Australia's Area 51' (that's elsewhere, you wont find it don't bother looking) But it has been used to track 'alien' spacecraft (In the strictest definition) It's function(s) is well known. It's not out there for secrecy so much as it's quieter from a radio frequency standpoint. Wakeup Australia, We are being visited and possibly worse. I hope those in the know, have a clue what they're doing........BTW Pine Gap is a JOINT facility!!

[StephenWestSyd]

@simpsonmark  what happened to Frederick Valentich?

[angelicfruitcake801]

something strange in the tuckshop lunch lol