UFOS OVER ALICE
“ … they heard something strange pass over the town …”
By Andrea Myers
Over fifty years ago, in January, 1954, a report appeared in the “Centralian Advocate” newspaper about a UFO sighting by Aborigines north of Alice Springs.
The newspaper said: “Four Aborigines were witnesses to a strange sound … a high pitched noise. It was about 5am … and the sky was clouded over so that whatever passed overhead was not seen.”
In February a photograph was pushed under the door of the newspaper office, the accompanying note saying: “I was taking a picture of Mt. Gillen on the day that a number of Alice Springs people said they heard something strange pass over the town.”
Later the newsletter issued by the South Australian Astronomical Society stated that the photo looked authetic.
It said: “Mr F. Churchman of the S.A. Astronomical Society contacted us … saying: ‘As soon as I saw the photo I recognised it … these cartwheeled patterned saucers are not uncommon. There are reports of similar ones having been seen on June 11, 1855, May 13, 1879, June 10, 1909, August 12, 1910, October 1891, April 1901, June 1906 and March 1907.’”
In march, 1954, the newspaper again carried reports of UFO sightings, saying: “Flying saucer conscious folk at Alice Springs gazed at a thin white streak which moved across the Centralian skies.
“Phone wires ran hot as enquiries were made, and one lady hastened to the Advocate from the east side, claiming: ‘The queer thing in the sky frightened my chickens.’”
A journalist was informed by Air Radio that the mysterious object was PROBABLY a Canberra bomber flying over the town at 42,000 feet.
Once again, on April 2, 1954, a front page story in the local newspaper carried a report of an Aboriginal stockman working on a cattle station 160km south of Alice Springs who was almost knocked off his horse by a UFO.
The story said: “The native, Sonny, told (the station owner) that as he rode up over a ridge a half shaped thing with a tail coming from the opposite direction flew straight towards him, then suddenly veered away and lifted sharply.
“Sonny claims that he could feel a heavy wind when the thing went up. He made for the mission where it was said that he was shaking with fright and unable to talk for a while.”
Other witnesses said the UFO had “a glassy appearance” and was travelling very fast with four trails of vapour came from each side.
“It was claimed,” said the newspaper, “that other natives at St. Teresa Mission, 88 miles south, also saw the saucer.”
On April 9 the “Centralian Advocate” reported that Air Radio had revealed to them that yet another Canberra bomber had passed over Alice Springs at that time.
Apparently, Canberra bombers were constant visitors in the skies over the town, or so the authorities wanted residents to think.
