Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

This curious little mystery was reported in the “Curtis Enterprise,” November 21, 1963:

The odd metal spheres found in New South Wales and Australia, in April and mid July, still have not been identified, according to the Australian Minister of Supply, Mr. Allen Fairhall.  Minister Fairhall stated that his inquiries to the U.S. and U.S.S.R space agencies have drawn a blank.

The first mystery ball, a 13-pound hollow sphere 14 inches in diameter was discovered on April 8, 1963 in a desolate part of Bouilla Station, New South Wales. Mr. J. McLure, who found it, said no one else had been In the area for 50 years. Scientists failed in their effort to open the sphere with files and hacksaws. 

On April 30, Minister Fairhall told the House of Representatives that the sphere had been definitely identified as part of a space vehicle. He said it had not yet been opened as it might contain "something of scientific Interest.” He added, "It's a million-to-one chance that a piece of orbiting hardware should survive the temperature of reentry and be recovered in one place.” Australian scientists said later It might have been protected by a heat shield. 

On June 29, the second spaceball fell, in New South Wales, 6 miles from the first location. This one weighed 18 pounds and was 16 inches in diameter. It was made of the same puzzling metal. 

The third sphere fell on July 13, near Muloorina, in South Australia. It was six inches in diameter and had an opening in it.

The highly technical work and cost required to build such spheres seems to rule out any hoax answer. Both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. have denied any connection. Even if the spheres were earthmade, all three would hardly fall by accident in this one area.  To drop them there deliberately would require precise re-entry by remote-control, also retro-firing jets, which the spheres did not have. 

If they were extraterrestrial, some more advanced control mechanism might be used.  In this case, the Australian Government may have found the answer--and possibly the clue to their purpose--on opening the spheres. To the best of our knowledge, Australian officials have been silent as to what was discovered.

Although these spheres--which were not the only ones found in Australia over the years--seem to be fairly well-known among UFO enthusiasts, I do not know if it was ever definitively proven what in the world--or, possibly, what out of this world--they were.