Australia’s Biggest UFO Mystery | The Westall UFO Incident (1966)

0:00 Straight away, I knew it was a UFO. It didn't look like anything that man would build. A young [music] girl had burst into the room saying that there is a flying saucer in the sky. >> We all stopped and looked up and we could see these three craft. >> I remember two saucers and they're moving erratically. >> It was big oval shape all bluey purple [music] lights right around the whole >> It started shimmering and shaking. It started to become translucent and I thought, "I can't believe what I'm looking at." >> And as it got up, it turned on its side and just went straight up in the air. It was nothing from our time. >> Some time later, we saw army trucks arrive. He said the army guys reckon that the school kids have seen a flying >> We sort of had like the fear of God put into us. >> I'm feeling a bit eerie now just talking about it because I don't usually talk about it.

1:40 >> We're here at The Grange today with Mr. Paul Smith, who was a market gardener at the time of the sighting. Mr. Smith, April 6th, 1966. Take us back to that day, please. What was your experience? What do you remember of that day? >> it was just like any other day. We started work and uh about 11:00-ish, I would say. I looked up I didn't hear anything. I don't know why I looked up, but I looked up and there was this object in the sky. it was uh silver, bright, very bright to white, silver-white-ish color. And I looked at it for a few seconds and it started shimmering and shaking and it started to become translucent. >> Yeah, you could see through it, start to see through it.

2:41 And then it started to change color, change its form. It lowered lowered down, it was lowering down and came became almost invisible. You could um just see this white-ish smoke left behind, a trail of smoke. And it went round in an arc >> and it went through into the pine trees, into the Grange. >> What was roughly the size of this craft, you'd say? >> Oh, it was big bigger than a large >> Bigger than a large coach? >> coach for what I think 46 people or something they hold. >> And silent completely? You didn't hear >> I never heard a thing. >> Not even like a slight buzz or nothing? >> No, not from where I was, I didn't hear >> Were you alone at the time of the >> No, I wasn't alone. My boss was opposite me. He had his back to it. >> So, he never saw it. >> He never saw it. >> saw it. >> How old were you at the time of the >> I was 16 at the time. I just turned 16.

3:43 >> And you never seen anything like this craft before, never since? >> I haven't seen anything since, either. >> And when you first looked at this craft, I mean, you said to me earlier you thought it might have been a film >> That's what your first thought was. >> because I didn't believe that what it was happening. >> I was looking at it, but I couldn't believe what I was seeing. >> I just didn't believe what I was seeing. I thought, "Oh, somebody's got a way of um filming it into the sky or projecting it into the sky to make it look like it's actually there. >> But it just looked so It looked solid. It looked real. >> But I didn't want to say anything also for that reason. Um if somebody's trying to make you look stupid, so that's another reason I kept quiet. I never said anything. >> You thought someone was pulling a prank. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And roughly how long did you have eyes on this craft? >> Um only about 2 minutes. >> Only about 2 minutes. >> Do you think it noticed you maybe?

4:43 >> I do. >> think that. I felt that um it's observing the area, observing us, but once we I looked at it, that's when it started to change. >> And what what sort of change? >> Um it started to shimmer, >> Shimmer what? >> sort of shake a little bit, and uh it it changed its color. It would go purpley, go reds and greens and just all different colors. And uh as it was going through this um change to be come translucent, and uh eventually there was nothing there, just this white gas. >> When you first looked at the craft, what color was it? >> It was silver white, bright silver, almost white. It was that bright. >> It was that bright. >> Very bright, yes. >> So you were a market gardener at the time. You were working around there? >> And you say roughly you saw it

5:45 around about here. >> flying around. >> And about 30 m high up? >> Yeah, 30 m high. Yeah. >> So, you're you're over there. You're just doing your daily duties, working. >> And you've just, you know, randomly looked up and you see this >> I thought I can't believe what I'm looking at. >> This couldn't be possible. >> No, I couldn't believe cuz it wasn't In my eyes, it wasn't possible. But it happened. >> It happened. >> Yeah, it but, you know, I didn't believe what I was looking at. >> But um it wasn't that far away from me because I was there. The object was up here above the trees. And the Westall High School is through there, about Well, 5 5 minutes run, 10 minutes walk. >> Roughly, what what time of day was this? >> Uh 11 11:00-ish, around about 11:00. >> That seems to be in line with what a lot

6:46 of the the kids that were at the school say. >> Around 10:30-ish, 11:00. >> Yeah. When you first spotted the craft, did you feel frightened? Did you feel scared at all? What was sort of your emotions at the time? >> Um I think I've been so busy with busy working loading up for market that I saw it and I sort of didn't believe what I was looking at. And it wasn't shooting bullets or didn't seem to be doing any damage or harm to So, no, I wasn't um I wasn't frightened of it. I mean, I can imagine school kids little kids being frightened of it. Yeah. But um no, I wasn't. I was too preoccupied with work. >> Right. [laughter] >> And Moorabbin Airport's very close by. >> It's about 6 km through here. >> Through there. >> Moorabbin, yeah. >> On the day, at the time of deciding, you know what, you hear a lot of the witnesses saying close to the school

7:46 they saw Cessna >> Cessna aircraft flying around the area. >> right because they were around all the time, but I didn't take any notice of >> You you were used to seeing Cessnas and planes in the area. >> So it's safe to say you can distinguish between you know, something out of the ordinary and a Cessna. >> Yeah, oh, totally different. >> Did not look like an airplane at all. >> No. No. It didn't have wings. >> Mhm. No tail or anything. >> No wings, tail, no. So it was just ovalish sort of shape, silver, really >> Really bright. >> Almost almost white hot looking. >> White hot looking. >> Yeah. Yeah, but it wasn't uh you couldn't feel that much anything heat from it, but it had that white very look to it and it was shimmering. >> Yeah, whether it was the sun reflecting on it, I don't know. >> On the day when you went home or in the days after the sighting, did you speak to anyone at home about it? >> told my mother what had happened and then my sister came home from work

8:49 and she said, "I've heard about that. The women at the Austral bakeries are talking about it." >> So other people in the area had also seen it. It wasn't just the school kids. >> No. No, it didn't go back. Yeah. >> And did did they seem to believe you or was it >> My parents did, yes. Yes. >> So they didn't try and ridicule you or anything like that. >> So something definitely took place. >> definitely took place. >> was out of the ordinary. >> Yeah, out of the ordinary and it definitely wasn't a balloon. >> Definitely wasn't a balloon. >> No. No. >> It was a solid object and it it came down. If it was a balloon, it would have either flown up, gone away, it would have collapsed and been on the ground there, and it wasn't. >> Terry, 6th April, uh 1966. Take us back to that day, please. What do you

9:49 remember? Where were you when you first spot these UFOs? >> Gee, I wish I could go back to that [laughter] day. I was out playing cricket on the oval in 1966. We were just having a normal day, game of cricket, and someone said, "Oh, what's that, you know, up in the sky?" And we all stopped and looked up. And we were really dismayed. I mean, we could see these three craft. That's the only way I can describe them, really, cuz we knew they weren't airplanes because we were so close to Maribyrnong Airport at the time, you know, we were used to seeing aircraft flying back and around all the Um but these were just something out of the ordinary. >> I was in class with uh with all the and somebody came into the room and said, "There's a flying saucers out And I recall we all went out. Forget the teacher. We all went out and had a look, and there would have been over 100 kids out in the playground area, which is uh right near the pylon area.

