The Australian Flying Saucer Club Part 2

The Australian Flying Saucer Club part 2

“The Australian Flying Saucer Research Society”

Last week we looked briefly into South Australia's first UFO related investigation and information club founded by Mr Frederick Stone, This week we are going to have a brief look at the longest running club of it's type in South Australia, the “Australian Flying Saucer Research Club”, which was also founded by Frederick Stone.

 Founded circa 1955, the AFSRC was founded by Frederick Stone, who was also the clubs first president. Frederick had formerly been a part of both “The Australian Flying Saucer Club” and the “Australian Flying Saucer Bureau”

 The group, although only small at the time, expanded its wings across the country, and in 1956 had an office in NSW (which would later remove itself from the club and become known as the UFO Investigation Centre).

 In 1957, Mr Stone formed a group ion Victoria which would work alongside the South Australian based group under the leadership of Peter Norris, this branch of the group was titled the “Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society”.

In 1959, Mr Stone also founded another branch of the group in the Northern Territory, with the presiding President being one Duke Alley

 There is also evidence of the club having an office in Queensland and Western Australia, truly becoming a nationwide entity.

 The group, although small, was set up well with a treasurer, secretary, President and membership, and also, for some time, printed its own magazine called “Australian Saucer Record” which ran for 9 Volumes from 1955 until 1963

 In 1959 the now growing group, held the very first UFO conference in South Australia, which was attended by 200 people, with guest speaker the Rev. W.B. Gill as guest speaker, recounting some of his extraordinary tales of sightings and UFO experiences.

In 1962 the AFSRS had its first major reshuffle of members, with a rift forming between founder Fred Stone and member Colin Norris. Fred left his own group and formed yet another group with the acronym UFOPIA, this left Colin Norris “Mr UFO” as the President of the Australian Flying Saucer Research Society, and a new era of UFO research in South Australia.

 In 1967, another rift formed within the ranks of the club and a “no confidence” vote against club president Colin Norris was put forward, but lost. This led to numerous members splitting from the club to form a new group called UPIA
  The club was still going strong in the early years of the “2000's” but since the death of Colin Norris and other group members, it has lost its momentum and its presence has fallen away substantially in the local UFO investigation scene

The Australian Flying Saucer Club

The Australian Flying Saucer Club

A week before the first atomic bomb test explosion on Australian soil in 1953 Frederick Stone had an experience with that UFO's he witnessed flying over Adelaide, South Australia.

 Mr Stone witnessed what he described as 5 cigar-shaped objects that were not human in origin. He could clearly see humanoid “figures” inside each craft as they flew past.

 This led Mr Stone to found South Australia's very first UFO interest and investigation group “The Australian Flying Saucer Club”.

In an effort to build friendships interstate, Mr Stone affiliated with a Sydney based group known as the “Australian Saucer Bureau”, founded by Edgar Jarrold

 Mr Stone became the South Australian Branch President, leaving his own club to fold, however, Mr Jarrold, based in New South Wales not very forth coming with information, so Mr Stone decided to move on from the club and form another new one, “The Australian Flying Saucer Research Society”

In next weeks blog we will take a look at this research society that has been going for more 50 years in South Australia!

Subterranean Adelaide Part 4 Escape Tunnels

Subterranean Adelaide Part 4

Escape Tunnels

In the least three chapters of this series we have explored tunnels, basements and a train underpass that we know through public record definitely existed or exist, but there has always been plenty of rumour about other man-made tunnels stretching underneath Adelaide.

There has long been rumour of a series of tunnels designed and constructed by Sir Colonel William Light, the architect of Adelaide. It is estimated these tunnels began to be dug as early as 1936, but their entrances were closed off to hide them from the public. The entrances were supposed to be set in Victoria Square, Light Square, Hindmarsh Square, Hurtle Square and Whitmore Square, as well as under the cities major banks.

These tunnels were reportedly constructed as a means to escape the city if their was ever an military invasion. When one considers that Adelaide's beautiful parkland’s that surround the city were in actual fact a military design in themselves, being a little longer than the average length a rifle could shoot a bullet in the 1840's, then there is, perhaps, some possibility of escape tunnels being present, where exactly they would go to would be anyone’s guess.

