Schoolyard Distraction
On April 6, 1966, just before morning recess, students and teachers at Westall High School in Melbourne, Australia, saw something unexpected in the sky. Reports described a round object with a domed top, colored silver, grey, or white, descending behind trees near the school into a paddock known as the Grange. Some witnesses claimed it hovered, others said it landed briefly. Several students ran to the site and later described flattened or scorched grass in circular patterns.
Chased by Aircraft?
Multiple accounts included sightings of up to five aircraft—unidentified, dark planes—pursuing the object. One witness, Shaun Matthews, who was in the area on school holidays, described the object as twice the size of a car and slightly purple in hue. The object reportedly lifted off after a short time and disappeared from view.
Official Visits and a Burned Field
Three days later, air force personnel and UFO researchers visited the site but reported finding nothing of interest. Soon after, the landowner burned the grass to stop people from trespassing.
Balloon or Something Else?
Contemporary newspapers speculated it was a weather balloon. Others later proposed it was a runaway HIBAL balloon from a high-altitude monitoring program. No official explanation has ever confirmed the exact cause.
