Are UFOs back in fashion in Australia?

Dear readers

After a few days of heat we had two cold fronts go through, which produced much needed rain for my garden. Today it is 21 degrees Celsius, perfect for a walk along the Torrens linear park trails.

Today's topic is "Are UFOs back in fashion in Australia?"

It seems to me that there is currently a renewed interest in the topic of UFOs, here in Australia, both in the media and by people in general.

Interest has in the past been cyclic. In 1947 the phenomenon burst into the public arena in the USA. Here in Australia a few press items appeared, but nothing like in the USA. In 1954 there was huge press interest in this country, after a wave of sightings, mainly in Victoria. Many contactee books appeared in the early 1950's. A large number of general UFO books were published in the 1960's and 1970's.

In the USA. following the Condon report's negative conclusions, a fresh wave of sightings with abduction cases in 1973 again raised interest in UFOs. Here in Australia, the abduction phenomenon became a discussion topic for daytime television in the 1980's and 1990's then it faded. Media and public interest was then at a lower level between the end of the 1990's until recently.

In the last six months, here in Australia, I have noted that more than usual UFO stories have been appearing on morning breakfast TV shows and in magazines aimed at Women. Paid TV's Foxtel carried the fascinating "Westall 1966" documentary, and repeated it several times. Soon we are to see a documentary about Western Australian researcher Mary Rodwell, on SBS television.

What has created the increased attention of late?

1. I note a rise in the release of UFO documents/files by Governments of various countries, particularly the United Kingdom and the huge Internet based interest in them.

2. More UFO photographs, videos and case studies are appearing on the Internet, e.g. You Tube; discussion groups and UFO related websites.

3. There have recently been more seriously researched books appearing, such as "UFOs:Generals, Pilots and Government Officials go on the record" by investigative journalist Leslie Kean.

Australian readers, do you think there has been an increased interest in the UFO subject, in say the last six months?

Does renewed interest indicate that more real UFOs are around?

I think I can say that there certainly seems more UFO reports around, than for sometime. However, many UFO reports, photographs and videos, lack critical investigation. A look at reports on websites of Australian UFO groups, seems to me to fail to show any increase in the numbers of well researched, well investigated and documented "unknowns." To me, an increase in interest in UFOs doesn't necessarily equate to an increase in actual UFOs.