The Westall UFO incident, which occurred in Melbourne in 1966, involved varying witness accounts of a mysterious flying object. Some witnesses reported seeing a single UFO while others described a bright spherical light that they could not explain. Former student Terry Peck recalled jumping the school fence and running towards the UFO’s landing site in the nearby pines, only to find two classmates already there, with one screaming hysterically. Peck and another witness, Kelly, both stated that the girl who was screaming was taken away in an ambulance and never returned to school. After the sighting, the school was invaded by various authorities, including the air force, army, police, fire brigade, and ambulance, and students were instructed not to discuss what they had seen.
Despite efforts from journalists, historians, and UFO enthusiasts to uncover official documentation regarding the incident, none has emerged. The Westall incident took place during a period of heightened UFO sightings linked to the Cold War, which some academics believe resulted from widespread paranoia. Clarke Watson, a member of the Mutual UFO Network in the US, stated that there has been a shift towards a more scientific approach to investigating unexplained phenomena. Watson, who visited the Grange to speak with witnesses, described the Westall incident as one of the top mass sightings globally, particularly significant because the witnesses were children who independently shared similar stories.
There were reports that former science teacher Andrew Greenwood managed to capture photographs of the UFO before authorities confiscated the camera. Greenwood described the object as a classic cigar-shaped craft made of grey metal that appeared to be intelligently controlled. Despite claims that the object may have been a weather balloon released by the weather bureau, witnesses like Greenwood have maintained that it was not a balloon. Clarke Watson, who became interested in investigating UFOs after his own sighting of an unidentified flying object, emphasized the importance of destigmatizing the event for witnesses who have faced mental health issues due to skepticism about their accounts. He highlighted the need to consider that an absence of evidence does not necessarily disprove the existence of unexplained phenomena.
Watson expressed his belief in the existence of non-human intelligence interacting with the planet, whether on a spiritual or scientific level, as an exciting concept that warrants further exploration. Witness Kelly echoed this sentiment, expressing an urgent desire for answers regarding the Westall UFO incident and hoping to uncover the truth in his lifetime. The mysterious nature of the event, combined with the impact it had on those who witnessed it, underscores the ongoing interest in understanding phenomena that defy conventional explanation. The Westall incident continues to be referenced globally and serves as a reminder of the complexities surrounding unexplained events in a world where the truth may still remain elusive.
