State-of-the-Art in UFO Disclosure Worldwide & the Australian experience

Respected Spanish researcherVicente-Juan Ballester Olmos has produced an excellent general overview of the state of UFO "disclosure" activities worlwide, i.e. the extent and chronology of the release and access to government, military and intelligence files on UFOs from around the world.

Quoting from Vicente-Juan's November 1 2009 release notice:
"State-of-the-Art in UFO Disclosure Worldwide". This essay is described and prefaced in: http://fotocat.blogspot.com/ The full paper can be found at: http://www.anomalia.org/disclosure.pdf
I hope you find interesting this research consolidating a general picture of all the official UFO release and declassification programs in the world.

I worked closely with Vicente-Juan to develop a picture of the Australian experience. While the general picture precludes "the devil in the detail" aspects I have included below some of the material which informed the final version of the Australian section of the document.

I welcome any corrections or clarifications. I had to work on the basis of verifiable details which precluded information of a vague or unverifed nature from anonymous parties and from groups and individuals who have not provided detail or evidence of information which may have been referred to in fragmented or limited ways.

(extract) from my UFOs Sub Rosa down under document (on line since 1999)

The blog seems to keep compacting the table data set out below, so these are best seen at the following link towards the end of part 4: http://www.theozfiles.com/ufos_subrosa4.html

THE RAAF UFO DATA

Over 1,612 reports have been received by the RAAF from between 1950 and until June, 1984. The actual figure is somewhat greater due to incomplete records and scattered omissions from the Summary reports periodically produced by the RAAF between 1965 and 1980. Accurate figures for the period 1950 and 1954 are not possible, due to the loss of the original files. It is possible to give a rough statistical breakdown of the RAAF's"total" investigations from 1950 to June, 1984. This needs to be broken upinto 4 periods, due to different sources of information and lack of official"unknown" percentages outside the period from 1960 to 1980 inclusive.

PERIOD 1 (1950 - 1954):

No. %
YEAR No. "unknown" "unknown"
1950 3 0 0
1951 4 2 50%
1952 5 0 0
1953 13 2 15.4%
1954 38 8 20.0%

Records for this period are incomplete with the only surviving records beingthe previously secret "1954 Report on "Flying Saucers"" prepared for the Directorate of Air Force Intelligence (DAFI) at their request by nuclearphysicist, Harry Turner, as a "scientific appreciation" of their reports. Some of reports from this period survive in the old Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) UFO files which were examined by me during November, 1982, at the Melbourne offices of the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation. The total for 1954 is made up 35 from the "1954 Report" plus 3 additional reports, namely 2 from the Ballarat School of Radio and the classic radar visual event over Goulburn, NSW, involving a Naval Sea Fury aircraft. Only the latter is included as an "unknown" in addition to those cited in the "1954 Report".

PERIOD 2 (1955 - 1959)

No %
YEAR No "unknown" "unknown"
1955 3 0 0
1956 9 1 11.1%
1957 14 2 14.2%
1958 7 1 14.3%
1959 24 2 8.3%

Records for only the latter part of 1955 are present in the extant DAFI filesI examined. Reports for 1956 to 1959 appear to be somewhat incomplete. The"unknown" figures are my own estimates and therefore should not be regardedas official figures.

PERIOD 3 (1960 - 1980)

This is the only period in which official "unknown" figures can be supplied,as based on the Unusual Aerial Sighting Summaries, nos. 1 to 12. Summariesnos. 10, 11 and 12 were not generally released but were supplied to me, during my file review in 1982, by the RAAF.