10:49 And there was I saw two flying discs uh flying up above the pylon area. And all the kids were pretty excited, and so was I. >> I was in Selwyn's class and with Mr. Greenwood teaching us. And just before the bell, this young girl had burst into the room saying that there is a flying saucer in the sky. And we all turned around, and we laughed at her cuz we thought she was, you know, just um being a crackpot, I think. And we got told off by Mr. Greenwood. He's he stopped us, and he said, "No, we'll we'll go and see." So, next thing I could remember is that I was out on the oval. I don't know if I followed him out or how it happened, but I was on the oval with and I was conscious of all the other students out there. And I looked where they looked and I kept my eyes fixed on what was around.

11:51 Um sort of dis- that shone in the sun. I was aware of the tower in the background out of the corner of my eye. And then it's felt like a while that I was watching it. And then I turned around just to say half a split second just to see who was beside me. Look back and it was gone. And I was really upset. It gone just like that. It didn't even see it go. This huge big thing um was coming up hovering over and I was just transfixed on it. I was just mesmerized by I realized what it was straight away. I knew it was a UFO. It didn't look like anything that man would build or could build. Uh we wouldn't have didn't have that sort of technology. I'd never ever seen anything like that before. And uh so I was just transfixed on that and just watching just what it was doing. And uh and it was as I said it was going quite slow. It was scary at the same time.

12:52 >> It was frightening. >> Bit spooky. >> It was frightening. It was because I automatically knew what it >> William, what was >> Yeah, what are your memories? >> Well, that day was um you know, a lovely day. What I can remember, but that part, yeah, wasn't rain or anything like that. And I just looked up and I just seen it just hovering. And it was like it was still. It went to come down, but then as I looked like that, I seen the second one. Now, a lot of people didn't see the second one, so I'll only say what I >> So, you're very sure you saw three craft in the air when you're on the airfield. >> Yes, three. Definitely three. >> There were three. >> And how were they moving? Were they also turning on their side? >> They was Yes, they were They were disappearing too. And they were higher a bit higher up. So, one appeared to be a bit bigger, but I think it was just because it was a bit lower in the sky. they The other two were up a bit higher, but they sort of you'd be looking and

13:54 you'd see three and then one would disappear and then you'd see another one over there. So, they appeared to sort of be able to move very quickly. >> Um and sort of turn on their side and and almost disappear. Um it was very strange. Very strange. >> Absolutely out of the ordinary. Never seen anything like >> No, never. Never. >> You're very sure you saw more than one. >> I saw two. >> You saw two. >> I only saw two. >> I know some people have said they've seen three, but I only recall two. >> You're sure you saw more than one >> I did. >> You did. You saw more than one. >> I just saw one because I was I didn't look I wasn't looking at I was just trying to fix at this and I was just looking at it what it looked like, the color of it, the design of it, um the intricacies of it and I still remember >> Well, let's get into it. What what How would you describe the object that you >> Definitely shape Well, we'll we'll say shape like a UFO. So, >> It wasn't like the Jetsons, that's for >> it definitely wasn't. Didn't look like that. And it didn't look like Lost in Space. It didn't have windows. It didn't have lights. It was a metal object. Not

14:55 not totally gray. Not But not brown like a donkey brown. Sort of a fawny color. And it was um just tapered down like that. It was matte matte in color. And you could And what And it because it was so close when we're looking up at it, probably about 200 m up if that. >> Did you see any lights at the bottom? >> No lights. >> No lights at >> No lights whatsoever. >> Did you see any lights? >> And it wasn't spinning. >> It wasn't spinning. It was just hovering and nothing coming out of it. It wasn't smoke or no lights, nothing like that and it was just hovering, silent. >> No sound at all? >> No sound at all. >> Yeah, it was just unbelievable. >> It was just unbelievable. >> eerie. It was quite eerie. >> The saucers themselves, how were they moving? What were their maneuvers? >> I remember they were moving fast and they were moving in erratic nature as >> How were the craft moving? That you had your eyes fixed on one. >> It didn't seem to move. It was just >> Oh, it just it just

15:56 >> Yes, yes, I was just looking at at something that was just there. >> And I looked away and then it was gone. >> What sort of maneuvers was it was it making? Was it fast or was it just hovering in one spot? >> Just hovering and just hovering. >> Over the top of the trees. >> just hovering and just coming down. >> It was amazing really to just >> see this >> see this big thing just sitting >> in the air. >> in the air and not moving. >> This was just so close. And going and it was right there and hovering right above us for a period of time, you know. It felt like minutes. I'm not quite sure how long it would have been, but it felt like minutes. >> It just happened it happened so quick. >> It was just like a >> yeah, but it wasn't going quickly. >> blink of the eye. Was all right watching it up there, but the time it moved and went down and there was two of them. It was just so quick.

16:58 >> Yeah, it took off very quickly. >> The speed of the craft, have you have you seen anything like that ever since? >> No, like I said, for its time in the '60s, that technology is just not around and certainly was not a hot air balloon as people say. Like I said, for that time there's nothing like it, so it definitely seemed like something out of this world. >> That's the best way to describe it, you know, back in the '60s. >> How high up were they roughly? >> Well, they were up higher than the pylons, so I would say they probably would, as a guess, maybe 300, 400 ft. I've been there, so yeah. >> So close enough for you to get a a good visual look at what you're looking at. >> Oh, absolutely, without doubt. >> And roughly the size of them, if you can remember what >> Well, I'm sort of basing it on what I saw at the landing site. I would I would say probably be a bit good 60, 60 ft. >> 60 ft. >> You know, old terms, you know. That was what we called it nowadays, you So yeah, good 60 ft.

