Westall High School UFO
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At around 10:30 a.m on April 6, 1966, many students and some staff at Westall High School (now called Westall Secondary College), in Rosebank Avenue, Clayton South, Victoria, Australia, witnessed a UFO fly over their school, and then descend into a paddock behind the school. The paddock, adjacent to Fairbank Road, was between the school and an old estate called The Grange (now a nature reserve). Soon after, about five light aircraft appeared, giving chase to the UFO as it rapidly ascended and moved off, never to be seen again. The provenance of the light aircraft was also never resolved.
Shortly afterwards, a circular patch(es) of grass (between one and three) was seen by many witnesses in the paddock. Later, uniformed men, thought to have been police and military personnel (airforce, according to some accounts), were seen attending the scene. After taking various measurements, some have reported that the paddock was then burnt or turned over by these uniformed men. Some witnesses reported being spoken to, or later visited by, these personnel. Both students and staff were told not to discuss the incident. Some students reported that staff disciplined them for speaking out. It has been estimated that about 200 people witnessed these events on that autumn day in Melbourne's (then) south-eastern fringe, including people at the adjacent Westall State School.
The fascinating events of this day (and following days) at and near Westall High School, were covered by The Dandenong Journal, the local and popular newspaper of that area at that time. Melbourne's broadsheet newspaper, The Age, also ran a small article the following day, 7 April, 1966. Channel Nine also covered the story, and broadcast it on its Melbourne television news bulletin that evening, 6 April, 1966.
A Yahoo Groups website has been set up by a Canberra university teacher and researcher, Shane Ryan, to encourage witnesses to the events of that day to come forward and share information about what they remember from that day. Via this web site, a reunion of former witnesses and other interested people was organised for the 8th of April, 2006, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the event. The reunion was held at the Westall Tennis Club Hall, at The Grange Reserve in Clayton South, close to the places central to the events of that day.
The full story of the events at Westall in April, 1966, has not yet been told. Much hinges on those persons who were involved in an official capacity, such as police officers, and air force and army personnel, coming forward and sharing their knowledge about the events of that day.
[edit] External links
- Westall High School UFO - The Age
- Westall High School UFO - ABC.net.au
- Westall High School UFO - Only Melbourne
