The New Zealand National Archives digitizes its first UAP file

Files released

In December 2010, the New Zealand Defence Force released a number of its UAP files. This was only possible through the tireless work of Suzanne Hansen, the Director of New Zealand's "UFO Focus New Zealand Research Network."

These files were available to view in hard copy format only. Digitised copies then became available online via a news outlet. They were not digitally available through the website of Archives New Zealand.  Yesterday, I thought I would take another look at Archives New Zealand and see what UAP files they have currently listed. 

I used the keyword "UFO" for my initial search, and found that the Archives have 11 UAP files listed. These are:

1. "Support Services - Unidentified Flying Objects , General." 1972. Generated by the New Zealand Police National Headquarters. Item ID number R13024670.

2. "Support Services - Unidentified Flying Objects , General." 1972. Generated by the New Zealand Police National Headquarters. Item ID number R13029195. 

3. "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1956-1979. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R21072322.

4. "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1979 - 1980. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R21072323.

5."Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1981 - 1984. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R20384526.

6.  "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1979 - 1984. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R20384527.

7. "General Administration - Organisation and management - Reports and returns - UFO's [Unidentified Flying Objects] and Ethnology." 1984-1989. Item ID number 22365246.

8. "Political Affairs - Outer Space - Unidentified Flying Objects [UFO's]" 1977 - 1982. Item ID number R17729163.

9. "Reports, Flying Saucers [UFO] ]Unidentified Flying Objects]" November 1954 - December 1955. Item ID number R21077579.

10. "Public weather service -Flying Saucers and Unidentified Flying Objects [UFOs]." 1956 - 1988. Item ID number R6332418.

11. "UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects] Affair - [Kaikoura.]" Geophysical Observatory, Christchurch. Item ID number R1634567.

The digitized file

Only one of the above files has been digitized by Archives New Zealand, (approved 15 December 2020) namely, 8. "Political Affairs - Outer Space - Unidentified Flying Objects [UFO's]" 1977 - 1982. Item ID number R17729163. At first glance, it is hard to think what the file might be about? Political Affairs - Outer Space? 

The bulk of the file concerns one topic only. This is the attempt by the country of Grenada to have the United Nations adopt a 1978 draft resolution by Grenada, at the United Nations, "Establishment of an agency or department of the United Nations for Undertaking, Co-ordinating and disseminating the results of research into Unidentified Flying Objects and related phenomena." There are numerous internal U. N. documents; and correspondence between the U.N. New Zealand Ambassador and the Department of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand. Grenada was eventually persuaded to withdraw its resolution and instead adopt:

"That the General Assembly requests the Secretary General to transmit the text of the draft resolution together with the above mentioned statements to States Members of the United Nations  and to interested specialized agencies, so that they may communicate their views to the Secretary general." 

 Although the details of the affair are well know in the UAP literature, this file brings the New Zealand perspective and internal thoughts on the matter, into the public arena, and is therefore well worth a read.

An interesting aside, is that in a 2017 blog by Melbourne researcher Paul Dean, who had noted that this file was in the New Zealand Archives; and without seeing its contents,  had written:

"One can only speculate as to what an MFAT file may contain. One possibility, given the 1977 to 1982 date range, is that the records relate to a UFO awareness raising initiative at the United Nations, led by Sir Eric Gairy, the then Prime Minister of Grenada, in the late 1970’s. This effort resulted in a series of plenary meetings and decision adoptions in late 1977, which culminated in a Special Political Committee Hearing on the 27^th of November, 1978." 

Kaikoura

A series of incidents occurred in December 1978 around the Kaikoura region of New Zealand. There were visual observations by airline pilots; which were also filmed by an Australian TV crew; together with anomalous radar returns. Investigations were conducted by a number of government agencies within New Zealand. 

On the digitized file there is a SAVINGRAM document, from Wellington to all posts - re UFOs - Kaikora, dated June 1979. This included the following text:

"Prospect of Extra terrestrial intervention being proved is regarded as extremely remote."

I look forward to more of these Archive New Zealand UAP files being made available in digitized format.