BREAKDOWN OF RAAF UFO INVESTIGATIONS

Total no. no. %
Year of reports "Unknowns"* "Unknowns" Source of Information
1960 20 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1961 14 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1962 25 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1963 17 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1964 17 1 5.9 Summary No. 1
1965 52 2 3.9 Summary No. 1
1966 74 1 1.4 Summary No. 1
1967 95 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1968 101 0 0.0 Summary No. 1
1969 94 2 2.1 Summary No. 2
1970 37 4 10.8 Summary No. 3
1971 52 6 11.5 Summary No. 3
1972 87 11 12.6 Summary No. 4
1973 193 4 2.1 Summary No. 5
1974 67 2 3.0 Summary No. 6
1975 39 4 10.2 Summary No. 7
1976 39 4 10.2 Summary No. 8
1977 25 6 24.0 Summary No. 9
1978 118 30 25.4 Summary No.10
1979 45 15 33.3 Summary No.11
1980 47 10 21.3 Summary No.12

TOTAL: 1258 102 8.1% (average)

Some "unknowns" are not included due to low weight status, i.e. insufficientinformation or possible explanation provided was probable.

PERIOD 4 (1981-1984)

Only actual numbers of reports on file with the RAAF can be supplied based onpersonal file inspections and DAFI advice:

YEAR Total No. of reports
1981 44
1982 56
1983 117
1984* 15 (* up till June 1984)

THE CIVILIAN UFO DATA

To properly put the RAAF data into perspective, consider the following.From 1950 to 1984, the RAAF dealt with more than 1,612 reports, and 1,258from 1960 to 1980. One of the best civilian groups in Australia, the Tasmanian UFO InvestigationCentre (TUFOIC), has been keeping valuable statistics on their investigationsfor years. For one small Australian state alone, they have dealt with 2,131reports up to and including 1980.The period 1960 to 1980 has been chosen as it is the only period for which the RAAF have published data. The following table compares the data.

Organisation Total Number Total number % "unknowns"
of reports of "unknowns"

RAAF 1,258 102 8.1%
TUFOIC 1,681 390 23.2%

It is quite apparent that compared to civilian UFO research groups the RAAF has far less claim to having legitimately and comprehensively examined the UFO problem.

In terms of actual "disclosure" or access efforts the following information details some of these activities. Pioneer flying saucer researcher Edgar Jarrold (from Sydney) had a meeting with DAFI (Directorate of Air Force Intelligence) Sqd. Ldr. Peter Birch in Melbourne during 1954. This was a discussion style meeting. Jarrold did not get any access to files. Similarly from Fred Stone a researcher from South Australia. The CAPIO (Commonwealth Aerial Phenomena Investigation Organisation) formed in 1965 as a united civilian front also only received limited information.

Year: 1965-1977
Period covered 1960 to 1977 Archives released: Sighting summaries 1-9 released: 1,048 reports summarised.Comments: The first of the summaries appeared in 1965 listing events from 1960 to 1965. This format continued up to 1968. 1969 marked the first of the annual summary formats, which largely continued up to 1977. These summaries became the form of "public disclosure". A few researchers and groups got some actual case reports such as VUFORS and myself, but the former did not detail any of the material they apparently received.

Year: 1982-1984 Period covered: 1950 to 1984 Archives released: 63 files examined by Bill Chalker which included more than 1,610 reports mainly from RAAF DOD files and limited amount from DoA (Dept. of Aviation) files. Sighting summary No. 9 (1977 reports) was the last publically released. Summaries 10 to 12 covering 1978, 1979 and 1980 (a total of 210 summarised reports) were released to Bill Chalker in 1982. Bill Chalker published extensively on this access and made a set of file papers available to the UFO Research Australia Network (in lieu of the decline of the Australian Centre for UFO Studies).Comments: 18 RAAF files were examined in my first 1982 visit. The total examined through to 1984 were the 63 files mentioned.

Year: 1999 Period covered: 1953-1955 (the "missing" first DAFI file 114/1/197), 1952-1955 (The Casey UFO papers), 1954 (Sea Fury case file), 1952-1957 (CSIRO file), 1952 - 1960 NSW DoA UFO files. Archives released: Bill Chalker examined 114/1/197 file and CSIRO file in Canberra NAA office. Jason Cowland, then a Victorian based researcher, facilitated my access to the Casey papers and the Sea Fury case file, the latter duplicated RAN (Royal Australian Navy) file released to me in 1982.
[During this period Keith Basterfield started using the Archives Act under the 30 year rule to get full copies of early DOD file series.]

Year: 2000 Period covered: 1968 - 1973 (JIB/JIO DOD UFO files) Archives released: Government intelligence files copies given to Bill Chalker from private files of Harry Turner, retired Defence scientist.

