Shane Ryan- Westall and much more…

Shane Ryan is a teacher, writer, researcher and federal parliamentary public servant. He has worked (and studied) at Charles Sturt University, University of Canberra, and the Australian National University, all in Canberra. Shane has worked as an information officer and researcher at the Embassy of Japan in Canberra, and he has also taught in schools in Japan and Australia.

Shane completed a Diploma of Japanese Studies at Nanzan University, Nagoya; a Bachelor of Theology at Sydney College of Divinity, Sydney; a Master of Arts at Australian Catholic University, Canberra; and a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language and Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Canberra.

He was working as a barristers’ clerk in Melbourne, when he first heard about the incredible 1966 Westall Flying Saucer Incident in that city, for which he has now become the lead researcher.

Shane was the principal researcher and narrator for the documentary on the Westall Incident, Westall ’66: A Suburban UFO Mystery, which was first broadcast on the Australian Sci Fi Channel in 2010. Shane has since made a serious study of other school-based UFO sightings around the world, such as the 1967 Crestview Elementary School Incident in Opa-Locka, Florida, USA, and other Australian sightings from the 1960s era.

Shane was instrumental in convincing local government authorities to establish Australia’s – and possibly the world’s – first UFO park and playground, based on real events, at Westall in 2013, as a way of commemorating the events there.

Shane appeared in both seasons of Discovery Channel Canada’s Close Encounters series, in the National Geographic UK TV Channel’s Invasion Earth series, Network Ten’s Studio Ten anniversary special on Westall, and on Japan’s Fuji TV’s What’s This? – Mysteries from Around the World and TBS TV’s World Extreme Mysteries program.

He was also a consultant for American filmmaker James Fox’s feature documentary film The Phenomenon, and worked with Australian investigative journalist and author Ross Coulthart for his documentaries UFO Phenomenon and Secrets of the UFOs on the 7 Network and his book In Plain Sight.

He has been interviewed for print, radio, TV and podcasts in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK and the USA. There are also several TV and film producers currently planning projects to bring the Westall story to a wider audience. His research into the Westall Incident is ongoing.

Shane was born and raised in Shepparton, and has also lived in Melbourne, Sydney and Nagoya. He now lives in Canberra with his wife and two sons and works in Education and Visitor Services at Australian Parliament House.

 

Part 1 – Westall 1966, including details on the American incident – Crestview 1967

Part 2 – UFO’s Over the National Capital – The Lost History of Canberra’s UFO’s.

 

I am very pleased to announce we have two new committee members:

Lesley Jones – Vice President

Rudi Galich – Committee Member

Paul Kretzas, (IT) and myself, Maree Baker, ( President ) remain in our roles.

Steve Hiscocks also will continue as part of the support team.

 

We are looking forward to bringing you friendly monthly meetings as a new team.