THE GREAT FLYING SAUCER HOAX-Continuing biog of NT Crusading Editor,"Big Jim" Bowditch

In Alice Springs  drinking  establishments  Bowditch  was  repeatedly  asked  to describe  the  episode in which Miss Olive Pink  hit  him  with  her  umbrella. He could  have dined  out  on  the   story  for  years.  Miss Pink , he recalled, had  a long  running  battle with the Alice Springs   fire  brigade  when she lived next to the fire station.  She  accused the men  of swearing, drinking, gambling , making  excessive  noise.  A  court  case  resulted  from  one  confrontation  with  the firemen , and  Miss Pink  refused to  swear on the  bible, but made an affirmation, saying she always told  the truth.   She  claimed “ language used in  the underworld ”  had  been  shouted  at  her ; the offending  language   was  written   down on  paper for the  magistrate to  peruse.  During the hearing she  clashed several times  with the defence lawyer, Phil Rice.   She lost the case  and indignantly claimed  there was no  justice for women  in the  NT .  

 At the time , flying saucers  were spotted in many  parts of the world . Regarding them as a joke, Bowditch decided it was  time that  Alice  had  its own visitors  from  another  planet.  In  February l954  he  spoke to  a photographer, Trish Collier,  and asked  her to  produce a photograph of a UFO .   Using  what he thought might  have  been a  shirt   collar  stud, she  superimposed  a dramatic looking  flying  saucer over the  MacDonnell Ranges .  Bowditch ran the picture on the front page,  saying  it had been pushed under  the door  of the Centralian  Advocate  by a person who did not want to be named. This  was a true, because he  had  pushed  the photo  under  the door , and he certainly did not  want to  be named .

 

The  story  resulted in an outbreak of   UFO sightings  in the Alice district ,  all of which he  happily  ran  in the paper. One  of  the UFO stories was caused by a Canberra  jet bomber which left a contrail as it flew over  Alice ; apart from  scaring some  residents, it frightened  poultry  as   well.

 
A dubious  team of  RAAF investigators  visited the Advocate and  quizzed Bowditch about the  rash of  UFOs in Central Australia . All those  UFO reports almost  certainly were sent to the British military  centre  which  compiled sightings from all over the  world.   In fact,  there were   chunks of  space    vehicles - meteorites- scattered about  the Centre .  Jock Nelson , MHR, had several pieces of  the Henbury  meteorite  in  his home in a glass case. Another  huge meteorite, roughly in the shape of   Australia, was  at Mt Ruddock  Station,  and  American  collectors  were keen to  buy the  object.

 

 

FRENCH  BEAT  UPS

 

Bowditch  was  not  alone in  fabricating   stories   about Central Australia during  l954.  Amazing stories  appeared in  France saying  two men competing  in an outback car rally in  Peugeot cars  narrowly  escaped  death  when attacked  by “fierce natives  ” brandishing  stone axes and spears.  According to  the report  three planes had  been sent to the area  and pilots reported  an estimated 100,000 savages , a previously unknown tribe,  dashing about waving threateningly at them.  Bowditch ran  these  reports  under a  scoffing  heading.

 
A  drought   which lasted for eight years  impacted on the  cattle industry .  The   effects  of  the  drought  were  felt throughout the  community.  Teachers punched  holes in  tins and   poured water in so that young children would know  what rain looked like.  Horses were  driven  mad by flies  and euros were  blinded  by the pests.  Jock Nelson  called for the  CSIRO  rain making unit to  be brought to Alice.  Dust storms swept the town, wild donkeys came in looking for water , a large  perentie lizard  was  seen panting under a fire hydrant. Flocks of  birds  darted about  desperately seeking  water. NEXT :  Widespread gambling .