Within Tully Nest
Did the reed circle prove anything?
The flattened reed circle made Tully famous because it gave investigators a visible trace to photograph, sample and argue over.
On this page
- What the photographed nest reportedly looked like
- Why the trace impressed police and investigators
- How visitors, water and variable measurements weakened the evidence
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Introduction
The flattened reed circle at Horseshoe Lagoon is the single most important piece of physical evidence in the 1966 Tully saucer nest case. Unlike most UFO reports, which depend entirely on witness testimony, this incident left a visible trace that could be photographed, measured and examined. For believers, the circle suggested that something unusual had physically interacted with the swamp. For sceptics, it became a test case in how easily a natural feature can be transformed into a mystery once public attention arrives. More than half a century later, the debate is less about the object George Pedley reported seeing and more about what the reed formation itself can and cannot prove. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
Did the reed circle prove anything?
The strongest argument in favour of the Tully case has always been simple: there really was a circular formation in the reeds. Contemporary photographs show a distinct flattened area in Horseshoe Lagoon, and police officers, journalists and local residents all confirmed that a visible feature existed. This was not a case in which investigators arrived to find nothing at all. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
However, the existence of a trace is not the same as proof of its cause. The reed circle demonstrated that something had disturbed the vegetation. It did not demonstrate that a spacecraft had landed there. The dispute has therefore centred on whether the pattern was so unusual that ordinary explanations could be ruled out, or whether the circle merely looked extraordinary because it was viewed through the lens of an already sensational sighting report. [Internet Archive]archive.orgAustralian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txtbush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in…
What the photographed nest reportedly looked like
Early descriptions portrayed the main formation as a roughly circular patch about 30 feet (around nine metres) across. Reeds were reported to have been pressed down in a clockwise pattern, creating what observers called a “nest” appearance. Contemporary newspaper accounts noted that the flattened area stood out from the surrounding reeds and appeared relatively well defined. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
Several features attracted attention:
- The reeds appeared bent and laid over rather than cut.
- The flattened vegetation reportedly formed a rotational pattern.
- No obvious vehicle tracks were seen leading through the surrounding scrub.
- The circle floated within swamp vegetation rather than being located on dry ground. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
Photographs taken shortly after discovery became crucial because they preserved the site’s appearance before later disturbance. Even today, those images remain the most frequently cited evidence from the Tully incident. [ABC News]abc.net.ausugar cane farm ufo mystery expanse podcast series uncroppedABC NewsTully's cane farm crop circles and an enduring 58yo UFO…23 Nov 2024 — The Tully saucer nest in Horeshoe Lagoon in 1966. There…
The problem of varying descriptions
One difficulty for later researchers is that measurements and descriptions were not always consistent. Different reports gave slightly different dimensions, while later retellings sometimes described a more perfect circle than appears in surviving photographs. Additional formations reportedly found nearby also varied in size and orientation, with some accounts describing anti-clockwise flattening rather than clockwise flattening. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
These variations do not necessarily mean the original reports were wrong, but they make it harder to treat the nests as a single, precisely documented phenomenon.
Why the trace impressed police and investigators
The reed circle attracted attention because it seemed to resist several obvious explanations.
Police reportedly noted that if machinery or people had created the formation from the ground, some approach route or disturbance through the surrounding vegetation might be expected. Contemporary reports stated that such tracks were not readily apparent. This did not prove an aerial origin, but it helped convince investigators that the site deserved examination. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
The formation also appeared soon after Pedley claimed to have seen a saucer-shaped object rise from the lagoon. The proximity between the reported sighting and the physical trace gave the story a coherence lacking in many UFO cases. Instead of asking people to accept a witness account alone, supporters could point to something tangible in the swamp. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
Samples were collected and examined. Radiation testing reportedly failed to reveal anything unusual, and botanical examination did not identify clear signs of burning, exotic residues or other unmistakable evidence of advanced technology. These results neither confirmed nor entirely resolved the mystery. They established that the reeds had been physically altered, but not that they had been altered by anything extraordinary. [Internet Archive]archive.orgAustralian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txtbush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in…
How visitors, water and variable measurements weakened the evidence
The physical trace was strongest immediately after discovery and became weaker as time passed.