Year: 2001 Period covered: 1952, 1969 Archives released: 1952 file re NSW sightings which precipitated Government minister Richard Casey's entry into the UFO controversy.

By 2003 the first of the digitised government UFO files began to appear on the NAA web site.

Year: 2003 to 2008 Period covered: 1950 to 1991 Archives released: 151 files examined by the AUFORN auspiced Disclosure Australia project undertaked by AURA group co-ordinated by Keith Basterfield. Uncertain quantity of reports beyond 1,610, mainly RAAF files, but also including CSIRO, Department of Supply , DoA, JIB/JIO (now DIO - Defence Intelligence Organisation), ASIO and other agencies. Details in the AUFORN website in the Disclosure Australia archive: http://www.auforn.com/

See http://www.auforn.com/MilitaryFiles.html for details re the "UFO Sub Rosa" documented and other material I have written on this aspect.

Interview on the PARACAST with Gene Steinberg & David Biedny

From the Paracast site:

October 11, 2009: Bill Chalker
You asked for it: UFO researcher Bill Chalker, author of such books as “Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence of Alien Abductions.” The bill of fare includes abductions in Australia and the results of DNA tests.

Gene & David have a great line of interviews well worth listening to.

You can listen to their interview with me at: http://www.theparacast.com/podcasts/paracast_091011.mp3

ARJ BARKER - UFOLOGIST - straight talking

Arj Barker is a great stand up comedian popular in the US and his second home Australia. Recently he contacted me indicating he was doing a different sort of gig to his usual comedy rountine. This one - a strong interest in UFOs - he was taking seriously and wanted to give it a credible airing. His on site Westall interview with two witnesses (Joy Clarke and Suzanne Savage) of the striking April 1966 mass witnessed sighting at Westall high school was his first outing as a resident "paranormal" reporter for the 7 PM Project programme on TV station Channel 10 on October 10, 2009. He did a very good job despite the format limitations. The show's panel were predictably light hearted, but Arj's positive interest shone through.

He invited me along to his Sydney State Theatre show. It was a great show - a very entertaining and funny night to a full house.

Photo: Bill Chalker and Arj Barker back stage at the State Theatre October 22nd 2009

UFO CASES IN CHINA & AUSTRALIA

Check out the Coast to Coast interview by George Knapp:

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2009/09/20
Date:
09-20-09
Host:
George Knapp
Guests:
Bill Chalker
Australian UFO investigator Bill Chalker discussed UFO cases in China, as well as his continued investigations into alien abductions in Australia. He's conducted extensive research into Chinese sightings, and made trips there in 2002, 2005, and 2006. The recent UFO sighting by Chinese scientists at the Purple Mountain Observatory that occurred during the solar eclipse in July has been somewhat of a "lost in translation" episode in terms of press coverage, he noted. The scientists witnessed an unexplained object in the corona of the eclipse-- it wasn't necessarily a craft, but probably more like an astronomical body, he explained. He spoke about several ET encounter cases in China. In one, a man (Cao Gong) was taken inside a UFO, and made to take part in a healing exercise for a young woman, which involved a solid beam of light. Interestingly, the woman was later tracked down and found to have unusual marks on her body, he reported. Chalker said he's particularly fascinated by cases such as this that involve "solid lights," beams of light that are sometimes used to transport or heal.He reviewed the 1992 Australian alien abduction case (featured in his book Hair of the Alien), in which a man named Peter Khoury received a strange visitation from two naked woman, and recovered a strand of blonde hair after the encounter. This hair underwent DNA analysis and was found to have unusual hybrid qualities-- the shaft was a rare Asian mongoloid sequence, while the root had a rare Gaelic profile, he detailed. Chalker outlined alien connections to various isolated cultures and tribes, which suggests to him that alien interactions have been going for a lot longer than is typically thought, and there may eventually be DNA evidence to demonstrate this.

