AURA
updated May 2011 DISCLOSURE AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER TWENTY-NINE SEPTEMBER 2006 |
DISCLOSURE AUSTRALIA |
PO Box 738 |
JIMBOOMBA, 4280 |
e-mail: disclosureaustralia@yahoo.com.au |
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NEWSLETTER TWENTY-NINE
SEPTEMBER 2006 |
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THE GUNDIAH QUEENSLAND ABDUCTION REPORT FOI REQUEST |
In October 2001 an extraordinary abduction report emerged from Gundiah Queensland. Amy Rylance was said to have been carried head first through a window and abducted, right in front of a friend, Petra Heller. Amy's husband, Keith Rylance reported her abduction to Queensland police. While police were in attendance at the Rylance property, a telephone call was received from Mackay, some 800kms north of Gundiah stating that Amy had turned up there, in a distressed and dehydrated state. Di Frola and Bill Chalker conducted an investigation on behalf of AUFORN and their report was widely distributed. On the surface, the event was spectacular, seemingly a UFO abduction witnessed by someone else as it happened, with the abductee turning up at a distance not long after her apparent abduction. However, all was not as it seemed. Journalist Kevin Corcoran of the "Fraser Coast Chronicle" newspaper, in an article 12 months after the event wrote: "Mystery still surrounds the trio at the centre of an alleged abduction by aliens of a woman from her Gundiah farm a year ago. Except for a few Brahman heifers, the farm is deserted. It has been unoccupied since English born Keith Rylance, his wife Amy, then 22 and house-mate Petra Heller, left the country after the story of Amy's abduction by aliens broke." The account went on: "Officer in charge of the Tiaro police Acting Sergeant Robert Maragna, who was first at the property after the alleged alien visit, is 99.9% sure that the abduction was nothing more than an elaborate hoax." Given our success with the Federal Freedom of Information (FOI) Act it was decided to use the Queensland FOI Act to try and secure copies of any papers on the above case. To this end, an FOI request was submitted to the Queensland Police Service asking for any documents "held relative to the police investigation of the alleged "abduction" of one Amy Rylance, formerly of Gundiah, Queensland on or about the 4th & 5th October 2001." In a letter of response, the Queensland Police Service replied that "Following receipt of your application, inquiries were conducted at Tiaro Police Station for documents relevant to your request. As a result of those inquiries nine (9) documents were located and a determination made concerning them." The response went on to state: "I have determined today, to exempt from release all documents pursuant to section 44(1) of the Act. I consider the information contained in these documents relates to the "personal affairs" of a person other than yourself and is exempt from release pursuant to section 44(1) of the Act." A retrospective investigation is currently being undertaken into this reported UFO abduction. The Rylances are believed currently to be in the north of England. Any UK reader who might wish to assist in this research is asked to contact the Project. |
That reply from the Minister of Defence Late last year the Project directed a letter to Robert Hill, then Minister for Defence, as follows: Over the last two years I have been locating and examining federal Government files relating to the subject of Unusual Aerial Sightings (UAS), utlising both the Archive and FOI Acts. I understand that up until 1994 the Department of Defence (DOD) was the federal government agency tasked with the collection and analysis of such reports from the general public. I further understand that in 1994 the DOD ceased this function and that from that date reports of UAS by members of the public to the DOD are referred to civilian UFO research organisations. The current DOD website (at http://www.defence.gov.au access contacts under UAS) has a statement of the current position of the Dept. on UAS reports, which states in part: Current Defence policy on UAS where members of the public may have questions on, or seek to report sightings is to direct them to their local police authorities or civil Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) research organisation DOD files I have examined demonstrate that between the 1950’s and early 1990’s, besides reports from the general public, the department received reports from members of the DOD, civilian airline crew and air traffic controllers. I would therefore seek your response to the following questions:
"I look forward to your response." A response was received, as reported in a previous Newsletter. However, requests have come in asking for the full text to be published, so here it is. As you have correctly asserted, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) formely had a responsibility for investigating and assessing the validity of UAS. However, after careful examination of the factual data and historical records that had been gathered over many years, it was determined that the collective evidence did not warrant the continued allocation of resources by the RAAF to investigate and report on UAS. Subsequently, the RAAF ceased this function. I can advise that Defence does not accept UAS reports, but directs any such reports to local police authorities or civil unidentified flying object research organisations, through the relevant state telephone directory. I can also advise that defence does not maintain records on UAS or on the number (if any) of attempts to report them. Neither does the RAAF maintain any personnel whose duties include the monitoring, collection or analysis of UAS reports from any source. In addition, Defence has never conducted any scientific research into UAS. Were Commonwealth Police at Westall? One of the tantalising aspects of the 6 April 1966 incident at Westall, a Melbourne suburb, was the reported presence of uniformed men, possibly RAAF, at the scene. Shane Ryan of Canberra who is leading a re-investigation of the event (see an excellent online Yahoo group about