Australian government UFO files - the journey

Hi all,

With the recent Internet upload of 1.7 GB's worth of Australian government UAP files, by Queensland UFO Sightings and Research, I'd like to place this release into historical context, lest people think this is something newly available.

Bill Chalker

 

Bill Chalker studying files at the Department of Defence



In the 1980's, Sydney based researcher Bill Chalker visited the Department of Defence in Canberra, to view and record details of RAAF UAP files. Bill published his findings in a series of articles in UAP magazines/journals, both here in Australia and overseas. His excellent work allowed other researchers, their first detailed look at how the RAAF had tackled the subject in this country.

 

Disclosure Australia

 

A Joint Intelligence Organisation UAP file.



Between 2003 and 2008, a group of Adelaide UAP researchers, (working under the name 'Disclosure Australia', in conjunction with AUFORN) including this author, spent their time and money, accessing Australian government UAP files held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA) . Their combined efforts resulted in the digitisation of several dozen of these files, which then allowed anyone to view them in detail via the NAA website. The group published its work in a series of 30 'Disclosure Australia' Newsletters (still available on the website of AUFORN) and in the Australian 'UFOlogist' magazine.

First page of Disclosure Australia list of Australian government files.

The final 'Disclosure Australia' report, of 120 pages, remains the most detailed document available concerning the Australian government and UAP. It is essential reading, and is available here.

 

Paul Dean

Between 2008 and 2015, Melbourne based researcher Paul Dean and this author, spent time and their own money, in locating a number of previously unknown UAP files held by the NAA. Paul and I again, paid for a range of files to be digitised, making them available for anyone to read.  Some of these files related to the 1978 disappearance over Bass Strait of pilot Frederick Valentich.  If you haven't visited Paul's excellent blog, then you should do so.

Isaac Koi

A while ago, English researcher Isaac Koi, with the permission of the NAA, turned almost 100 of their Australian government UAP files into PDFs and made them widely available, via the Internet.

Queensland UFO Sightings and Research

Finally, yesterday a Facebook entity (they have chosen to stay anonymous) under the name of Queensland UFO Sightings and Research, have taken this distribution of Australian government UAP files to another level, by uploading 80 plus Australian government UAP files to the Internet, providing easier access to them.

Other files

 

There are still more files to be processed. Paul Dean and I have a series of part files, dated later than what the Archives Act allows one to obtain, gained via the Freedom of Information Act from the Department of Defence. Most of these have never been seen by other researchers, although this author has shared details of their contents in a series of posts on his blog.

 

 

What have we collectively learnt from these government files?

 

1. No Australian government agency admitted to seriously studying Australian UAP reports. The RAAF collected sightings, and did some work on them. They did conduct interviews, but often only when political or public pressure forced them to do so. Their analyses of these sightings were mainly lacking in depth.

 

2. A behind the scenes investigation by Bill Chalker and 'Disclosure Australia', did find written evidence that some individuals, who worked in such government organisations as the Joint Intelligence Bureau and the CSIRO, conducted private research with the knowledge of their employer. However, their efforts were never officially endorsed.

 

3. There is currently no evidence available to suggest that any Australian government agency is overtly, or indeed covertly, studying the topic of UAP.

 



 

Are there still more files to be found?

 

Undoubtedly. Only 10% of all files held by the NAA are listed on their electronic database, RecordSearch. For example, it is known that UAP files were held by the head office of the former Department of Supply (DOS). These files have not yet been located in the NAA.

 

Who will rise to the challenge to find such files?