17:59 >> And the shape of them, how how did the craft look? Just classic disc shape? >> traditional silver disc shape >> And but it was interesting how it was going very slow, and as I said, hovering above us. As I said, not spinning, no And that was the funny part, because planes make sound, everything else makes sound, and this didn't. Silence. You know that it's not Because something that big and the shape of that, and we're only we're talking about 1966, for goodness You know, planes made noises in those And so did cars. We didn't like, you know, electric vehicles. We didn't have anything like that then. We had nothing. >> So you're in the classroom, yeah, a a kid runs in saying flying saucers in the air, flying saucers in the air. And do you wait for the teacher or you just rush out? >> just went out. All at once. >> And there were already kids on the oval? >> There would have been already a good 80 to 100 kids out there already looking

18:59 and pointing up towards the pylon area. >> Right. Roughly how many students were on the oval at the time of the >> Yeah, probably about 30 students, and then of course they all came out because the bell went, so they all came running out of the classrooms. Um, and then there might have been 200 of us out >> There were a lot. A lot of students. The whole school basically was out there. And there were a few teachers as well. >> Yeah, teachers as well. Yeah, they were trying to keep everybody, you know, calm, I think. Um But, you know, there were teachers that saw it. It wasn't until the school bell went that all the other students ran out. It might have been 5 minutes or something. And then they were all, you know, looking up and, you know, we were trying to work out what we were looking >> But, um we're all pretty sure that it was some sort of, you know, space craft because of the way they were moving. Um But, you know, it was so amazing at the time. You don't know what it is, really. You're just thinking, you know, lots of things go through your head. >> like what can it possibly be? And then, by the time you actually get your

20:00 thoughts together, the whole episode's over. You know, they've gone. And that's it. >> And it wasn't a typical aircraft cuz Moorabbin Airport was very close to the school, right? >> So you were used to seeing Cessnas and all that? >> But then a a plane wouldn't just stay there. That's what got me. It just stayed >> A plane would keep going. So I did not see a plane. So whatever I saw there was just there, and then it was gone. >> But it was there for quite a number of seconds. I I stood there looking at it. >> It just hovered there. It just stayed in the same spot. >> And I'm thinking, waiting for it to do And then, cuz I'm impatient. And that's when I looked around quickly, and I looked up, and it was gone. >> So there's also, um, some light aircraft, uh, in the sky, as I recall, as well, cuz it is a an actual flight path to Moorabbin Airport. >> Were they small, Cessna-looking >> Yes, they were. >> They were? >> Right. And you saw roughly four, five?

21:01 >> Yeah, probably half a dozen small Cessnas flying. >> And then we also had aircraft coming across from Merredin, all these little aircraft buzzing around, looking. So, they obviously had notification or saw something on their radars that there was something in the area. >> At what point did the Cessna planes come into view? Did they look like they were sort of giving chase to the UFOs? >> No, they didn't. They were just they came much later. >> They came much later. >> And you know, they were just sort of buzzing around looking, I think. I mean, they could never have caught up with them anyway. They were much lower. Um so, no. They they obviously saw something or were told to just go over there and see what they could see. But, no. They were just they were so slow. It was, you know, they had no chance of catching up with >> At the time of the sighting, you're you're looking up and you see these craft in the air. Did you feel afraid? Did you feel scared at all? What were your emotions? >> No, I think I think the adrenaline was pretty high. And all the kids were pointing up in the sky. So, no. It was quite exciting and

22:02 exhilarating. I certainly wasn't scared or anything. I thought that I just thought it was just like, "Wow. Very >> Just in awe of what you you were seeing. >> Yep. It's hard hard to comprehend what you were seeing, too, because it's something that people never see. >> Were you afraid at the time when you were staring at this UFO? >> I was curious more than afraid cuz it was unbelievable to me. >> It was emotional. >> It was very emotional because we just you just knew what it was. But, it's almost like a sixth sense that you just know that this is not from here. This is not from Earth. >> Even at that age, you got that >> age, absolutely. At that age, you just it was not we'd never seen anything like this before, ever. Not even on TV. >> So, you had no reference point. >> No reference point at all. So, we'd never seen anything like this. Never studied it. Never ever spoken about. No.

23:10 And then one of them appeared to go down in the sky down into an area called the Grange which was behind our school. It was a forest of pine trees and we used to do our cross country runs there. So I was very familiar with it. I don't know if it was then or it was the next break when with some other girls we ran over to where they said it landed in the Grange behind the trees it looked like it was landing and went down there. I just followed them and for some reason we just seemed to know where where to go and I still don't understand how we knew because you can't see behind all the >> 5 minutes later all these school kids came over and they stood at the wire fence for a the broken all rusty barbwire fence and they looked towards us and they thought will we go or won't we but they decided we will because they

24:11 they wanted to get over they they were looking for it. But they didn't realize it was already gone. It had disappeared. My opinion is why are they going over there you know because it's gone but they were too far away and we weren't going to go over and talk to them. We just let them go. They went over into the other paddock. >> And we left it at that. >> Being a bit of a daredevil like I was then if I mean if it happened now I would run the opposite direction. However, I ran straight over to the corner of the school jumped the fence the usual route into the Grange we used to do our cross country runs there and I ran towards where I thought I saw this one go down. And as I approached this clearing, it's all changed now. Of course, there's houses and everything there now, but back then it was just a real forest, you know? And we had this well there and a

25:12 little old house that was derelict, and we used to meet there after school and everything. Anyway, as I approached this clearing, I could see this great big round sort of oval object just hovering just above the ground. I I actually thought it was on the ground, but it was just above the ground. And it was only about probably oh, 10 m away from me, and I just stood there frozen, really. There were two other girls that had gotten there before me, and they were both on the ground back sort of a bit behind me, and one was appeared to be like fainted or something, and the other one was just crying and screaming. Uh I just stood there in amazement and stared at it, which is funny because, you know, I wouldn't do it now, as I said. And it just looked like like a flying saucer, like you'd see in the movies, really. It was big oval-shaped with a little bit of a humped top on it, all bluey-purple lights right around the whole perimeter. I could feel a bit of heat coming from

26:13 I could also hear a low humming noise, and then after what seemed like an eternity, but it wasn't. It was probably only, you know, a minute, maybe half a minute. It just started to slowly rise up from the ground, and as it got up to within maybe 10, 15 m, it turned on its side and just went straight up in the air, and I could see the other two way up in the air, and it joined them, and they just disappeared into thin air. Just like that. And it was it was so fast the way that it just accelerated straight up into the that it was nothing from our time. >> Almost instantaneously. >> Instantaneous. And then they disappeared. Just disappeared into thin air. So, whatever it was, it certainly wasn't a weather balloon or um some experiment that we were all told to shut up and not talk about it. No weather balloon moves like that. I will say there were no windows in the one I saw. I couldn't see anything inside it at

27:15 all. It was just purply bluey colored lights all around it and a bit of noise and some heat. I I didn't see anybody inside it or anything. >> Right. And roughly the size of the craft, what would you say? >> It It was roughly Look, I always describe it the same way cuz back then, the old station wagons were around a lot. It was probably about 1 and 1/2 times the size of a station wagon. Um sedan. So, you know, how big's that? >> Right. About 8 10 m or so? >> Yeah, probably. Yeah. It's hard to It's hard to say now, so many years later, the exact measurements of something that you saw back then. But, you know, it was Yeah, it was fairly big. >> Fairly big. Right. And you got within you'd say roughly 10 m or so? >> Yes, I was very close to it, you know, which was amazing because I just ran and I got to this clearing and it was there right in front of me. I didn't really have time to think. Um and then it wasn't long before it started to just lift off the ground really slowly and it did leave a flattened yellow patch there.

