Episode 008 - The Westall / Ariel Sightings Part 1

The Westall UFO has been called the ‘Australian Roswell’. To some degree, this is a fairly accurate statement. Both the Roswell event and the Westall sighting involve vast oceans of testimony from disparate witnesses, many of which are in conflict or near-conflict and many of which seem to corroborate one another. Both involve a ‘cover-up’, though this may be somewhat wishful thinking in the minds of some. Both are also of undeniably physical events. Something absolutely crashed in Roswell and something absolutely flew by Westall High. However, because the nature of those ‘somethings’ is not at once forthcoming does not mean they were alien spacecraft.

A rather interesting incongruence seems to be with the identity of the student who first alerted Greenwood’s class. Nearly every source states the student was an excited boy (this is even stated on a placard currently in the Grange Preserve), yet Greenwood in his later interview with James McDonald clearly states the student was female.

Contrary to popular belief, Andrew Greenwood was not the only teacher to see the object. As stated in the narration, three others are likely to have seen something in the sky. Jeanette Muir was a PE instructor on the oval during the initial sighting and probably was one of the first people to see the UFO. As inferred by the later recollections of Ms. Muir, It is likely a male teacher was also on the oval at the time, though his identity is not known. Chemistry Teacher Barbara Robbins was also likely to have seen the object as she was out on the oval at the same time as Greenwood, possibly snapping several photographs. Claude Miller, English teacher, was on yard-duty during the event, but had stepped inside for a cigarette (!). He was first alerted to the UFO by Greenwood after it had left.

Regarding the circle, Woodshop Teacher Gerry Shepard claims to have seen an unnatural circle in the Grange when he and some of the school prefects arrived to retrieve the wayward students. Many other individuals also claimed to have seen the circle in the following days, but it should be noted that without photographs or careful measurements to back up said claims, they are of little to no value to an investigation. And even if all such claims were believed out-of-hand, there is no way to connect the ‘circle’ to the UFO. In fact, Shaun Matthews’ testimony regarding his observation of the UFO’s behavior (i.e. that it did not seem to contact the ground) somewhat contradicts the idea that the UFO created the circle during a touch-down.

Also, rumors that any strange entities were witnessed within or near the UFO are categorically false. No confirmed witness ever reported such, not even Victor Zakruzny, who certainly had no compunction against telling a taller-than-average tale.

In any event, it is clear from McDonald’s interview of Greenwood that Headmaster Samblebee and Greenwood were not on very good terms either before or after the UFO sighting and the headmaster likely viewed the whole affair as nothing more than histrionics of an incompetent underling.
Investigator David Halperin seems to come to a similar conclusion:

https://www.davidhalperin.net/the-westall-ufo-a-teachers-testimony-part-1/

https://www.davidhalperin.net/the-westall-ufo-a-teachers-testimony-part-2/

Keith Basterfield has also compiled a fairly extensive (and fascinating) set of notes on the events. About halfway down the page (listed as ‘SOURCE 15’), Basterfield gives a concise breakdown of McDonald’s interview.
http://project1947.com/kbcat/kbwestall.htm

While this video was made with a focus on verifiable details, mostly regarding the directly observed events, and away from speculation and hearsay, the Westall UFO is still very much a mystery (though most-likely a decidedly terrestrial one). Viewers are encouraged to search for related materials, if they wish to find out more.

Music:

"Signs in the Fields" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"Visitors in the Night" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"The Exile of Kronos" by TeknoAXE
Licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 International License

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