Photo: Meeting with abductee in Beijing 2005 - left to right, Harvey Zhao, Lu Shi Guang, Bill Chalker, Cao Gong (abductee), and Zhang Jing Ping (Copyright: Bill Chalker)

Talking with George Knapp on Coast to Coast radio

I'll be talking with George Knapp on Coast to Coast http://www.coasttocoastam.com/ on Sunday September 20 11 pm to 2 am (US Pacific Coast time) and Monday September 21 4pm to 7 pm Australian East coast time.

We will be discussing among other things the Chinese UFO scene. I have conducted extensive research into the Chinese UFO experience and visited China for that purpose in 2002, 2005 and 2006. We will also be discussing my extensive background in Australian UFO research, the progress of my DNA mediated UFO research, the breakthrough focus on an alien DNA paradigm, and the current state of ufology.

George was in Australia in June 2007 lecturing on the "Hunt for the Skinwalker" saga - the monitoring of UFO and other unexplained phenomena on a property in Utah. We had some time together taking in the local wildlife, beaches and pubs, and also managed to discuss UFOs.

Photos: George and an Australian friend; George's close encounter with some of the Aussie wildlife (Photos: Bill Chalker)

UFO in Her Eyes

Because of my longtime interest in China, it history and its people, as well as its alluring mysteries, I've also been drawn to its literature, both classical and modern. The variety is as rich as all the manifestations of things Chinese.

A new novel from Xiaolu Guo brings together the UFO and the potent force of change. The book is structually and stylistically engaging. It is deceptively simple in its telling but potent in its resonances with the realities of China.

The book's jacket description reveals:

"Silver Hill Village, 2012. On the twentieth day of the seventh moon - the day after National Wiping Out Illiteracy Day - Kwok Yun is making her way across the rice fields on her Flying Pigeon bicycle. Her world is upturned when she sights a UFThing - a spinning plate in the sky - and helps a Westerner in distress whom she discovers in the shadow of the alien craft.

"It's not long before the village is crawling with men from the National Security and Intelligence Agency armed with pointed questions. And when the Westerner that Kwok Yun saved repays her kindness with a large dollar cheque she becomes a local celebrity, albeit under constant surveillance."

The agents' interrogation files provide the story's structure which reveals a "startling parable of change" that imagines "an uneasy future for rural China and its relations not only with Beijing but the wider world beyond.

From the book:

'Have you heard of UFOs?' she asked.

'UFwhat? We had no idea what she was talking about.

'UFOs. Unidentified Flying Objects.'

Yun just stared at her with those big, stupid eyes of hers. Then Chief Chang continued:

'It is thought by some that UFOs carry alien life forms.'

DISTRICT 9 – Alienation, sangomas & “the alien problem”

I went to a special Sony Pictures Sydney preview of the Peter Jackson produced alien movie District 9 on July 30. The movie’s release date is August 13. While it might not do much for the real “alien problem” – the UFO mystery – I found it to be an entertaining science fiction movie with “a raw, authentic feel”, captured through an impressive blend of “authentic-looking images,” “mockumentary footage” and real, existing footage from actual news agencies. I look forward to seeing it again, to witness the wider reaction to it, and also to a sequel. A unique and unusual film, once you get into it, the story sweeps you along in an unlikely embrace with potent contemporary issues of real alienation, how media shapes our reality, rampant militarism and unchecked exploitation of secret power.

The film’s production information reveals:

“Over twenty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees from their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9 as the world’s nations argued over what to do with them.

“Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare. MNU will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens’ powerful weaponry work. So far, they have failed;; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA.

“The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when MNU begins evicting the non-humans from District 9, with MNU field agents responsible for moving them to a new camp. One of the MNU field operatives, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts an alien virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable – he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.”

While the above detail might seem in the “spoiler” category, in reality it is mere teaser for a fine and assured movie directing debut from Neill Blomkamp. District 9’s genesis most directly comes from Blomkamp’s low budget short “mockumentary” Alive in Jo’burg, where he dumps intergalactic aliens into the cultural mix of one of Africa’s most dynamic and then somewhat dystopian cities - Johannesburg. Capturing the reaction of this “alien intrusion” is potently enriched in confronting ways by the very real xenophobia and conflicts evident in the city in response to the problem of illegal alien of the neighbouring country kind. This outing inspires the style, approach and content of District 9.

