by Keith Basterfield, Vladimir Godic and Pony Godic of UFO Research Australia
P.O. Box 229
Prospect, South Australia 5082
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In July/August 1988 issue of IUR Budd Hopkins, referring to the testable fantasy-prone hypotheses advanced by Keith Basterfield and Bob Bartholomew, wrote that his advice was “to put their theory on the back burner and to look into any possible abductions that come their way.” Unfortunately, within Australia, this is easier said than done. There has been an apparent lack of well-documented abduction cases in this country. The authors, therefore, decided to review the situation on two fronts. First, they undertook an intensive examination of the Australian UFO literature. Second, they undertook to uncover any previously unreported cases. This article documents our findings to date.
In 1976 Keith Basterfield co-authored a work titled “An Australian Catalogue of Close Encounter Type Three Reports“. In this work, an attempt was made to collect and document all Australian CE3 cases that were known as of that date. The result was a collection of some 36 cases. But none of these could be classed as possessing and characteristics associated with the abduction event.
The following year Bill Chalker of Sydney presented a paper at the national UFOCON 3 at Surfers Paradise and wrote, concerning Australia, “Upon the first inspection, we appear to have a complete absence of “time loss“, “abduction” and contact cases.” Within two years though, Chalker was on the trail of stories along the lines of “interrupted journeys.” Three Australian events came to light.
In 1971, a Finnish couple, Ben and Helen K. left Gladstone, Queensland, at about 11:35 p.m. and upon arrival in Rockhampton found that only 40 minutes had passed on the trip that would normally take much longer. In addition to the rapid trip, they could not recall passing through intervening places although they recall seeing an unusual green light at one stage. Their 1971 Valiant sedan was reportedly covered with a thin film of odorless oil, and unusual marks were noted on the car’s hood. Attempts at hypnotizing the couple were unsuccessful.
The second account told of an event dated January 10, 1978, at a place called the Balers Creek Falls, New South Wales. Gary P. had been diving alone in the early hours of the morning when he found himself unaccountably stationary on the side of the road at 5:00 a.m. He was unable to clearly remember the previous 160 km. While stationary he noted a really bright light hovering some distance away. Although he tried to get close to it, he could not.
A researcher in Western Australia, Jeff Bell, came across the story of a truck driver. The incident took place near Baladonia in that state in February 1978. A memory lapse of three to 3 1/2 hours is said to have been associated with the observation of two unusual lights. During this time the driver says he recalls “talking to somebody about inventing something … Also I remember speaking with two voices …” Investigators have been unable to learn anything more about this
account.
The Frederick Valentich case burst on the scene in 1978 and in some quarters it was suggested he had in fact been abducted. The story is well known, but in condensed form, 20-year-old Frederick Valentich disappeared over the Bass Strait while flying a Cessna aircraft between Melbourne and King Island. Some think he was abducted by the occupants of the object which he reported observing just before radio contact was lost with his aircraft.
In 1980 Keith Basterfield produced a more definitive study of local CE3 events and broadened the catchment area to include New Zealand as well as Australia. By this date 104 such events had come to light. There were five more cases that relate to today’s abduction accounts.
The first one uncovered came via an article in the English “Flying Saucer Review” and it is said to have occurred in Adelaide, South Australia, in 1955. A 10-year-old girl, Janet X, was being treated for a slight nervous disorder. While under hypnosis for this condition she recounted a story of her interaction with aliens and a flying saucer. She spoke of being in the saucer with three “men” and of visiting a planet with an advanced society. Pony Godic of UFORA spoke with one of the case’s original investigators in 1989, but despite this we have not been able to relocate Janet X to reinterview her.
Two American paperbacks led us to an abduction report more typical of today; yet it is dated August 11, 1966. A Marlene Travers, of Melbourne, is reported to have observed a large silver disc land near her. She was abducted and raped by and alien wearing a loose fitting metallic green tunic. The above books referenced the original source as the “New York Chronicle” of November 21, 1966. A search by Pony Godic using the U.S. Library of Congress and the South Australian State Reference Library found a small college newspaper of that name in Hempstead, New York. No reply has yet been received to the inquiry directed to that paper. Any light American researchers could throw on this account would be appreciated.
An interesting case occurred in 1972 and was ably investigated by Gary Little and Bill Stapleton of Melbourne. The significance of it was not understood at the time until it was reexamined for the 1980 catalogue. In early 1972 Maureen Puddy reported observing a disc-shaped object in the sky. Later in July she related that her car stopped itself as the same object hovered overheard. Several months later she recounted being abducted into a room and observing an entity there. This latter event occurred while two other persons were physically present with Mrs. Puddy but they reported only that Mrs. Puddy lapsed into unconsciousness. On a later occasion she said the entity again appeared to her when she was driving the car. The “mental” abduction has led some researchers to support an altered-state-of-consciousness approach to the abduction phenomenon.