Within Police File
How Dalwallinu Reached the RAAF
The Dalwallinu case shows how a country sighting moved from local witnesses to WA Police paperwork and then towards RAAF attention.
On this page
- What witnesses reported near Dalwallinu
- How police gathered and forwarded evidence
- What the case proves and does not prove
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Introduction
The Dalwallinu sighting of January 1953 is important in Western Australia’s UFO history not because it produced compelling physical evidence, but because it shows, unusually clearly, how an unexplained aerial report moved through an official reporting system. A sighting by country residents near Dalwallinu led to newspaper coverage, attracted the attention of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and resulted in formal witness interviews conducted by local police before the information was forwarded up the chain. In that sense, the case is less significant as proof of an unidentified object than as a documented example of how authorities handled such reports in the early Cold War period. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
Within the broader WA Police UFO File, the Dalwallinu incident demonstrates the practical relationship between local witnesses, country police stations, police headquarters and the RAAF. It reveals a reporting process rather than a confirmed mystery.
What Witnesses Reported Near Dalwallinu
On the evening of 13 January 1953, Richard Hunter and Keith McNamara were hunting foxes north-east of Dalwallinu when they noticed an unusual object in the sky. According to later accounts drawn from police records, the object appeared as a bright star-like light surrounded by a white, misty or vapour-like ring. The men watched it travel across the sky for several minutes. They reported that it changed direction, turning first towards the south-west and then west before eventually disappearing. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
After returning to town, they discussed the sighting with Les Angel and Kenneth Jefferis. Those men independently reported seeing the same object and observing it for around ten minutes. One account stated that a luminous halo remained visible after the main object vanished. The existence of multiple witnesses was one reason the story attracted attention beyond the local district. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
The timing of the report is also noteworthy. The sighting occurred during a period when reports of “flying saucers” were receiving substantial media coverage internationally. Australian newspapers were increasingly willing to print such stories, and the Dalwallinu report quickly moved from a local newspaper item into metropolitan circulation. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
How Police Gathered and Forwarded Evidence
The most revealing aspect of the case is what happened after the sighting entered the public record.
Following newspaper coverage, the RAAF sought additional information. Rather than relying solely on press reports, a Flight Lieutenant identified in surviving accounts as Arnold contacted the Commissioner of Police and requested that formal witness statements be obtained. This shifted the matter from a newspaper curiosity into an official reporting process. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
The request moved through police channels to Dalwallinu, where Constable Wells was tasked with collecting evidence. He interviewed the witnesses and recorded their observations using structured questions. The information sought was practical rather than sensational:
- Where was the object first observed?
- How long was it visible?
- What colour and shape did it appear to have?
- Did it leave a trail?
- How did it move?
- Were any ordinary aircraft visible at the same time?
Constable Wells also marked the reported position and apparent course of the object on a map before forwarding the material onward. This step is particularly important because it shows that police were not merely filing rumours. They were attempting to preserve witness observations in a form that could be evaluated by another agency. [The Dusty Box]thedustybox.comThe Dusty Box U.F.O. FilesThe Dusty BoxU.F.O. Files - The Dusty Box17 Nov 2020 — January 1953 - Dalwallinu While hunting foxes northeast of Dalwallinu, Richard Hun…
The resulting chain was straightforward but significant:
- Witnesses observed an unusual aerial phenomenon.
- The sighting became known locally and through newspapers.
- The RAAF requested formal information.
- WA Police gathered witness evidence.
- Statements and supporting material were forwarded to the RAAF for consideration. The Dusty Box
For historians of Western Australian UFO reporting, that sequence is more valuable than the sighting description itself because it documents how reports travelled through official institutions.
Why the RAAF Became Involved
Modern readers sometimes assume that military interest in UFO reports implied belief in extraterrestrial visitors. The Dalwallinu case suggests a more mundane explanation.
During the early 1950s, unexplained aerial observations could potentially involve aircraft, balloons, atmospheric phenomena or, in the context of Cold War anxieties, matters relevant to air defence. Investigating reports did not mean accepting extraordinary interpretations. It meant determining whether a sighting had an ordinary explanation or represented something requiring further attention. Naval Historical Society of Australia
Contemporary reporting associated with the Dalwallinu case noted that inquiries were made with the Government Astronomer, the Weather Bureau, air traffic authorities and the RAAF. Newspaper accounts stated that the object was not immediately identified as a meteorological balloon and that no known aircraft were reported in the relevant area at the relevant time. These checks helped explain why the report remained of interest long enough to warrant formal witness interviews. The Dusty Box
Importantly, the surviving record does not show that the RAAF concluded the object was extraordinary. The evidence instead shows that the RAAF considered the report worthy of documentation and review.
What the Case Proves and Does Not Prove
The Dalwallinu incident is sometimes cited as evidence that the Australian military investigated UFOs. In a narrow sense, that is correct. The surviving paperwork indicates that the RAAF requested information and received witness reports through police channels. The Dusty Box
However, the case does not prove that the witnesses observed an alien craft, an advanced secret aircraft or any other extraordinary object.