There has also long been a rumour, now confirmed of an old service tunnel under the Advertiser building which was most likely used to allow entry to various basement level storage and printing areas.

There is also a long held belief amongst the Adelaide Urbex explorers that there is an entry tunnel in in the east end park lands, near the small lake, one underneath Old parliament House which allowed politicians to travel to the train station unseen, and another under the Keswick Army Barracks, that goes to places unknown.

Do any or all these tunnels exist, that I cannot answer, but possibly someone out there reading this may have experienced some of them for themselves, if you do have a subterranean story of Adelaide, concerning man-made tunnels (and not the various storm water drains, aqueducts and water outlets) please feel free to tell us your story, or post photos below, here, or on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheHauntsofAdelaide

Subterranean Adelaide Part Three - The Treasury Building Tunnels

Subterranean Adelaide Part Three

The Treasury Building Tunnels

The original building of the Medina Grand Hotel, The Treasury Building of Adelaide, was first constructed in 1839, and small parts of it can still be seen in the building that stands today, although remodelling over the years have hidden much of it.

Over the following years, and especially from 1858 to 1876 construction took the building to new heights, and new lows, with long rumoured tunnels, which are no now longer a secret, with entry now easily obtainable to the general public via the Adelaide CDB Ghost Crime Tours.

For more than 150 years the Old Treasury building provided offices and administration buildings for multiple Government agencies including the Governor, The Register General and Land Office and the Colonial Secretary

The building also features the treasury vaults underneath, which during the gold rush in Victoria in 1852/1853, is where the gold from interstate was stored away safely. Nearly 13 tonnes of gold were sheltered in the tunnels in that one year period alone.

The tunnels underneath the building were actually a mishmash of various basements during the buildings various remodelling and rebuilding periods over 150 years, that were all interconnected with walkway tunnels to make it easier to move gold and important documents around much more easily.

It has been a long held belief within the Adelaide urbex explorer community that there were furnaces installed in the basement area to smelt the aforementioned gold, but this is in fact a myth. The two furnaces that are installed in the basement are not large enough to provide the required heat to smelt gold. It is thought they were installed to help with lithographic processing for the production of maps for the above survey office.

There was however evidence that smelters were installed on a ground floor level to produce smelted gold, but these have long since been removed from the site.

The “newest” tunnel was built in around 1907 to join the eastern basements built in 1867 with the new northern printing rooms built under the north wing

Presently the tunnels are used for the aforementioned Ghost Crime Tours, but also during various festivals to display artworks, or other social events.

To book an Adelaide Ghost Crime Tour and experience the tunnels for yourself, visit www.ghostcrimetours.com.au 

Subterranean Adelaide Part Two - Roseneath

Subterranean Adelaide Part Two

Roseneath

Completed in 1849 in the North Adelaide suburb of Walkerville sits the stunning two storey Georgian Villa known as “Roseneath'.

The house was built for James Wyld Macdonald who was an official at the Burra Mines.

The villa was built from locally kilned bricks, and was originally surrounded y olive groves and rows of vines that flanked the main driveway to the front gates on Stephens Terrace.

At the rear of the building sites a small limestone cottage, stables and coach house that were completed sometimes around 1845

This building has a service tunnel underneath it that goes out to the servant quarters at the rear of the building. Other branches of the tunnel go into storage rooms and wine cellars. There is an old legend that there was once another tunnel that led to the River Torrens, it is speculated that this tunnel was to aide bringing water to the house, to help cool the house, and to provide an escape route if there was an attack by the local natives.

The tunnels are all bricked lined their entire length, and were constructed under the guidance of original owner James McDonald.

