UFOIC HISTORY & FORMATION


Out from the ashes of Mr Jarrold's NSW group one new state group emerged. The most prominent and first to re-build was under the Directorship of Fred Stone. Stone forms the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (AFSRS) based in Adelaide, South Australia on Feb 1955.

Stone also sees a chance to become the governing body of all Australian Ufology. He asks Aeronautics & Phenomena Research Victoria (APRV) to come under his plan and they reject the concept. However, APRV agree to extend the same relationship they extended to Jarrold’s group with John. M. Anderson as their contact.

IMAGE REF: http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ShowImage.asp?B=1948052&S=42&T=P National Archives of Australia: A705/1, 114/1/197, digital image p42

This arrangement was agreed to and APRV supplied a list of contacts for Stone on possible branch organisers. Fred Stone's plan, was to form three new state groups (Victoria, NSW, Queensland) under his control. With a new members list, Stone set his plan into motion.

OLD GROUPS

1955 - SA - Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (AFSRS)

1956 - VIC - Aeronautics & Phenomena Research Victoria (APRV)

changed their structure and name to Phenomena Research Victoria (PRV)

+

THREE NEW GROUPS

1956 - VIC - Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (Victorian Branch) (AFSRS Vic)

1957 - QLD - Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau (QFSRB)

1957 - NSW - Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (NSW Branch) (AFSRS NSW)

Although each new groups developed due to individuals within these groups, in the end Fred Stone had little input into the other two state groups structure. His concept worked at first but soon ran into administration problems due to distance between states and distant lines of communication.

The majority of these new state groups did not accept Fred Stone’s 1955 plan, those who accepted it only lasted one year before they decided to operate under their own administration.

So in 1957 the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (NSW Branch) (AFSRS NSW) was forms.

Again this branch follows Victoria's lead and decided to become independent from Fred Stone South Australia group AFSRS.


UFOIC IS BORN

The NSW membership decided to again change their structure and name and thus became the UFO Investigation Centre (UFOIC) under Dr. W.P. Clifford 1957 and from 1958 and into the mid 60s under Dr. Miran Lindtner.

INDEPENDENT GROUPS

1956 - QLD - Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau (QFSRB)

1957 - VIC - Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society" (VFSRS)

1958 - NSW - UFO Investigation Centre (UFOIC)

1957

Gordon Deller , Andrew Tomas , Fred Phillips, Dr. Miran Lindtner

(c) People Magazine 1957

PROBLEMS WITH UFOIC

For years there was a general underground friction or competitiveness between groups, focused primary on Victorian groups, but extensively coming from Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (AFSRS) in South Australia and UFOIC.

The general causes were numerous, but the primary motivation was around power or leadership.

A good example of the problem can be seen in these two news item.

1. Lawyer Peter Norris LL.B, was a very active and methodical spokesman. Norris and his group VFSRS pressed the need for Government research and created many of the opportunities with various Government bodies. Add the fact; all reports came to Victorian Government files and VFSRS proactive case research record, made those outside this power house feel isolated. One can see the friction in this document to ASIO in which AFSRS President Fred Stone describes his lack of trust in the Victorian group and that they were associated with a Sydney UFO Group that was controlled by people with “Pink” tendencies.

SEE:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ShowImage.asp?B=8194228&S=17&T=P

National Archives of Australia: A6122, 2004/00053526, digital image p17

2. By 1963 the South Australian group was finished, this lead to a push from Sydney, in which by taking control of the state groups magazine, UFOIC hoped that the authority would shift too their sphere.

So on the 23 February 1967, UFOIC V/Pres Mr. Harry O’Brian for copyright on the states groups magazine “Australian Flying Saucer Review”. This application was made without the knowledge of the other groups, when discovered the manoeuvre ‘backfired’ totally damaged the previously semi harmonious state of collaboration.

SEE:

National Archives of Australia: A1336/1, 68837, digital image p12

Made an application National Archives of Australia: A1336/1, 68837, digital image p16

Victoria and Queensland protested and the application failed, however, that was the end and VFSRS closed the door on Sydney - the fracture was complete.

UFOIC DIES

Over time UFOIC eventually collapses under Mr Fred Phillips and Bill Moser.

UFOIC last newsletter is sent out for Feb 1977., after that it was over and the group died.

See the National Library of Australia