this event at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Westallhighschoolufo) has been following possible leads that members of the Victorian Police force may have been in attendance. However, despite Shane being able to locate a number of Police Officers who served in 1966 near Westall, none recalled the incident. From Government UFO files, it is known that State Police forces assisted investigate UFO reports on behalf of the RAAF. This was reinforced when a copy of file series number PP474/1 control symbol 5/5/Air was examined. This file contains papers which extend between Jan 1951 and June 1960 and is a record of investigations conducted by RAAF Pearce in WA. Throughout this period there was continual use of the WA Police forces’ resources to interview UFO witnesses in that state. A similar arrangement existed between RAAF Townsville and the Queensland police force. Keith Basterfield of the Project wondered if perhaps the Commonwealth Police may have been involved? A search of the NAA’s RecordSearch revealed only one possible file A1533 1956/2626 Part 2 titled Incidents, bombs and hoaxes-other than aircraft. This is a Commonwealth Police file covering the year 1966. The NAA have recently released a copy of the file to the Project. However, an examination of this file reveals no documents relating to Westall. This lack of official documentation, on what at first glance appears a classic UFO case, is puzzling. RAAF file J63/25 control symbol 5/40/Air part 3 Ninety six pages of this file, which came from the RAAF Townsville base, have so far been released. There are numerous low-weight nocturnal light observations plus a number of intriguing reports, which include:
What files has the Project found? Attachment one to this Newsletter is a full listing of the Australian Government UFO files so far uncovered by the Project. As can be seen, files have been sourced from a wide range of current and former Federal Government Departments. If any reader has come across any other relevant files, the Project would be most interested to hear of details. The Project has spent hundreds of hours preparing page by page summaries of many of these files. The master set of summaries are kept by Keith Basterfield and Dominic McNamara. Any requests for an electronic copy of a specific file summary may be directed to disclosureaustralia@yahoo.com.au Snail mail hard copies are also available upon request. Currently the Project is waiting for the release of only four more files, including 580/1/1 parts 33-35. Then, this painstaking task will be complete, unless additional files come to light. The full file listing has also been posted to the Project website at http://disclosureaustralia.freewebpages.org Project interviews As mentioned in Newsletter 28, the Project is looking to interview still living individuals who may have had an important sighting. A classic Australian case occurred in 1954 involving a Navy pilot named Shamus O’Farrell. Two Navy files were located in the Archives. Details are as follows: |
Summary of file number MP926/1 Control Symbol 3079/101/1titled Unidentified Objects (Flying Saucers sighted by Navy Pilot over Goulburn) located at the Melbourne Office of the National Archives of Australia. The file consists of 19 pages. |
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1 |
Minute paper cover |
Indicates file was examined in 1954, 1955, 1957, 1961, & 1963 |
2 & 3 |
Drafts of document to The Minister |
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4-9 |
Newspaper clippings December 1954 |
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10 |
N.I.D. Internal Circulating Chit Sep 1954 |
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11 |
DNI memo 1 Oct 1954 forwarding reports to DAFI |
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12 |
DNI memo 1 Oct 1954 to Commanding Officer Nowra advising reports have been passed to the Committee which has been set up to consider such reports |
No such committee is known to UFO researchers. |
13 |
RAN Air Station Schofields 24 Sep 1954 memo to DNI Melbourne |
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14 |
RAN Nowra 6 Sep 1954 memo to Captain (Air) referring reports |
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15 |
Captain Air 24 Sep 1954 to RAN Air station Nowra. No RAAF aircraft in vicinity |
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16 |
Report by Pilot dated 2 Sep 1954 |
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17 |
Report by Radar operator Undated |
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18 |
N.I.D. Internal Circulating Chit 16 June 1954 covering report on page 19 |
Pages 18 & 19 do not relate to Navy Pilot’s report |
19 |
Naval Officer In Charge WA area 11 June 1954 memo to DNI Melbourne re UFO report from Denmark WA |
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Summary of file number SP338/3 Control Symbol 13/4/10 titled Unidentified objects [flying-report of] located at the Sydney Office of the National Archives of Australia. The file consists of 10 pages |
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1 |
Report by radar operator. Undated. |
Same as MP926/1 p. 17 |
2 |
Report by pilot dated 2 Sep 1954 |
MP926/1 p. 16 |
3 |
Captain Air 24 Sep 1954 to RAN Air station Nowra. No RAAF aircraft in vicinity |
MP926/1 p. 15. |
4 |
RAN Air Station Schofields 24 Sep 1954 memo to DNI Melbourne |
MP926/1 p/ 13. |
5 |
RAN Nowra 6 Sep 1954 memo to Captain (Air) referring reports |
MP926/1 p. 14. |
6 |
Another copy of report by Pilot dated 2 Sep 1954 |
MP926/1 p. 16 |
7 |
Another copy of report by radar operator. Undated. |
Same as MP926/1 p. 17. |
8 |
RAN Minute 15 Sep 1954 seeking approval to forward report to DNI |
Not on MP926/1 |
9 |
RAN Minute 10 Sep 1954. Debate as to whether or not to forward report to DNI |
Not on MP926/1 |
10 |
Captain R Rhoades to Captain (AIR) Australia referring report |
Not on MP926/1 |
The Project is currently in the process of negotiating an interview with O’Farrell.
Contacting the Project
DISCLOSURE
Jimboomba 4280
e-mail: disclosureaustralia@yahoo.com.au
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