28:15 >> What color was the Was the craft? >> a silvery color. >> Silvery color? And just classic flying saucer shape? >> Yeah, what you see in movies really. Like a bit of a hump on the top and then flatten round, you know, like a big saucer with these lights going right around the edge of it. Um I I remember seeing some sort of rivets or sort of seams or something in the metal, but that That's about it. I don't remember anything else. It was you know, you're trying to sort of take it in and you're just staring at it and it's hard to remember all the actual details years later. I just basically remember in my looking at it, it being silver, big, flat, like a you know, like a typical UFO, what you would expect it to be like, and that's what it looked like. >> So, I guess that's where all the stories come from, you know, whoever has seen them has talked about it, and that's the classic shape that everyone seems to >> So, you're at the Grange, you're standing across from this UFO. How did

29:15 you feel at that point? Were you frightened? Were you scared at all? >> Not really. I a little bit. I was I was um anxious a little bit. Um I stunned. You know, it it was just this feeling of, "Oh my god, what is it?" You know? And really, I didn't have too much time to think anything too much. I mean, I wasn't hysterical like one of the other girls was. Um I just stared at it, and really by the time I collected my thoughts it had already started to lift off the ground. >> So, no, I wasn't terrified. I was I was a bit of a daredevil back then, and I just was looking at thinking, "What am I looking at?" You know? Trying to take it in, and um yeah, I suppose I would have got a bit nervous if it had moved or you know, stayed there any longer than it did, but because it actually lifted off fairly quickly, I didn't have a lot of time to really start to panic, you know? >> It wasn't threatening at all. >> No, nothing. I couldn't see anything inside it or anything. It was basically just this metal

30:16 circle with lights around it, and you know, as I said, the humming and the bit of heat coming off it, and that was it. So, it started to go, and it went, and that was it. >> I just I was left thinking, "What in the hell have I just seen?" >> After school, which is probably about 3:00, 3:00, 3:15, uh I remember going over to the Grange and uh, walking down cuz it's only uh, 10 minutes walk from the school. And uh, and I saw the landing site. I remember looking through uh, a barbed wire fence area out the front of the Grange here, which is no longer here. It's been developed. And I saw a an actual landing site, which would have been probably about 60 ft round. So, um, it was pretty exciting day. >> Were there circles on the ground? >> It's just a single uh, circle with depressed grass as such. >> Just depressed depressed grass. Didn't look like burnt grass or anything like

31:17 >> I don't recall. I think it I think it because the grass would have been probably a good meter tall. It would have been just depressed. I think is what I recall. >> All right. >> Not burnt as in um, per se, not not burnt like black, but it was all definitely yellowed and flattened flattened swirly sort of pattern all all >> All right. >> At what point did you go to the Grange and see the the flattened grass? >> The next day. >> Yeah, Lee Robertson, my brother Neil Martin, and myself, we went back up there just to find exactly where it did land. So, we just as kids we decided we'd go back and see and that's when we seen the grass. >> All flattened. >> And that's how I remember where it was. >> I cannot remember whether it was exactly the next day, but I remember Lillian cuz I said, "What did you see? What did you see?" you know? Because I was told by my >> She wouldn't let me down there. >> No way. We weren't allowed anywhere near it. We were told by the school we weren't allowed to go anywhere near

32:18 That was sort of like banned to go anywhere near that area. And uh, there's no way no my mom would let me um, cuz I wanted to go to Lillian's >> And there's no way no she's going to let me do that. >> And we went straight to this paddock. And in this paddock there was round circles. I think I recall seeing three that had been squashed and and turned in a swirl. And that convinced me well, what I was looking at was what I thought it was. >> Do you remember the circles, how roughly how big they were? >> they were probably a little bit larger round in this room. >> So, a few feet wide? >> Yeah. And you saw three circles >> I think two or three. I think three, Yeah, all, you know, together like if it was just one it had come up and then land again and yeah.

33:18 >> And how different did the the grass in the circles look from the other >> Oh, it's swirled. It's all as though something was turning in it. >> All right. >> followed suit. >> That's what I remember. >> After school, course we were all threatened not to go down there, but some people did sneak down and and these these jeeps had arrived with people in army sort of uniforms and they'd put up all orange plastic sort of fencing around it and and to keep us out. So, it was very um yeah, it was all very clandestine. You know, I know a man, he actually died about 2 years ago that was with um the South Oakley Fire Brigade and he was sent out there and he was quite young at the time too, but he was sent out there to investigate and when he got there he saw um a big circle on the ground of um yellowed sort of flattened grass and but there was nothing there, it had gone, of course, and he just went back to the station and he was told not to talk

34:20 about it. >> So, the craft, they disappear, they go behind the Grange. You're then ushered back into into class, like into the >> What happens then? Are you spoken to by your teacher or the principal? >> That's when the teachers we were ushered back in, the teacher came back into the class. He stood at the front of the class and he addressed the classroom and said, "Look, you know, this is what what we've seen, what we've whatever and and not to This is really important not to discuss it and not to not speak about it. And and in those days you sort of did what you were told. Um nowadays the kids would just laugh at >> You know, it would be very very different, but in those days we did we followed what we were told to do. Well, I did, Lillian didn't.

35:21 >> I do remember when I when we went back into the classroom I saw the um Channel 9 I saw the vehicles going past with Channel 9 written on them and Channel >> I think Joy Clark got into trouble cuz she was out the front talking to Channel 9. So if someone came out and said get back in the school, you know, you're not allowed to talk to them. >> You and your friends got interviewed by Channel 9 right out here after the sighting, is that correct? >> That's correct. Uh there were about Well, they just rocked up and I can't remember totally how we got involved, but we must have we were all here and I think they just said, you know, "Is anybody can talk to us?" And it was myself and uh Marilyn and a couple of boys. So I think there was about five of us. So they were talking to us asking us about what we'd seen and all that. And probably about oh can't remember, but within 10 minutes I think it was that there was a placement a policeman came. And he we're all sort of standing lined up here and they were talking and they

36:22 were pointing and telling them things and he walked up to me and he put his hand on my left shoulder, and he turned his back to me, and he or he said to me, "You stop talking, and you go back inside the school." And then he turned his back on me and said to the "You stop filming, and to the reporter, and you go away." And then they disappeared. So, I got detention for >> Was there an assembly held that day? >> There was an assembly held, and we were told not to talk about it, that it was, you know, nothing, and that we've all just imagined it, and it was Then Then we were told it was a weather balloon. Then we were told it was some top secret experimental something. you know, it was They were just trying to keep us all quiet, really. >> After that, all I recall was going to and standing with all the other people. Um It's like a foyer. Um the headmaster coming out and telling us that we did not see

37:25 anything. He was very angry. >> You just recall a big assembly with the headmaster, Mr. Sandelbee. >> And what was the response from Mr. Sandelbee? What did he say? >> He just said that not to talk about anything what what we think we saw, we never saw at all. Um his exact words I don't remember. I just remember seeing his face. He wasn't And he was really, you know, he's sort of telling off. We were there for a long time at that assembly at just waiting cuz things were going on in the back in the hallway, and we didn't know what was going on. >> And I couldn't really hear or All I could hear was they were yelling and shaking their heads and going like this. And I felt sick. I did. I It upset me. Um and cuz I've been felt like I I standing there for a long time. And I just thought I just want to get out of here. It was It was unsettling.