What the case does demonstrate is:
- A genuine report from multiple witnesses.
- Police efforts to record testimony systematically.
- Communication between WA Police and the RAAF.
- Official interest in obtaining better information before reaching conclusions. The Dusty Box
What it does not demonstrate is:
- Independent physical evidence.
- Radar confirmation. [* Photographs.](#endnote-5 “
Source snippet
THE NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON...The date again was the afternoon of January 27, 1953. Sighting confirmed by police. January 1")...
- Recovery of material.
- A definitive identification of the object.
- A military conclusion that the object was something beyond known technology. The Dusty Box
As a result, the Dalwallinu sighting remains an unresolved report rather than a solved case or a confirmed mystery.
Why Dalwallinu Matters in WA UFO History
Many entries in Western Australia’s police UFO records consist of brief observations with little follow-up. Dalwallinu stands out because the documentary trail is unusually visible. The case captures an entire reporting pathway from eyewitnesses in a rural district to state police administration and onward to the RAAF. The Dusty Box
For researchers examining the WA Police UFO File, that makes Dalwallinu a useful case study in official procedure. It shows that unusual aerial reports were sometimes treated as matters requiring evidence gathering rather than immediate dismissal. At the same time, it illustrates the limits of those investigations. Witnesses could be interviewed, maps could be drawn and reports could be forwarded, yet a satisfactory explanation might still remain elusive. The Dusty Box
The enduring value of the Dalwallinu sighting therefore lies not in what was seen, but in what happened afterwards. It provides one of the clearest surviving examples of how a country Western Australian UFO report reached the attention of the RAAF through an established chain of official reporting. The Dusty Box
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Endnotes
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Source: abc.net.au
Link: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-focus/ufo/12499372Source snippet
'UFO file' sheds light on strange encounters in Western...27 Jul 2020 — The UFO file holds dozens of police reports linked to sightings...
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Source: navyhistory.au
Title: UFO sightings became common during the Cold War
Link: https://navyhistory.au/podcast/the-raaf-and-the-ufos-some-of-the-story/Source snippet
Naval Historical Society of AustraliaThe RAAF and the UFO's: some of the story11 Jul 2021 — Wing Commander Paget discussed the RAAF's inv...
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Source: dodgyperth.com
Link: https://dodgyperth.com/tag/dalwallinu/Source snippet
1 Aug 2015 — In January 1953, the Daily News ran an amused, but very short, article on four Dalwallinu residents who saw a flying saucer...
Published: January 1953
Additional References
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81r00560r000100010001-0Source snippet
THE NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON...The date again was the afternoon of January 27, 1953. Sighting confirmed by police. January 1...
Published: January 27, 1953
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Source: slwa.wa.gov.au
Link: https://slwa.wa.gov.au/stories/slwa-abc-radio/truth-not-out-thereSource snippet
State Library of Western AustraliaThe truth is not out thereThe file includes reports of UFO sightings from government officials and memb...
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Source: airandspaceforces.com
Link: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0611ufo/Source snippet
USAF and the UFOsPrivate pilot Kenneth Arnold, 850 additional sightings of flying disks were reported, most famous UFO incident. Outer Sp...
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Source: naa.gov.au
Link: https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/student-research-portal/learning-resource-themes/war/defence-equipment-and-weapons/ufo-sightings-weapons-testing-site-woomeraSource snippet
National Archives of AustraliaUFO sightings at weapons testing site, WoomeraA confidential report detailing sightings of an unidentified...
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Source: aic.gov.au
Link: https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/police-source-book-2.pdf -
Source: facebook.com
Title: do you believe in ufos in this post real life accounts of ufo sightings in weste
Link: https://www.facebook.com/StateLibraryWA/posts/do-you-believe-in-ufos-in-this-post-real-life-accounts-of-ufo-sightings-in-weste/3710794442281521/Source snippet
State Library of Western AustraliaReal life accounts of UFO sightings in Western Australia in the 1950s and 70s. As revealed in Police De...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: wwii uncovered 82nd anniversary of the great escape honouring flight lieutenant
Link: https://www.facebook.com/100064703681472/posts/-wwii-uncovered-82nd-anniversary-of-the-great-escape-honouring-flight-lieutenant/1373505978149512/Source snippet
Honouring Flight Lieutenant Arnold George Christensen...He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1953. ARNOLD Flight Lieutenant, Killed...
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Source: thewest.com.au
Title: Main Image: Western Australia’s secret UFO history has been
Link: https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/was-ufo-history-revealed-state-records-show-the-skies-over-wa-have-seen-many-unidentified-flying-objects-c-8450517Source snippet
State records show the skies over WA have seen many UFOs4 Nov 2022 — Untold history of WA: State records show the skies over WA have seen...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBs7Gd6yood/?hl=frSource snippet
Did you know the WA Police have a UFO file, full of reports...29 Oct 2024 — Did you know the WA Police have a UFO file, full of reports...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZP-x4Ko_JISource snippet
Australian UFO files RAAF history In the 80s the RAAF held hundreds of files documenting UFO sightings 🛸 | Uncropped | ABC Australia ABC...
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