One major problem was contamination. The site rapidly became a tourist attraction. Hundreds of curious visitors reportedly travelled to Horseshoe Lagoon, walking around and sometimes through the area. Once a trace site is heavily visited, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish original features from later disturbance. [ABC News]abc.net.ausugar cane farm ufo mystery expanse podcast series uncroppedABC NewsTully's cane farm crop circles and an enduring 58yo UFO…23 Nov 2024 — The Tully saucer nest in Horeshoe Lagoon in 1966. There…
The lagoon environment created further complications. The formation existed in floating reeds and swamp vegetation, an environment that naturally changes due to water movement, weather and plant growth. Investigators were not studying a fixed impression in dry soil but a dynamic wetland feature capable of changing shape over time. [Roger (Jan) Meecham]janmeecham.wordpress.comRoger (Jan) Meecham UFOs and Crop Circles, Fact or Fiction | Roger (Jan) MeechamGeorge rushed to the farmhouse and told the owner of the farm, Albert Pennisi, who returned to the…Read more…
Another issue was the growing number of reported nests. Additional circles found in the area expanded the story but also introduced inconsistencies. Some formations appeared older than others, some differed in size, and some were described as rotating in the opposite direction. These differences made it harder to argue that all nests resulted from a single, clearly defined mechanism. [Flickr]flickr.comUnidentifiable Flying ObjectsThe reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police…Read more…
Why natural explanations remained plausible
The most persistent sceptical explanation has been that the nest was produced by an atmospheric or water-related vortex. Various investigators suggested whirlwinds, waterspouts or localised turbulent weather effects capable of flattening reeds into circular patterns. North Queensland’s wet-season conditions made such suggestions difficult to dismiss outright. [Internet Archive]archive.orgAustralian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txtbush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in…
Official examinations did not uncover evidence that clearly excluded natural causes. Reports associated with the investigation stated that radiation tests were negative and that plant samples did not reveal the kind of dramatic anomalies expected if an advanced craft had landed. Later summaries of the case note that authorities regarded severe turbulence or related weather phenomena as plausible possibilities. [Internet Archive]archive.orgAustralian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txtbush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in…
Supporters of the UFO interpretation countered that the pattern appeared unusually organised and that some local observers believed ordinary weather effects did not adequately fit what they saw. Yet this argument ultimately depends on judgement rather than decisive laboratory findings. [Internet Archive]archive.orgAustralian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txtbush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in…
What the reed circle still means in Queensland UFO history
The Horseshoe Lagoon formation remains significant because it transformed the Tully incident from a simple sighting into a physical-trace case. It provided photographs, measurements, samples and a location that investigators could visit. That alone distinguishes it from most reports in Queensland’s UFO history. [Project 1947]project1947.comThe classic UFO landing at Horseshoe Lagoon near Tully, far north Queensland, and witnessed by 28 year…Read more…
At the same time, the reed circle illustrates the limits of physical evidence in UFO investigations. The formation was real, but its existence did not identify its cause. Subsequent contamination, conflicting descriptions, inconclusive testing and plausible natural alternatives all reduced its value as proof. The result is a case that remains intriguing but unresolved: stronger than a story based solely on memory, yet far short of demonstrating that an unknown craft landed at Horseshoe Lagoon. [ABC News+2Internet Archive]abc.net.ausugar cane farm ufo mystery expanse podcast series uncroppedABC NewsTully's cane farm crop circles and an enduring 58yo UFO…23 Nov 2024 — The Tully saucer nest in Horeshoe Lagoon in 1966. There…
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Endnotes
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Source: flickr.com
Title: Unidentifiable Flying Objects
Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenslandstatearchives/50704411782Source snippet
The reeds are all flattened in a clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds. Police...Read more...