38:27 And I thought at one stage I was about to faint. I felt like this guy had sort of come down red and I thought oh, I'm going to faint. >> How does it feel going back to school and just being told off by the teachers and you know, they're very >> very It was >> aggressive would that be a good word? >> They No, they were very assertive. >> I would say assertive. I wouldn't say aggressive. Assertive but I think they had the fear factor as well because they didn't understand what was going on. So, I think it was I think it would have been a mixture of them being protective towards us as students. Uh they couldn't explain what had Or what it was. So, they were trying to downplay things but say don't talk about it. >> Yeah, but we didn't talk about it even in the classroom when we went back in. >> No, because we were told not to. >> Yeah, but it was just >> Yeah, we had we weren't allowed to. We were It wasn't open for discussion. >> You were told flat out do not discuss

39:29 >> It was not open for discussion. And don't go home and talk about it and don't come back to school the next day and talk about it. So, it wasn't open for discussion. We weren't allowed to discuss it. >> And another teacher inside took actually took a film with a little brownie box brownie camera. But that camera was confiscated as well. Like you know, they just took everything. If we'd all had mobile phones back then, it would have been a different story today. >> And then the school mistress Mrs. Robbins, she come out next because things were going in on in the hallway. Through the glass you could see people and what have you. I didn't know what was going on but Miss Robbins come out and she's got red hair and she had a red face cuz she was really upset. Really upset. >> Did you Did you ever hear more about Barbara Robbins, the chemistry teacher? She apparently took photos of the craft near the oval. >> Yeah, that's the principal I was talking about before with the red hair. Um

40:31 never heard anything since, but I did when she come out to speak to us, she was very upset. Her red face seemed to match her red hair, and um I'm sure she wouldn't be upset unless something happened to her. That's how it looked to me. She was more than upset. She was distraught in my way of of thinking. >> We had the one of the high school teachers came over and spoke to our teacher, and they were um speaking at the back the back of the classroom because we were in a portable at that stage, and the door was at the back. >> And uh and our teacher went to the back of the classroom and was having a discussion with that um I think I believe it was the science teacher. I don't know what his name was. And he was saying that he had his camera taken away from him, and we heard the I heard the conversation. >> You heard the conversation? >> I heard the conversation. >> And he was >> Between the two teachers. >> saying he took photos, and the camera

41:32 >> Yes. And he was tell And it was confiscated, and they were told um that they weren't allowed to discuss this with anyone. And the two teachers said, "Well, this meeting didn't happen you know, it didn't happen between us. You didn't come over here." And it was just it was such like hush hush and secrecy. It was It was actually >> And when you got back to the school, what what was the What sort of people did you see? Was it army, air force? >> Oh, when I got back to the school, it was just all the kids and teachers. That's all for quite a while. I think it was might have been 20 minutes, half an hour, or something before these we saw these jeeps going down the side road, you know, next to the school. >> Oh, sometime later we saw army trucks arrive. >> Army trucks? >> Yeah, army trucks. Two large trucks covered in canvas and a couple of Jeeps. >> And uh there was men inside. They got out. They were looking around the

42:32 And uh >> Did they have Geiger counters or anything like radiation? >> Something like that they had, yes. >> So, they were inspecting the ground? >> They were inspecting the ground and one of them came over in the Jeep to the fence, climbed over the fence and spoke to my boss and asked him questions. And uh he hadn't seen it, so I just assumed he told them we never saw anything and uh he went away. But the following day uh they came back again and they burned off some of the area. >> They burnt off the area? >> Yeah, they had uh like cans with like a lighter on the end of it and they could um they were lighting sections. Uh some people feel that they were trying to get rid of evidence. >> It's funny how people think differently. I thought maybe they're looking for

43:32 >> You know, and they're getting rid of the so they can see if there's imprints or anything on the ground. >> But everybody's got their own opinion on >> on what >> Yeah. What maybe took place. >> And these men, these army men that came, do you remember the uniform at all? Did they look to be Australian? >> It's [clears throat] hard to tell. It was khaki colored. I seem to feel that it was camouflaged. The trucks were >> But they wore sunglasses and that was about it. >> Yeah. Not all of them, but the one that came over and spoke to my boss with sunglasses on. Yeah. >> Now, you yourself personally, you weren't spoken to by any of these army men or >> any of the men in suits or anything? >> You sort of just didn't didn't talk about it. >> Good call. >> Good call at the time. >> Yeah. I kept quiet. Yeah. Your boss was spoken to them and a few others. Did they seem threatening,

44:33 >> I thought so. >> They did? >> I felt intimidated by them, but not the >> The men the men seemed more >> They were intimidating, but the craft I felt wasn't bothered by it. >> So, you saw army men pull up in their in their >> How how long were they in the area for >> Um oh, at least half an hour because we left while they were there. We left them down And we went back to the sheds and my went over to talk to the guy that owned land that the market garden next door. He said the army guys reckon >> that the school kids have seen a flying >> They said that? >> Yeah. Yeah, that's what he said. >> And after the craft left, roughly how long would you say it took for the police, army, and the news to come? >> Oh, the police were there pretty quick after that. Um

45:35 So, they were there first. >> 10 minutes? >> Yeah, they were they weren't they they were there very very quickly. And then there were more that came. You could see the um uh the police cars, and then you could see the news crew um because you could see the channel 9 and channel 10 written on the side of the trucks. >> Do you remember the fire brigade coming at all? >> I can't remember. No. They probably did. It would have been It was I think it was all hands on deck. >> And there was a lot of activity. A lot of activity afterwards in in that Because you could see it we I could see it from the classroom, but exactly what it was I can't remember that. I can't remember that. >> A lot of the witnesses remember this presence of these men in suits being >> Yeah, I did see some men in suits. Um and when we had the get-together the assembly, there were some men in suits standing at the side. Um I don't know who they were or where they were from, but they looked like official people. >> And that was out of the ordinary. >> And that yeah, they were probably

46:35 narrating it all telling Mr. Sappleby what to say to us, you know. >> Oh, you think he got told what to say? >> Yeah, I do. Yeah, I think he got told. Cuz why else were they there? >> Did you see people behind Mr. Sappleby in the in the corridor? >> Yes, I did. >> Were they men in suits or how did they >> they were. Yes, yeah. As a child, when someone is speaking to you like a person of authority, when they've got the fear factor in them, when I have a look at it from a psychological aspect now, when they've got the fear factor in them and they can't describe or they can't you know, they don't know what has gone on themselves and they're trying to calm the students down and telling us not to talk about it as which they had obviously been directed by the police. Um which they were directed by the police because when I heard the two teachers speaking at the back of the classroom, they were speaking about this exact thing being told that we weren't allowed to speak about it. Um they were just reiterating that.

