Missing Tully UFO film

Hi all

In a recent post (click here to view) I mentioned the alleged involvement of the former Australian government Department of the Interior in missing photographic evidence. I have now tracked down further information on the incident.

FSR:

The English Flying Saucer Review, Volume 15, number 3, dated May/Jun 1969 carried an article titled "North Queensland UFO Saga" written by Stan Seers and William Lasich.

It provides information on the 19 Jan 1966 Tully, Queensland (click here for details) "nest" and associated UFO sighting, then goes on to relate that the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau set up a "monitor/detector" at a site  in Tully. The monitor was established in 1968 by Vince Mele and an electronics friend, and was linked to a "cine-camera."

On 4 Mar 1968, locals in Tully reported a UFO sighting and the monitor was found to have been triggered. The exposed film was forwarded to Kodak Ltd, Melbourne. "Some 10 days later a letter was received from Kodak stating that the container which was returned to sender, had been empty on arrival."

"The loss of the film was reported to the civil police who were very co-operative, but after a careful detective investigation interstate, were unable to shed light on the mystery...Unofficially, however, a hint was thrown out by a person of  reliable character and seemingly well informed in police matters, that it was likely that Commonwealth authorities had taken possession of the film..."

"It is not without interest to record, shortly after loss of the film, circa March 13, two R.A.A.F. helicopters were observed for some time deploying over the site of the very lagoon..."

"Mr Colin Bennett, M.L.A., Barrister, after studying complete documentation of the incident, expressed keen interest and promptly offered his every assistance in inquiries...In a reply from Canberra, dated August 29, Mr Gordon Freeth, Minister of Air stated he was unable to offer any suggestions as to the fate of the film. He denied positively the Department of Air had ever at any time, removed from Kodak Ltd material relating to UFOs."

My comments:

This then appears to be the fuller story, of the piece from Ann Druffel's "Firestorm" which was the subject of my earlier post. Readers will note that the Department of the Interior is not mentioned in this fuller account. It therefore remains a mystery as to what relationship, if any the Department of the Interior, may have played in this saga.

For a full text of the article click here.