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Subterranean Adelaide - The Jubilee Railway Line

Subterranean Adelaide

The Jubilee Railway Line

One of Adelaide's forgotten railways existed purely to service the Jubilee Exhibition that was to be located on the corners of North Terrace and Frome Road in the city

The line travelled along the River Torrens from the Adelaide Railway Station, across where the Festival Theatre now stands, under King William Street on a diagonal, besides the Torrens Parade grounds, and around to the festival grounds where the Jubilee was to be held into an area that is now part of the Adelaide University.

The line was built for the sole purpose of getting heavy machinery and exhibits through the Exhibition, and opened in 1886. It was then used for another 40 years for moving heavy objects into the pavilion of the exhibition and University buildings. Between 1899 and 1902 it was used to transport soldiers from the Torrens Parade grounds to Adelaide Station in preparation for them to catch trains from Adelaide Station to Port Adelaide and various other ports before setting sail to South Africa to face the perils of the Boer War.

The line was also used to take patients during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1919 from Adelaide Station to a temporary quarantine station made of tents in the oval of the old Jubilee Exhibition grounds.

The showgrounds were moved in 1924 to their current position at Wayville, and the lines were considered redundant, so they were removed in 1927

The tunnel is still present under King William street, back was blocked on both sides in around 1928. Since then the road above has been widened multiple times, but underneath, there probably still lies some track tracks and a very short tunnel, the only remnants of the Jubilee Railway line.

Icons of South Australia: Donald Dunstan

Icons of South Australia

Donald Dunstan

Donald Dunstan was an important figure in South Australian politics, a man some thought was ahead of his time (if you were a supporter).
Dunstan was born in Fiji, and was moved to Murray Bridge at the age of seven. He went on to complete his education at St Peters College, and then Adelaide University. Dunstan graduated with a Bachelor of Law in 1948.
Whilst studying at Adelaide University, Dunstan met his first wife, Gretal, who was from a Jewish family who had escaped Nazi occupied Germany for a new life in Australia. After a brief stint living in Fiji together the couple moved back to Norwood in 1951, now with their first child Bronwen, and soon to follow, two sons, Andrew and Paul.
In 1953 Dunstan entered the world of South Australian politics becoming an elected Member for Norwood, this would eventually lead to his placement in 1965 as the Attorney-General, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Social Welfare.
In 1967, the current South Australian Premier, Frank Walsh retired, and Donald Dunstan was elected the leader of the party, and therefore, the new Premier and Treasurer of South Australia.
Dunstan lost the next State election, and the Liberals regained power of the State, which only lasted until the next election, when Dunstan was elected by the people. He then went on to to serve for another ten years, only standing down due to ill health in 1979

Dunstan was always a controversial figure in South Australian politics, but also a forward thinker. Under Donald Dunstan laws were changed that introduced anti-discrimination laws to protect the rights of women, indigenous people and homosexuals. Dunstan was also an avid supporter of the Arts, establishing the Adelaide Festival Centre, The South Australian Film commission and expanding upon the Adelaide Festival of Arts.
If it was for Donald Dunstan, all South Australians would still be kicked out of the pub at 6pm – It was Dunstan who changed the Liquor Licensing laws, and allowed puns to serve alcohol until 10pm!
Dunstan was also the man responsible for legalising homosexuality in South Australia and taking us out of the dark ages.
Dunstan also began the process of handing the Pitjantjatjara lands back to its native owners.

In 1972 Donald Dunstan caused a media sensation across Australia when he 'donned' a pair of tight pink flannelette shorts and wore them into parliament, his advisers and personal assistants did all they could to keep the media at bay, and stop them taking photographs, but Dunstan snuck out a back door and welcomed the media to take photos, which would eventually lead to him being seen across Australia and a whirlwind of political controversy and opinion that soon followed. By all accounts, Donald Dunstan relished every minute of the attention.

More about the enigmatic South Australian Premier Donald Dunstan

http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=239&c=655
http://www.news.com.au/national/power-passion-and-those-pink-pants/story-e6frfkp9-1226630100208

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/don-dunstans-former-partner-steven-cheng-wants-his-history-acknowledged/story-e6frea83-1226630361906
http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/feature/don-dunstan-charting-the-life-of-a-queer-premier-14204.html