The hapless Wikus gets the MNU gig of directing the relocation of the aliens from District 9. He describes them clumsily and condescendingly as “prawns.” They are collectively seen as revolting, and habitually scavenging in the dumps within District 9 and its surrounding areas bordering Johannesburg. Incongruously their massive mothership has been hovering above the city for 20 years in a scene reminiscent of “Independence Day.” This and other fleeting resonances with various sci-fi films are soon pushed aside with Blomkamp’s unique style and plot direction. The alien “prawns” can’t go home, and early attempts at inclusion give way to explicit parallels to apartheid and our contemporary treatment of refugees and those different to us. It is a real tribute to the filmmakers here that we have a highly focused and different reaction by films end.

The film captures many levels of action – the plodding heavy handed relocation efforts directed at alien undesirables by the menacing militarised MNU enterprise; the alienation of militarised technology, both alien and human (the latter through MNU’s similarities with private military and security enterprises in conflicts like Iraq); and one man’s confronting and frightening descent into alienation through personal evolution of the bizarre kind.

Another level between the mainstream world of humans and the bizarre world of the seemingly helpless and scavenging aliens is richly realised in the Nigerian underworld lair that runs a gamut of exploitative activities aimed at both humans and aliens. More darkly the Nigerian gang wants the unrealised alien power but try different exotic traditional African approaches. It is here I was fascinated to see a confronting aspect I covered in my own book “Hair of the Alien” where I describe some of more stomach turning activities of African shamans or sangomas, most notably in the taboo initiation rituals of Credo Mutwa. He tells of eating “alien” flesh in an attempt to gain alien power. The Nigerians also try such culinary routes to gain access to the alien’s control over their weaponry.

District 9 is a confronting and wild descent into multiple levels of alienation in unique and striking ways. I think it will be an intriguing and cult style hit at the box office. Films like this that not only engage in interesting and entertaining ways, but also cause us to confront all too familiar real experiences with alienation, are too rare. At the very least District 9 is a dark and gritty example of a very popular and enduring genre of film – the alien and us. Bring on the sequel.

(Images: Copyright Sony Pictures - used on the basis of reviewing the film)

The Passing of South Australia's - "Mr. UFO" COLIN NORRIS (1920 - 2009)

During Monday evening, July 13th 2009 Colin Norris passed away in Adelaide, South Australia. Although not well known outside of Australia, Colin was long considered in South Australia by the local media as "Mr. UFO."

Born on 30 September 1920, Colin encountered the UFO mystery directly in 1942 at Geraldton Western Australia, where he was stationed with the Royal Australia Air Force. Colin's nephew Mark told me, "I can tell you that Uncle Colin told me many times of his first encounter of a UFO, or foo fighter as the air force called them, during the 2nd world war. Colin was the turret gunner situated at the nose of a Liberator bomber in the Aust. air force over South Pasific. He told me that they were buzzed many times by a flying disc of metallic colour . One night while he was standing on the tarmac, a flying disc hovered over him silently, and beamed a blue light onto his head, after this happened he had a scar on his head he could never explain. Colin was so intrigued by these things going on around him ,that he devoted his entire life to investigating UFO and their existence." Colin described the 1942 UFO a bit further as brown in colour with a purple "U" around its perimeter.

He started studying the subject in more detail as reports of "flying saucers" gained more prominence in Australia during 1952. By 1957 he had joined Fred Stone's Australia Flying Saucer Research Society. Following Fred Stone's departure from AFSRS in 1962 Colin became vice president. In 1963 he was quoted by the Adelaide News newspaper (April 27) saying, "I just think the world might have something to gain from these people, who might be more advanced in knowledge than we are." By the end of the 1960s he had the highest profile of any UFO researcher in the state of South Australia. He lectured at the 1965 Ballarat UFO conference on "History of UFOs" and was a speaker at the 1971 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) symposium on UFOs, one of the few times mainstream science publically engaged with "the UFO problem."

