A/COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
PERTH

I have to report making inquiries into reports of "FALLING STONES" on the farm of Allan Keith Donaldson at Pumphreys Bridge via Narrogin. I interviewed Mr Donaldson who stated that he had let a contract to a number of natives to out fence posts on his property. They erected their camps at the foot of a small hill approximately 200 yards behind Donaldson's house. On the evening of Friday the 15.3.57 falling around the camps and they were becoming frightened as they could not understand what was happening.Mr Donaldson and his two adult sons, Brian and Ian, investigated and heard small stones falling to the ground near them in the vicinity of the tents. All three state that they felt softly to the ground and did not appear to have travvelled any great distance.The following day they again visited the scene and a number of stones fell among them and in a radius of 60 to 80 feet. On this occasion they walked along the foot of the hill and the stones fell around and behind as they walked, it seemed as ih the pebbles were following them. On Sunday evening, Barry and Thomas Hardie, sons of a farmer on an opposite property, attended with the Donaldson family. On this occasion they were seated in a tent with the natives and stones appeared on a blanket on the floor. None present saw where they came from sothey immediately stuffed rags in the holes through which the ridge pole passes and laced the door of the tent. IN all eight stones appeared on the blanket and were picked up by the Hardie boys. There was no sign of holes in the tent and none could explain where the stones came from. The stones continued to fall during the following day, Monday, and that evening the natives called at Donaldsons house and stated that they were not prepared to camp on the property that night. Whilst talking at the back door of the house the Donaldsons and the natives maintain that a stone fell on the roof of the house. By this time the natives were becoming somewhat scared and Ian Donaldson drove them to a camping area about ten miles from the property and they spent the night there. The natives state that one stone fell while they were camped at this particular spot also, but this I feel is pure imagination.On Tuesday the Donaldsons wer away at a sale and all the natives were away from the camp


cutting fence posts, a distance of about two miles, and during their absence the spott was visited by Cecil McGarrigal, storekeeper, Popanyinning, and his mother, a farmer named Quartermaine also of the Popanyinning, and Mr wright-Webster, Native affairs Inspector of Narrogin. While these people were present a number of stones fell around the party. None saw them in flight but would hear them hit th eground and see them roll a few inches. Mrs Garrigal was struck on the chest with one stone and stated that it had no force and felt as if she had been struck with a cork. Quartermaine also knelt to pick up one of the stones and another struck him on the side of his neck, this also had no force and he does not think that it could have travlled any great distance. Mr Wright Webster states that he spent many years in India and has heard of similar occurrences in that country and the natives put it down to the actions of spirits called "Poltergeists". He has never had that the phenomenon had been fully explained although he believes there are articles written on such happenings in a number of countries through out the world. None of these persons interviewed have any answer to the happenings, just say that it is a phenomenon they cannot explain or account for. Jack Coulter, reporter for the Daily News, Perth, and Max Holten, photographer for the same paper, spent three days in the area and both saw stones fall but they also cannot give an explanation. The articles published in the Daily News written by Coulter, have been shown to the parties concerned and all state that the stories are correct in every detail. Bob Lentin, a reporter for the Week End Mail, and a photographer, are stated to have visited the scene and whilst there a stone fell on the bonnet of the car and slightly marked the paint work. Another witness to the occurrences described was Roger Palmer, Contractor, 5 Wyndham Street, Victoria Park. At no time have the donaldson family been at the scene without an outside witness and their story is born out by these people. Whilst Coulter waas present at the scene a complete search of the whole vicinity to see if any person were responsible but all are satisfied that the pebbles are or were not propelled by any human assistance. David Moore, ABC Perth, visited the farm and made a recording of an interview with the natives and Mr Donaldson but I cannot ascertain if he witnessed the stones falling. Donaldson himself is a well respected citizen, a Justice of the Peace, and a man of some substance and all the other persons who have witnessed these happenings are people of intelligence and are firmly convinced about what they witnessed. The natives concerned were Cyril and Lorna Penny, Kevin and Alma Ugle, Geoff Turvey, and Ivan Jetta. At the present time the only two remaining are Kevin and Alma Ugle.


The natives in the district state that the whole this is caused by the "Widgecarra". This is said to be little men that can be heard but not seen. They usually become active when someone walks over the grave of a native, this disturbs them and they they annoy anyone camped near by. This is apparently a superstitution handed down from former times and is now applied in this instance. I visited the scene of the happenings and find that the camp is at the foot of a small hill. On the western side, near the top of the rise, is an ironstone ridge and outcrop, situated about 30 yards from the camps. There is also an ironstone hill to the south of the camp but from my enquiries I would say that the stones appear to come from the ridge to the west of the camp. On only two occasions have thes tones been sighted before they reach the ground, one came through the leaves of a small tree and the other struck the trunk of a white gum. I am unable to ascertain the cause of this happening, it is apparently due to some geological disturbance of some description. This could have been occurring for some time past and has only just been discovered owing to the natives having camped in the immediate vicinity. The number of small stones in the area as described previously would give one the impression that this is so. The newspaper outing attached set out the whole story as it has happened and a check from all parties is the same as told by Jack Coulter, I have arranged with Mr Donaldson, that should this phenomonen occur again, he will immediately notify me and I shall proceed to witness the happenings personally. Should this happen a further report will be submitted of my views of the matter at that stage.