Westall Witness Statements
Type: Witness Testimony
Source: Students and School Staff
On April 6, 1966, hundreds of students and staff at Westall High School in Clayton South, Melbourne, witnessed an unidentified object that remains one of Australia’s most compelling UFO mysteries. Witnesses described silver or grey disc-shaped or saucer-shaped craft, with some reporting one large object flanked by two smaller ones, hovering silently for approximately 20 minutes before departing at extreme speeds.
Key witness statements and observations include:
Visual Description: Students like Tania Vassie and Joy described the objects as metallic, with some noting a purple hue in the sunlight; Andrew Greenwood, a science teacher, reported a cigar-shaped or round-humped object that he believed was intelligently controlled and not a balloon.
Aerial Pursuit: Multiple witnesses recalled civilian light aircraft (possibly Cessnas) circling or chasing the objects, with the unidentified craft demonstrating erratic maneuvers, rapid acceleration, and the ability to outpace the planes.
Landing Site Evidence: After the objects moved toward The Grange (a nearby wooded area), witnesses reported finding circular patches of flattened or scorched grass; some stated they felt radiating heat from the objects while they hovered low.
Official Silence: The school principal instructed students and staff to remain silent about the event, and witnesses later reported the presence of uniformed men (believed to be from the Royal Australian Air Force or army) who inspected the site, collected soil, and burned the grass to conceal evidence.
Despite decades of investigation, including the debunking of the HIBAL weather balloon theory by many witnesses, no official explanation has been provided, and the incident continues to be cited as a mass sighting of exceptional significance.
Evidence Files
