On April 6th, 1966, in Melbourne, Victoria, more than 200 students and staff at two Westall State Schools sighted an unidentified flying object.
The event had all the classic elements - a saucer shaped craft, a landing, removal and destruction of evidence, a cover up and possibly a missing person...
The event had all the classic elements - a saucer shaped craft, a landing, removal and destruction of evidence, a cover up and possibly a missing person...
Mass Sighting
The original sighting at recess. 11am, 6 April, 1966. Students of Westall Primary and Westall High School were just finishing recess when a commotion broke out in the yards. The students could see a strange object slowly passing over the school. Soon teachers also witnessed the object as it descended behind a stand of trees and into 'The Grange', a paddock that is now a nature reserve.
Many claimed the object emitted no sound as it passed out of sight. It was described as quite large, about twice the size of a family car, was silver/grew in colour (some also added it had a blue/purple hue to it) and shaped like a classic flying saucer.
More than 200 students and teachers from the two state schools saw the object as it descended and all claim that it was unlike any aircraft they had seen entering or leaving the airspace above Moorabbin Airport located just 5kms away.
Many claimed the object emitted no sound as it passed out of sight. It was described as quite large, about twice the size of a family car, was silver/grew in colour (some also added it had a blue/purple hue to it) and shaped like a classic flying saucer.
More than 200 students and teachers from the two state schools saw the object as it descended and all claim that it was unlike any aircraft they had seen entering or leaving the airspace above Moorabbin Airport located just 5kms away.
Depiction of the object leaving 'the Grange'. As the object left the sight of the school a boy whose parents leased some of the land at 'The Grange' witnessed it descend towards the ground where it stayed for a while before ascending and leaving the scene. His father went to the spot where they guessed the object had 'touched down' and found a ring in the grass. The grass seemed flattened but also had the appearance of being boiled.
Soon thereafter children from the school ventured to the site. Later one of the girls who went to Westall told that her and her friend were the first to leave the school grounds to get a closer look at the object. They got to within 6m of the object as it sat in the Grange. After they returned to the school (looking pale as one witness remembers) one passed out and was taken away by ambulance and was never again to be seen at the school.
Soon thereafter children from the school ventured to the site. Later one of the girls who went to Westall told that her and her friend were the first to leave the school grounds to get a closer look at the object. They got to within 6m of the object as it sat in the Grange. After they returned to the school (looking pale as one witness remembers) one passed out and was taken away by ambulance and was never again to be seen at the school.
After Departure
Five unidentified aircraft were seen in persuit of the object. As the object took off many witnesses watched as 5 aircraft, unidentified as no markings, pursued it and circled it. This was watched until the object finally disappeared in a direction taking it over the suburb of Clayton. These planes were never identified, the pilots never came forward (even after the media made a call out) and no official reports have ever been found.
Soon after the object disappeared people stated that the military and police cordoned off the area in the grange where the object had descended and burned away any evidence of the rings left behind. It was not this activity that seemed the strangest but rather that they had appeared on site so quickly, as if they had foreknowledge of the event or had been following the object for some time.
Soon after the object disappeared people stated that the military and police cordoned off the area in the grange where the object had descended and burned away any evidence of the rings left behind. It was not this activity that seemed the strangest but rather that they had appeared on site so quickly, as if they had foreknowledge of the event or had been following the object for some time.
None of the pilots ever came forward. As the school was still abuzz with talk of the event the schools headmaster was being told by 'men in suits' not to talk about the event and to pass on the message to students and faculty that the event never happened and to definitely not talk o the media.
Regardless the newspapers ran the story with the Dandenong Journal providing the most coverage. Channel 9 also ran a report but the footage has since gone missing – removed from the archive and not returned.
Over the following weeks many proposed explanations were put forward – it was a weather balloon – it was a nylon target drogue – it was a prototype aeroplane – it was a military experiment in mass hysteria.
Regardless the newspapers ran the story with the Dandenong Journal providing the most coverage. Channel 9 also ran a report but the footage has since gone missing – removed from the archive and not returned.
Over the following weeks many proposed explanations were put forward – it was a weather balloon – it was a nylon target drogue – it was a prototype aeroplane – it was a military experiment in mass hysteria.
A Great Documentary
Eyewitness drawing of the craft. Much of this witness testimony and details about the event may have gone unnoticed, unheard of and unresearched, however, in 2010 a documentary about the event was written, directed and edited by Rosie Jones and features researcher Shane Ryan's investigation of the case as he delves into archives and interviews many people who witnessed the event that day and the events that took place afterwards.
There is so much more to this event that has been rated as the fifth greatest UFO mystery of all time, there were object sightings preceding the event.
I encourage anyone with interest in learning more to visit the "Westall '66: A Suburban UFO Mystery" website and grab a copy of the documentary on DVD:
http://www.westall66ufo.com.au/
There is so much more to this event that has been rated as the fifth greatest UFO mystery of all time, there were object sightings preceding the event.
I encourage anyone with interest in learning more to visit the "Westall '66: A Suburban UFO Mystery" website and grab a copy of the documentary on DVD:
http://www.westall66ufo.com.au/
Ashley Hall 2013
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