Scores of people witnessed an unidentified flying object sweep across the skies above Westall High School in Melbourne, Australia, on April 6, 1966, in what remains the biggest mass sighting of a UFO in Australian history. Sixty years later, witnesses are demanding answers about the mysterious event and alleged subsequent cover-up.
A Case of Mass Hysteria?
Tania Vassie was playing on the school oval when she looked up to see a “strange, rounded, two-storey disc floating up above.” The 13-year-old watched as the object moved erratically, dashing at speed from one direction to another before running into the school yelling, “Flying saucer, flying saucer.”
Witnesses described seeing up to three objects. Many UFO enthusiasts believe it was an extra-terrestrial visitation, while others suspect a more Earth-bound explanation. Ken Stallard, a former Westall student and retired school principal, believes the object was likely part of a secret military program, but still qualifies as a UFO by definition. “I saw what I saw and so did all my school friends, hundreds of us,” he said. “It was unidentified, it was flying and it was clearly an object.”
Students Were Interviewed, Then Silenced
Following the sighting, the school principal assembled students and told them it was a weather balloon and not to discuss it. Some were ushered into a room where unidentified men told them to remain silent about what they’d seen. Tania Vassie kept her word for 50 years.
Former nurse Marilyn Smith said the object had “no windows … it was an oval shape about the size of two or three cars.” Joy Clarke described it as moving at incredible speed and being “shiny, metallic [with a] dome in the middle.”
Several students, including Terry Peck, followed the “saucer-shaped” craft to a nearby area of bush known as the Grange, where they observed it hovering above the ground before rising rapidly into the air. They also reported a swirly pattern of yellowed grass left behind.
Theories: What Was in the Sky in 1966?
Government secrecy was prevalent in 1966, with the Cold War ongoing and Australia increasingly used as a staging point for US military programs. One theory suggests the object could be related to the HIBAL high-altitude balloon project, but electronics specialist John Sutcliffe, a former member of the Mildura HIBAL team, has no recollection of any unexpected balloons coming down in Melbourne on that day.
Other possibilities considered include the Jindivik radio-controlled target drone and U-2 high-altitude plane flights. Retired Australian Army Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith believes the sightings could have been part of a secret US research and development project that went awry.
‘What Have You Got to Hide?’ Witnesses Want Answers
Sixty years on, witnesses are calling for an official explanation. “No harm done explaining it now,” said Ken Stallard. “What have you got to hide?”
To mark the anniversary, witnesses and locals gathered at the Flying Saucer Playground at the Grange, built by the local council to commemorate the event. Tania Vassie stated, “It’s OK to talk about it now… at my age, it doesn’t matter if somebody thinks I’m a little bit loony. I know what I saw.”
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