47:37 Um but and that that was the scary part because it was um you knew that it was it was something very odd. Um that was very just very strange. That had never happened before. We'd never been never seen anything like that never been in that situation before never been spoke to you like that >> So, you you go home that day after school. Do you talk about it with your >> Look, my parents are European parents, so I think don't think they were too too impressed about, you know, anything I had to say, especially at that age. >> You wouldn't be taken seriously. >> Did they believe you? Did they try and dismiss the story? How did it go? >> Yeah, I think I think they dismissed the story. So, it's that sort of, you know, makes you withdrawn and you don't want to be talking about it, so >> And I've only just come out um on this, you know, talking about it in the last, you know, uh 5 years. >> kept it under wraps for that long. >> Only person I've really talked about it is my partner.

48:38 this this event takes place. You then go >> Did you talk about this with your parents at all? Did you mention it? >> No, because I didn't think that they would believe me. and I was told not to and them days when you're told not to do something, you don't do it. You got to abide by what your elders say, you know, to be seen and not heard, probably. Um no, I didn't talk about it with them. My father read the paper, he watched the news and he never mentioned or asked anything about it. As I, you know, he didn't want to you know, have to talk about it, I suppose, to me or explain anything. >> So, the school day ends, you then go home as you do. Do you walk home? >> I walked home and I remember us how scared I was. >> How scared I was. Like the walk home, but the Grange was completely blocked off. >> Blocked off, so we had to um

49:40 walk and go up towards Westall Road and go down Westall Road. >> Cuz everything was just blocked off. >> area was blocked off. >> See, we if when we left school, we'd cut through the Grange >> to go home. To go home. We weren't allowed to do any of that. It was just all blocked off. >> And even the streets some of the streets were barricaded off. >> They cordoned off some of the Especially just behind the school and the primary school, they had that cordoned off. And uh we were able to get to work because we came this way, but you couldn't get to go east. >> But the time I got home that that day uh I told me dad, and me dad piled us up in the car and drove up there. And then that's when I remember people in uniform, but me brother was telling me it was the police there. There was no like army people there at that time.

50:41 It's just the police. And we had turn around and uh go back home. >> Was it a policeman that said it? >> Yeah. Quite sure cuz me brother says it was. So I remember the uniform, but he said it was the police at that stage. But I just remember getting turned uh me dad was told to turn around and go And not not to go and have a look. >> What did your parents and family say when you told them? >> Um mom was just flabbergasted. Dad wasn't home. He was at work. Um but mom wasn't disbelieving. Um and of course my brother and I both spoke about it because he was at the same school. Um so mom knew that it's not something that we made up, and we weren't the sort of kids that would do something like that anyway. We wouldn't you know just make something up like that.

51:42 >> She definitely believed you that you told her. >> Absolutely. And and she said, "Let's watch the news tonight." >> Well, Dad believed me because he wanted to get in the car and have a look. >> So, we watched the news that night and we saw the flattened grass and everything else, um which we spoke about it the next day, um out of the classroom, cuz we weren't allowed to speak about it in the classroom. Um but it was very hush-hush. Not allowed to Not allowed to speak about >> How long did it take for you to first speak up about this event? well, when I got home, I told my mother and my sister knew about it from work. She'd heard about it at work. Uh the next time I spoke about it was about 50 years later, nearly. >> 50 years later? I'd told my wife. I didn't tell her straight away. >> I wanted the ring on my finger first.

52:44 >> So, you spoke to your mom and your sister that day after you saw the >> And then it took you 50 years to speak about it again. >> Yeah, I just never mentioned it to >> Never mentioned it? >> No. No. It left a lasting impression on me and and, you know, for a good 50 years, I sort of kept it under wraps. Um you know, in fear of being ridiculed. >> That seems to be a common theme. We spoke to Paul Smith yesterday, who was a market gardener at the time. And he says he spoke about it to his mom when he got home that day, and for 50 years or 40 years, just didn't speak about it again. >> Why do you think that is? >> Oh, because back in those days, you know, you're seen as a you know, >> If you've you know, talking about flying saucers, you know, that you you're seeing things. You're hallucinating. >> You know, >> It's the way it is. >> Hence why you kept it under wraps for so >> Yeah, well, I told my two kids that I was coming in. They said, "But you never ever mentioned

53:45 that." I said, "Because you's all would have thought I was a bit kooky." >> Yeah, we would. >> And they call me crazy Nana and that as it is, so I didn't tell tell my grandkids or my kids any of any of this. >> And I And the people that over the years that I ever mentioned it to, they say, "Oh, yeah, right, you know. Oh, yeah, for the sake of being ridiculed or not um you just didn't say anything. You didn't You didn't discuss it. You didn't discuss it. And for years if you went to talk about UFOs, like I said, "Well, I've I've seen one." So, I know what I know what I know, you Um and people would think that you're an absolute nutcase. They just Yeah, they just think you're lying or you're you're an utter. So, you tend to shut up and you don't talk about it. >> You, well, I'm feeling a bit eerie now just talking about because I don't

54:47 talk about it, so >> It's only now that it's becoming more >> mainstream topic. >> yeah, people are people are a lot more open-minded now. >> Does it feel good to know that this topic's taken a lot more seriously now? >> I mean, you have governments studying this now. >> Yeah, it does cuz now I'm not afraid to talk about. I don't feel ridiculed or, you know, like I'm making up some silly story now. With all the freedom of information that's um come forward in America and everything and pilots and Air Force people that have seen these objects and seen how they've appeared and then they disappear and then they appear kilometers down the track, another pilot sees them. Um I think now that people are very interested in the story and um believe that we actually saw something out of this world. >> Do you have a sense of regret, like I wish I hadn't seen this or >> Or you wish you hadn't seen it? >> Yeah. Yeah. I thought of um I feel life would be a bit easier. Yeah. It's um

55:49 It's a little bit of a burden. >> Having that knowledge. Yeah. Feels like a burden knowing that there's things like this out there. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. It was a bit comforting knowing I wasn't the only one. >> Yeah. Yeah. I don't know how anyone would cope if nobody else saw it. >> Or anyone on their own. I don't know how they'd cope. >> Do you ever feel a sense of regret, or just a feeling that God, I wish I hadn't seen this that day? Or what are your >> No. I I I think even my partner says that I actually am I'm privileged to have seen something. >> And I'm UFO royalty. She calls me. So, you know, there's very few people that have witnessed something like this in their lifetime. So, no, I feel very privileged. And it's actually great talking about it now, so many years down the track. Back in the early days, in my teen years, where I sort of was getting

