Over the years, Wangaratta and the surrounding districts have been the recipient of many UFO sightings. Most have been identified as natural or man made phenomena. But the area has had it's fair share of unidentifiable objects. That is not to say that they are extraterrestrial, only that our investigations have failed to obtain a rational explanation as to what they may be.

Again, we received a sighting that in my opinion and after comprehensive investigation, I have failed to identify an object that has been a World wide phenomena that to date has remained a mystery failing to present a plausible or even an improbable explanation.

This is a précis of the official report forwarded to V.U.F.O.R.S, deleting the names, addresses of the witnesses.

REPORT:

The sighting was reported to me by two Police Officers both female, who were actually working a nightshift with me. The night shift commenced on Sunday at 2300 hours to 0700 hours. This was the first night of seven. The evening was uneventful and the two witnesses who reside in the Myrtleford area completed their shift at 0700 hours and were able to get away on time. Both witnesses travel to work together.

They are stationed at the Wangaratta Police Station being in the North East of Victoria. To arrive home, the witnesses travel along the Great Alpine Highway, previously known as the Ovens Highway. They pass through the townships of Tarrawingee, Everton and Gapsted. This highway faces in a North / South direction.

On this morning the weather was fine, very cold with light cloud cover in the east. The sun was rising and there was a red haze. The rest of the sky was clear and blue.

The reports of the two witnesses go as follows:

WITNESS #1.

It was Monday morning, the 8th of June, 1998 at approximately 0710 hours, and I was traveling home with my work mate. We had just completed our first night of night shift. It had been an uneventful evening.

We were traveling in a southerly direction along the Great Alpine Highway. As we approached Petticoat Lane, North of Tarrawingee, my attention was drawn to an object in the east. I was in the front passengers seat and this object was to my left and to my front. I would estimate that it was over the Eldorado, Carrargarmungee area. It was at about 20 degrees above the horizon. There was only the one object and it was stationary.

I would describe the object as squarish and bright silver. There was no sound or anything other than the brightness or the size. To us the object looked the size of an A4 sheet of paper which is about 30cm X 30cm. It was large, bigger than a coin but smaller than the moon.

We both watched the object for about 10 to 15 minutes and during that time it did not change shape or location. We did not stop the car but continued driving. At the time of this observation the weather was fine and cold and the sunrise was still present and red in colour.

We both watched the object through the window of a moving vehicle. There were clouds, which were only light.They were not in front of the object. As we continued along the Great Alpine Highway, the light cloud cover drifted in front of the object but we were still able to see the light clearly.

In my opinion this object was over the hills in the area I have mentioned. I was inquisitive and I wish we had a camera to record the event. It was the brightness that attracted my attention as I believe it was for my friend.

I would describe the object as a doorway in the sky and bright like someone had placed a piece of tin foil in the sky and the light was reflecting off it.

WITNESS #2.

The description is as WITNESS #1 with the following differences. These are that the object was about 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon. The shape was square or rectangular. The size was about 35cm X 40cm and that the object was watched for about 15 to 20 minutes. This witness stated that it was like tin foil in the sky and that it was smooth and shiny.

INVESTIGATIONS.

Investigations conducted revolved around certain possibilities, a balloon, aircraft, an inversion layer or other natural phenomena. Checks with local authorities failed to shed any light on the first two possibilities. I was unable to confirm or deny an inversion layer.
Conversations with employees of the local newspaper did not assist in locating any other witnesses to this phenomena.

Both witnesses described the object as a doorway. Witness #1, suggested it was a doorway in the sky with the light emitting from the interior. Witness #2 described it as the doorway to El Nino. Reports from other locations around the world have also described the object as a doorway in the sky. To date no explanation or hypothesis as to the identity of the object has been forthcoming.

Both witnesses watched the object whilst driving and at no stage did they stop the vehicle to fully observe it. As stated the object remained visible to the witnesses until the tree cover caused them to loose sight of it.

This was a daylight sighting and it is feasible to construe that the sun may be reflecting of the surface, thus indicating a solid object.

Both witnesses are honest and reliable who have no reason to prevaricate this sighting. I believe that their representation of the incident is accurate and truthful.

As a result of our inquiries and pending an acceptable explanation, this file shall remain unexplained.

James OWEN.
North East Representative.
V.U.F.O.R.S.

Last Updated: January, 1999
Copyright © 1996 Victorian U.F.O. Research Society Inc.
P.O. Box 1043 Moorabbin Victoria, Australia 3189
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