Woomera UAP file - Previously unknown Australian Department of Defence Woomera UAP file turns up

Hi all,

Woomera UAP files:

Until now, I knew of four UAP files held by the former Australian government Department of Supply, which contained UAP reports from Woomera. These were:

1. File series D174, control symbol SA 5281. "Unusual Occurrences Flying Saucers at Woomera." Date range 1952-1955, barcode 1012736.

2. File series D250, control symbol 1956/483. "Report on unidentified aircraft strange occurrences etc." Date range 1952-1958, barcode 975473.

3. File series D250, control symbol 56/3568 Part 1. "Woomera, S.T.A.R.S."  Date range 1966-1968, barcode 978675.

All the above files are currently available through the National Archives of Australia as digitised files.

4. D174, control symbol SA5644/2/1. "Sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects." Date range 1966-1974, barcode 10663583. I have seen this file in hard copy, but am currently waiting for it to be digitised.

New file:

The other day, Melbourne researcher, Paul Dean, drew my attention to a Department of Defence "On the Record" Media room statement, dated 8 June 2011.

The "On the Record" item is headed "Response to Sydney Morning Herald article about unusual aerial sightings." A journalist had asked for "...records held by the Department of Defence which related...to UFOs..."

The DOD located a file titled "Report on UFOs/Strange Occurrences and Phenomena in Woomera." The statement also included four PDF files of documents from this file. I hadn't come across this file or these documents before. It turns out that this file is a previously unknown one, and certainly not one of the four previously known.

What's on this 40 page file?

PDF 1:

1. A Department of Supply minute dated 27 March 1972, stating that a letter has been removed and sent to the Deputy Director/Trials.

2. A memo dated 10 March 972 from Security Officer/Operations to Security Officer/Admin. It concerns the finding of an object at Rutland Plain area, Carpentaria.

3. A hand written note to say that the above letter is about part of a "...Black Arrow R2 vehicle which went astray."

4-5 Letter from Buenos Aries dated 11 December 1972 re three objects observed crossing the sky there.

6-9. Letter of inquiry dated 23 September 1973 re sighting of an object in the sky. Suggest vapour trail and referred to the Department of Civil Aviation. Department of Supply reference A12/3/3.

10-12. Letter dated 12 May 1974 from someone enclosing snaps of objects "taken in the sky," and asking if the "Rocket Research station, Woomera" can identify them. The reply was that the cause seemed to be film damage.

13-14. A teletype dated 31 July 1974 from Arundel UFO Research Station, Alice Springs asking about UFO sighting 26 July 1974 and was it a rocket launch?

Comment:

These old documents are all Department of Supply (DOS) documents. I checked my summaries of the four known DOS files, and folios 13-14 on the DOD file under discussion were also on DOS file SA5644/2/1. The Disclosure Australia Project never located DOS file reference A12/3/3.

Why these old DOS file papers should be on the DOD file is unknown.

PDF 2:

1-2. An undated newspaper clipping titled "Ever increasing circles" about crop circles.

3-4. An article from "The Advertiser" newspaper dated 6 June 1992 titled "Alien Invasion."

PDF 3:

1. An undated magazine article by John Pinkney "Flying Balls Baffle Boffins." It carries Timothy Good's account of a mystery sphere found at Woomera.

2. A Defence Centre - Adelaide fax dated 16 April 1995 to a John Byard, Woomera - subject "More objects from outer space may be found." It provides details of an extract from the "Sunday Mail" newspaper dated 4 May 1963 page 23.

3-9. Letter to Woomera Heritage Museum, around 1 July 1993 with clippings from the "Barrier Daily Truth" newspaper, and a response from J C Draper, of the Department of Supply, file reference A12/3/3 about the finding of mystery spheres in Australia. Draper identifies himself as the "Range Facilities Manager."

PDF 4:

1-2. Newspaper clipping from the "Adelaide Advertiser" newspaper dated 16 July 2005 about "The W files - something really may be out there." It presents some of the findings of the Disclosure Australia Project and features a photograph of AURA member, Dominic McNamara.

3-13. A copy of a Disclosure Australia Project write-up about the Department of Supply and UFOs 1953-1972. There are hand written notes on the cover of the top folio "UFO file" "Y2/3/3," "DSCW/IN/2010/1.

Comment:

How fascinating to find that someone filed a copy of Disclosure Australia material on the DOS on this DOD file. The "On the Record" statement does not give the file reference for this latest DOD file. Could it be Y2/3/3, and who is DSCW?  Can any reader enlighten me?

The Adelaide Advertiser clip of 2005 and the Disclosure Australia material from around 2005, indicate that someone in the DOD was still collecting UFO material, despite the fact that the DOD itself, always informs you that they have not been receiving UAS reports from the public since 1996.

Thanks again to Paul Dean for spotting this DOD "On the Record" item. If you'd like to read the statement or indeed view the four part PDF file go to (click here.)

In conclusion, one wonders how many other DOD files there are, which we do not know about?