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Source: archive.org
Title: Australian Flying Saucer Review 1966 11 no 9 UFOIC djvu.txt
Link: https://archive.org/stream/Australian_Flying_Saucer_Review_1966_11_no_9_UFOIC/Australian_Flying_Saucer_Review_1966_11_no_9_UFOIC_djvu.txtSource snippet
bush and weather could not accept official explanations. the reeds in the circle were killed and not all the reeds in...
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Source: project1947.com
Link: https://www.project1947.com/forum/bctully.htmSource snippet
The classic UFO landing at Horseshoe Lagoon near Tully, far north Queensland, and witnessed by 28 year...Read more...
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Source: abc.net.au
Title: sugar cane farm ufo mystery expanse podcast series uncropped
Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-24/sugar-cane-farm-ufo-mystery-expanse-podcast-series-uncropped/104559256Source snippet
ABC NewsTully's cane farm crop circles and an enduring 58yo UFO...23 Nov 2024 — The Tully saucer nest in Horeshoe Lagoon in 1966. There...
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Source: janmeecham.wordpress.com
Title: Roger (Jan) Meecham UFOs and Crop Circles, Fact or Fiction | Roger (Jan) Meecham
Link: https://janmeecham.wordpress.com/2020/05/30/ufos-and-crop-circles-fact-or-fiction/Source snippet
George rushed to the farmhouse and told the owner of the farm, Albert Pennisi, who returned to the...Read more...
Additional References
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSCQ/posts/60-years-ago-this-month-the-worlds-attention-turned-to-tully-in-far-north-queens/1357592719727717/Source snippet
7NEWS Central QueenslandThe official investigation concluded that he probably became disoriented and crashed into the sea, but some ufolo...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: in 1966 a salt of the earth banana farmer saw something he couldnt explain that
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ABCGreatSouthern/posts/in-1966-a-salt-of-the-earth-banana-farmer-saw-something-he-couldnt-explain-that-/1021570706654047/Source snippet
In 1966 a salt-of-the-earth banana farmer saw something...On investigating he found a nearly circular area 32 feet long by 25 feet wide...
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Source: cairnspost.com.au
Link: https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/tully-saucer-nests-xfiles-event-cements-far-north-as-ufo-mecca/news-story/1f43f2ef8d41bcf930e78cea04cc13e2Source snippet
The Cairns Post14 Aug 2022 — Investigating the area the object took off from Mr Pedley discovered a circle of clockwise swirled reeds mea...
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Source: australiangeographic.com.au
Title: saucer hysteria the case of the tully crop circle
Link: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/tim-the-yowie-man/2020/09/saucer-hysteria-the-case-of-the-tully-crop-circle/Source snippet
evidence, this unidentified aircraft had, according to George, left a nest-like mark, 9m in diameter, in the lagoon's floating reeds.Read...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ausgeo/posts/the-tully-saucer-nest-heralded-the-start-of-the-worldwide-phenomenon-of-the-mode/10157678067308339/Source snippet
visitors arrive!) and tend to in hoaxed circles the stalks are...
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Source: xufos.com
Title: The Tully “Flying Saucer Nests”
Link: https://xufos.com/tully-flying-saucer-nests-1966.phpSource snippet
The Tully nests caused a sensation in 1966. Police, scientists, and journalists investigated the sites, and the reeds showed unusual...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/abcnews.au/posts/a-ufo-sighting-in-far-north-queensland-set-off-an-international-hoax-but-it-came/1147146796766589/Source snippet
s the first report of many nests found in Tully...
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Source: womensweekly.com.au
Link: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/crop-circles-australia-tully/Source snippet
The Australian Women's WeeklyCrop circles in Australia: The unsolved mystery of Tully25 Sept 2025 — In the middle of the murky water, tal...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Global crop circle phenomenon inspired by UFO mystery in Far North Queensland?
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YvaAlgokSsSource snippet
A Floating Circular Formation: Atmospheric or Extraterrestrial? | Close Encounter 109...
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Source: cairnspost.com.au
Link: https://www.cairnspost.com.au/web-stories/free/cairns-post/how-tully-became-queenslands-answer-to-roswellSource snippet
Tully River known as Horseshoe Lagoon. Investigating the area where the object took off, he found a...
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