The Tully Saucer Nest
A banana farmer said a grey saucer rose from a lagoon in front of him. Where it had been, the reeds lay flattened in a perfect circle.
What was reported
On the morning of 19 January 1966, George Pedley, a banana farmer near Tully in tropical Queensland, was driving his tractor when he heard a loud hissing. He said he saw a large, grey, saucer-shaped object rise from Horseshoe Lagoon, spin, and fly away.
Where it had been, he found a circle of reeds about 9 metres across, flattened and swirled clockwise as if by a spinning force. More 'nests' were found in the area in the following days.
Explanations offered
Investigators suggested whirlwinds, waterspouts, helicopters and even crocodiles or birds. Some sceptics pointed out that reeds can form such shapes naturally in water. The case became one of Australia's most famous UFO reports, and an early example of what were later called crop circles.
- When
- 19 January 1966
- Where
- Horseshoe Lagoon, near Tully, Queensland, Australia
- Witnesses
- Banana farmer George Pedley
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.