56:50 into space and telescopes, and looking the unknown up there, I sort of think thought about it more seriously. >> No, I actually feel quite privileged now that I actually did witness something like that, because not many people can say that they saw that. Cuz I didn't think about so many years, you know? I I thought about it a bit after it happened, of course. Um but being so young, I just moved on, and just didn't talk about it. And I didn't tell people. Now, friends and people that see some of the interviews that I've done and the others over the years, which probably over the last what, 15, 20 years, are absolutely gobsmacked. They're so Even my daughter, she said, "Mom, you know, my friend rang me or or emailed me the other day, and I saw you on TV. Did you see a flying saucer? Like, she didn't even know about it. Because I just didn't talk about it. I mean, every now and then someone will say, "Oh, yeah, right." But, most people do believe what I saw now if I tell them, but I don't go out of my way to talk about it unless somebody asks me. But, I still wish that

57:51 you know, we'd have some validation or someone would come forward, but I know what I saw, so, you know, I'll go to my grave knowing what I saw. >> What do you say to to some of the now adults, but at the time school children that, you know, say they felt intimidated, you know, they sort of felt bullied into saying they didn't see >> You have no reason to doubt that? >> No, no, not at all. >> No. No. >> No, they were pressurized into not saying anything, making out that it didn't even happen. >> Now, the skeptics, who I have no problem with anyone being skeptical of the case, you know, I'm sure you can understand how it sounds to people. What do you mean a UFO landed behind a school? >> Yeah, that's right. >> However, the skeptics claim that what you saw that day was actually a weather balloon. Or, more recently, they've come up with the theory that it was a high-altitude balloon. Now, I have with me here two photos. This here is a weather balloon,

58:52 and this here is a high-altitude Do either of these balloons look anything like the craft you saw that >> No, [laughter] nothing like it. >> Nothing like it. >> I know what balloons look like. No. Nothing like it. >> move like balloons. They >> How could that something like that move at that speed? I mean, that's >> I don't know these skeptics where they get their information from. They obviously weren't there, and they didn't see what we saw. >> Are they similar at all? >> No, no, no, no, way. Nothing like it. These were flat It was flat, sort of like a a saucer. Nothing like that. That's a >> 100% no. >> Not at all. >> No way. >> Are they similar at all? >> No. No. [laughter] Not at all. >> Just completely different? >> I'd know it if I saw something like that. I I'd remember that. >> Nothing that resembles it. Nothing. Nothing at all. >> Not even similar? >> No. No. >> Maybe the color. That's about it. But

59:53 the shape and the maneuvers that the saucers were making, you know, balloons are passive. >> Nothing like it? >> They're balloons. >> What you saw was most likely a balloon. >> Are they similar at all or just completely different? Completely different. >> The bottom half of that it'd have to be missing and the top half and then it's uh nothing like it. >> Nothing like it. No. You'd have to squash this balloon down and make it look like that shape. So, and it'd have to be made of metal. >> That's plastic, isn't it? It would have to be made of metal. And it'd have to be I mean, what's the diameter of these balloons? The of a weather balloon. Now, sorry, but that's um So, I understand Look, I [laughter] I can appreciate

1:00:53 what the skeptics would be saying and because they haven't seen it. Um and I would be the same, probably. But like I said, I think that you are very if you can think that we are the only planet that has life. Um and that we couldn't have a planet that was much more advanced than what we Um that could have such life and build spaceships that could take off at 100 miles an hour. And how do you explain that? How do you >> Well, you don't explain it like that balloon, do you? That's just >> No, that's that's a balloon. That's a balloon. This was not a balloon. This was a metal object. And it had infrastructure to it.

1:01:57 >> So, Mr. Ross, how close is this image of a flying saucer to what you saw? >> a pretty good likeness, actually. It's probably exactly what I've seen. >> That's exactly what you're saying? >> Pretty much, yeah. >> Same sort of color, same shape. >> Same silver, shiny surface. I don't remember seeing the dome, but I remember seeing the underside. >> Right. Is this flying saucer at all similar to what you saw? >> It is similar, but um I couldn't It was tilted, and I couldn't see the bottom on >> It was just the top section, but no windows at the top there like that. >> Right. So, these these sort of windows, they they weren't there. >> They weren't there, no. >> And any lights at the bottom of the craft you saw? >> Mm I didn't notice. >> You didn't notice? >> No, yeah. No. I was just in awe, as they say, of it. And it was so bright, and I was just looking at it waiting for it to see if it did anything other than fade away. >> What is your best guess as to what you

1:02:59 saw that day? Do you think that these craft were not man-made, they were extraterrestrial in nature? Or do you look for more of a conventional explanation like what I saw that day was probably a you know, a government test craft that accidentally flew near the >> Look, I do believe in science, and I'm generally would follow a scientific route, but no, I'm absolutely 100% convinced that it's something from somewhere else. Another dimension, another planet, whatever. I mean, we're here, so why couldn't there be something on another >> Was it the speed of the craft and just >> It's the speed of it and what it looked like, yes. Because we haven't got anything like that. Like if something had come out 10 years later, you know, and they said, "Oh, we've been working on this thing and you know, it can travel through the speed of light or whatever." Then I might think, "Oh, perhaps that's what it was." But no, we haven't even got anything like that now that can move as fast as that or looks like that in any way, shape or form. >> Well, I don't know if they were developing, you know, flying saucers

1:03:59 back in the mid-60s. Maybe that could be a reason for it, but there's nothing come out since. >> You know, where local technology or, you know, they're developing that sort of craft. I've seen nothing since, so I can't explain it. I I think it's extraterrestrial myself. >> You do? >> Oh, absolutely, you know. And you're talking about, you know, nearly 300 witnesses who saw it and none of them believe it's a hot air balloon. >> Definitely flying saucer from another Yeah, definitely. There was no way >> No way. we just knew what we saw. Um and and what it was. And as I said, we're only I was only 8 years old and in grade four, but there was it was a physicality that was impossible for something like that to to be flying like in that shape

1:05:00 um to be flying but not make a sound. And for it to just be hovering there and going like this. Like, how does something that size sit up in the sky? And it's no sound or anything like that. And it was just It hung just there. >> Couldn't have missed it. >> Yeah, you couldn't have missed it. Nothing like that can be military. Not in 1966. think more conventional. Um but then I think again that it was way out of anything that possibly the could have any involvement with. It's It's really confusing. >> It's really confusing. >> But you lean more towards it was probably a government test craft. >> That accidentally flew here. >> Yeah. Something went wrong. I feel something went wrong. And I think the government must have known about it

1:06:00 earlier because they were here too >> It It took about 20 minutes or so for for the army and the other >> They were They were here too quick. You know, if they didn't know anything about I don't think you'd have fire engines and police and uh army people out here. >> So it's certainly possible they were, you know, the government were testing some sort of craft. >> It's possible. Yeah. Yeah, it's possible. Um but I've all I've been told none of it was possible at that time. That's what I get told. >> Makes you wonder if they if they were testing that sort of craft in 1966, imagine what they have now. >> That's right. And that's how I think. >> The last one, that's what I That's what I really thought um I saw. But going by Terry added the way it turned on its side and shot off and the way that it was gone there and then it was gone, it super fast. But um

1:07:03 I'd like, you know, the thinking of probably made Russia or some some thing. Yeah. >> I don't believe at all that it was anything to do with the Americans who were around at the time because even now they don't have any aircraft that could move that fast. And I mean I've seen a lot of F-111s and aircraft at different events and things. They don't move as fast as these things move through the sky. And these things have been spotted all over the world in different places. >> It's amazing that Westall isn't the only case where UFOs have landed near >> There's a number of cases around the world. There's the one that happened at Ariel School, Zimbabwe. There was one in England. So, you're you're definitely not alone. >> No. Well, which makes you think are they >> Are you able to connect with sort of other sightings or, you know, UFO experiences? Because you'd be surprised Westall isn't the only case of UFOs landing near schools.

