Origins and Structure
Founded in 1998 by researchers Robert Frola and Diane Harrison, Australian UFO Research Network (AUFORN) consolidated previously fragmented state groups into a single federated association. A volunteer executive in Jimboomba, Queensland oversees state coordinators linked by a toll-free hotline (1800 772 288) that routes cases to regional investigators12.
Methodology and Hotline
Calls are triaged, logged, and assigned a case number within a national Microsoft Access database. Investigators follow a standard evidence-collection protocol adapted from police crime-scene practice: witness canvassing, video or photographic chain-of-custody, soil and vegetation sampling, and Freedom-of-Information requests to civil aviation and defence agencies1. The same workflow feeds an SQL mirror used to map temporal clusters and identify recurring loci of activity.
Publications and Outreach
Regular bulletins titled Australian UFO Reports and Experiences circulate online and in print, distilling filtered hotline data. AUFORN staff contribute columns to The Australasian Ufologist Magazine and host segments on the syndicated radio program Strange Days Indeed. Public lectures, skywatch weekends, and the Phenomena Exhibition on the Gold Coast (2003) exemplify the network's community engagement3.
Partnerships and National Role
AUFORN cooperates with interstate bodies such as UFO Research NSW, ACUFOS, and MUFON's Australian chapter, forwarding radar-correlation requests to Airservices Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force. The network supplied sighting statistics for the Disclosure Australia parliamentary briefing paper (2003-2005) and maintains reciprocal data-exchange agreements with UFOINFO and NUFORC34.
Notable Investigations
- Glasshouse Mountains circle (Queensland, May 2003) – botanical and magnetic anomalies disproved a hoax hypothesis after laboratory analysis suggested microwave exposure.
- Adelaide lights pursuit (South Australia, April 2002) – police observed three orange spheres; AUFORN retrieved and analysed still images, excluding flares and astronomical sources5.
- Barkly Highway near Tennant Creek close-pass (Northern Territory, 2008) – multi-witness vehicle interference case documented electromagnetic disturbance and physiological after-effects in occupants.
Evolution and Current Status
By 2015 AUFORN's archive exceeded 12,000 individual case files. Digital migration and GDPR-aligned privacy reforms are under way. Although core leadership now focuses on curation rather than active fieldwork, the hotline continues to be monitored, and periodic collaboration with younger groups sustains investigative capacity.