In 1972 he even came to the attention of ASIO - Australia's domestic spy service - apparently because of his correspondence with Soviet academics and giving a lecture to the Young Socialists League in SA. He was also a focus of RAAF South Australia "counter intelligence" memos which stated,
1. Enclosed is an UFO report forwarded to this Headquarters by "The Australian Flying Saucer Research Society - (Adelaide)", together with an accompanying letter from Mr John Burford which, inter alia, outlines recent moves to amalgamate the various UFO "research" societies in South Australia...
2. As on many occassions in the past, the report arrived at this Headquarters too late to make an investigation possible without considerable embarrassment and possible adverse publicity. The various UFO societies in this State, while aware of the RAAF's responsibility to investigate UFO sightings in an official capacity, are nonetheless reluctant to pass on information on UFO sightings to the RAAF until they have "picked the bones clean". Every attempt has been made by this Headquarters to elicit the co-operation of local UFO organisations, and in particular the AFSRS, in an endeavour to gain some first-hand information on UFO sightings....
4. Also enclosed for your information is a list os alleged sightings investigated by the AFSRS alone in 1971. It is significant that of the 112 sights, not one was reported to this Headquarters in the first instance. Indeed, it was only at the personal whim of Mr. Norris that the RAAF received copies of investigations (without "findings") in the long term. It would appear that, in spite of sparse and rather patronising publicity by the mass media to the effect that the RAAF is the responsible UFO-reporting organisation, and arrangements with the police to have any individual sighting a UFO contact this Headquarters, the public at large in this State remains either ignorant of the correct procedure, or chooses to contact the more glamorous - and credulous - "flying saucer" society. Furthermore, we are not aware of any effort on a national scale by higher authority to inform the public of the RAAF position in this matter, which is very active in South Australia.
5. From the foregoing, it can be seen that, if the proposed amalgamation of UFO groups in this State comes to pass, and timely reports of UFO sightings are passed to this Headquarters as indicated by Mr. Burford's remarks, the volume of work involved in investigating and processing such sightings will increase considerably. In fact, it is doubtful whether the Officer-in-Charge UFO's at this Headquarters (a secondary appointment) would be able to cope with such an increase, without significant and non-acceptable inroads being made into his primary role.
(E.T. PICKERD) Air Commodore, Officer Commanding

Colin Norris's AFSRS changed its name to Australian International UFO Flying Saucer Research" in 1978 and continued to publish a newsletter that recorded summaries of South Australian and other UFO sightings. He continued to maintain a high public media profile through the 1980s and into the 1990s, but as health and age issues started to intrude he became less active.

I described Colin's UFO contribution to Australian ufology in my 1996 book "The OZ Files - the Australian UFO story" as "colourful and controversial." He was never very far from controversial claims and was a favourite of the local media. Although some researchers saw him as regular source of "tantalising glimpses of material but not much detail" I found that Colin was helpful and forthcoming in his own way. He would be a great source of antecdotal information. He described to me in detail his investigations of some controversial abduction cases in South Australia (including the 1979 Nildottie affair and the 1974 Clifton Bore episode which featured the distressing element of possible missing children and the strange element of topological inversion (best captured in popular culture in Dr. Who's Tardis - bigger on the inside than outside. I have come across other cases that feature this element).

When I learnt from other sources at a lecture I gave to the Sydney Space Association in 1992 of a fascinating UFO photographic case at Kangaroo Island South Australia I interviewed the witness and found that she had reported her 1983 close encounter to Colin soon after. He kindly provided me a copy of some of the investigation material. His newsletter had only reported the briefest of details, which included none of the strange elements.

In our correspondence, meetings, and lectures I always found him cordial and full of intriguing stories and claims. His stationary reminded us of his credo, "The visitations of UFOs remind us that there are other planets in the Universe similar to ours." His son Grant told me Colin's philosophy was "investigate, tabulate, correlate" and take a nuetral view, free of occult or religious views. He was indeed a remarkable source of raw data, and it is pleasing that his data and files are in good hands. His son wants to ensure Colin's UFO legacy is preserved.

Colin Norris - a long life dedicated to examining a remarkable enigma - the UFO enigma - in his own colourful and unique way.