1:08:03 >> There's the famous one in Zimbabwe. There were Ariel School >> Absolutely. I've had a look I've had a look at that um documentary only just recently. You know, I I try and keep myself quite I don't watch too much UFO information cuz I want to keep my experience fresh and I don't want to be influenced by other people and what they saw. >> You know, my experience is individual. It's it varies from other sightings even this particular sighting. So, I want to keep that fresh. So, but yeah, it is interesting that uh there's more school sightings and a daytime sighting, too, is a is is a There's a lot of nighttime sightings. >> How does it feel knowing that there's you know, there's no report written up about the incident and it's just you know, vanished from the records? >> I think there's some hide they're hiding at all. They don't want to explain. It's going to upset the boat if they come out and tell people. But I I hope I get an

1:09:03 answer before I die. >> It'd be It'd be good to know. >> And um we should really get it a big apology for the way we were treated overall that. I mean, we were just little kids and we were all know what we saw and to be treated by adults the way they treated us was really wrong. >> How do you feel about there not being a official government, you know, report or >> creates more suspicion that, you know, what they saw was a UFO. Unidentified flying objects, you know, like if people saw army and men in black arriving on site, that's very suspect. >> Very suspect. >> Are you hopeful that someday you'll get >> Absolutely. You know, we're not young at heart anymore, you know, so and a lot of witnesses have sort of passing away and it'd be great to get an answer before I meet my maker. >> I'd really like to know, if anyone does

1:10:04 I would really like to know what it was. >> And and why it happened. I'd like to know why it happened because if it was some sort of thing go wrong something went wrong with some project the government had on, maybe that's the reason they can't tell >> It's very political and >> National security reasons. >> Yeah. Yeah, national security. Yeah. I they're just waiting for it to fade >> Yeah. Yeah. >> They don't want to acknowledge it. >> No, they don't really want They don't want to know about it. No. They just want to push it aside. It never never happened. >> Never happened. >> After that event, how how long did it take for you to tell your kids? At what point did you tell your >> We've only just told them. >> I've only just told them now. >> Just a few days ago? >> Just a few days ago, I spoke to Cara. And I told her I was coming down to Bryony's to have a talk about the

1:11:04 And she goes, "What spaceship?" and started laughing. And then I rang me eldest daughter and told her, and she goes, "You've never ever told us that you've seen that." And I said, "Yeah." But I said, "When we were younger, we were warned not to say anything." And I said, "And do you believe me?" I said, "Mum." And she laughed, too. So, you got to understand the way I feel now. >> Because if you said anything, people would just >> think you were nuts. >> And I didn't speak about it, either. >> For years. >> Very, very It was very rare for me to ever speak about it to anyone, even >> Oh, yeah. I was telling Mick I was coming down. And I said, "If I don't do it, I'm going to regret it." >> I know. You This is the first time that um I've sat down and really uh

1:12:07 Me voice is going to go. >> I've got a frog. talked about it. I'm starting to get a bit upset over this now um because I've never ever No, sorry. I've never ever talked about it because we were told we weren't allowed to. >> Uh so, I would not I really didn't want to come today because it's just what I remember um is what I remember. I don't remember like people saying spaceship went sideways and the ground was burnt or anything like that. So, I'm not exaggerating of what I seen because Yeah, for me to do this, is very upsetting. Sorry. very upsetting because >> tissues over there. >> people just didn't believe that you've seen it. So, yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah, it's true.

1:13:08 I'm sort of finding it hard to find the the words to to express what we felt at that time. >> Well, I know how I feel now. I'm glad I turned >> and I've done this because I've never mentioned a word that I've seen or anything like that because nobody would ever believe you. >> So, I'm glad that I come here, fellas. To put out the way I felt and what I Yeah, you've got it all off my chest because it was >> I think it's a good thing that we we get to share it. >> Because, you know, we're getting on. When we die, we take that to our grave. Um people can live their whole lifetime. They're not going to see what we saw. >> And they're not going to experience what we It's not just what we saw. It was the whole experience around it.

1:14:09 >> It's just unbelievable. People just running everywhere. It was just Yeah, and then to be told that we get into a lot of trouble if we opened up our mouths. >> And that it didn't exist. >> That really put the >> wind up us. >> Wind up, but me being the way I was, well, I don't really listen to many people. [laughter] So, um >> She's a bit of a wild >> they took us up there. Yeah, so I'm glad that I've done this today. Um yeah. >> Me, too. Yeah. >> And I don't think I'll mention it again. Well, this is the last >> And there's too many people that have seen them. >> Too many people. Are they all liars? >> You now have government officials, you have Air Force pilots. >> They are now They're now speaking up because they're not prone to secrecy And now they're saying, "Yes, it was real, but we weren't allowed to speak about it at the time." There are so many officials that have were told the same

1:15:10 thing. You weren't allowed to speak about it. And now they are. Now they're opening up. Which I think's great. >> Of course, we'd love to find out. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. And they definitely do exist. Someone said to me, "Could you draw one? Could you make a model of it?" Absolutely, I could. >> You remember it that vividly? >> You reckon we could get a drawing of you? Like you could draw it down. Okay, so So it had a slight curve to the base. And then That's it, I'll reckon. It was pretty much it. >> It was low enough that I that I wasn't looking underneath it. If that makes sense. Um so you know, when when as I said, once

1:16:11 again, you you we're thinking that we're we're 8 and 9 years old. So and it's and it's close enough like this that we're not looking actually underneath it. You might have seen maybe maybe that much of it, the underneath >> Would that be right? >> Yeah, cuz it was round. >> It had just seemed to just have lines things on it, you know, like >> Yeah, the more you ever done that, that's what Yeah. >> And that's pretty much what it looked There we go. Now, look. This was the last picture of Briony and talking about flying saucers. >> I know I'm a bit of a character, but that's the way it was. >> Yeah, but I love you. >> There we go. >> 60 years have passed since that day. The schools have changed, the Grange has changed, but for the people who were

1:17:12 here that day, some things haven't. You can question the explanations, you can debate the details, but you can't dismiss the fact that hundreds of everyday Australians saw something in the sky that day that shouldn't have been there. Decades later, they still stand by what they saw that day. This is the Westall UFO incident.