UFO sightings in Gosford NSW 1994: Australian ‘X-files’ mystery resurfaces on TikTok

A TikTok video has reopened one of Australia’s most intriguing ‘X-files’ by sharing remarkable eye-witness accounts of a UFO sighted above Gosford almost three decades ago.

So many people, from all walks of life, reported seeing a metallic ‘sphere-like object’ in the NSW Central Coast region on or around New Year’s Eve that it made national headlines.

The so-called ‘1994 Gosford UFO incident’ has intrigued UFO enthusiasts ever since  and the TikTok video, posted by the account ufolegacy, provides vivid evidence why.

In the TikTok video housewife June O’Hare describes seeing what appeared to be a craft covered in lights over the water

In the video made in 1996, housewife June O’Hare describes looking out of the glass doors of her house when something incredible loomed into view.

‘Where I sit I can see the open water and I just couldn’t believe that this thing could appear on the water,’ she said.

‘It was some kind of craft but it was completely surrounded by lights underneath and all around. It just looked like a carousel. It wasn’t anything flat.

‘I was just bewildered. How something could appear and disappear into thin air practically?’ 

Retiree Margaret Howe saw from her house window what she described as a ‘cylinder’ hovering over the lake.

Gosford police officer Bob Wenning said there were dozens of very similar sightings reported

‘The top of the water all lit up and as that light was up I could hear the rushing of water, the movement of water and the water being raised up and shortly after down comes the water on top of the lake,’ she said. 

‘I’m not young and people might think I’m a bit strange, seeing things or had an imagination. 

‘I’ve got an imagination but not like that, not when I see something that I know I saw it.’

Gosford police at the time said they had dozens of calls on New Year’s Eve reporting very similar occurrences.

After this was reported in the local newspaper more accounts emerged.

‘All the people that I spoke to had exactly the same thing to say, there was no variance whatsoever in the object that was sighted,’ Sgt Bob Wenning said.

Some people described a craft that shone strong beams into the lake that appeared to draw up water

‘It was a huge chrome very shiny object in the shape of a ball. 

‘At the bottom of the ball was a number of huge white lights. 

‘This object looked like it was sucking up water.’ 

Former air traffic controller Lindsay Carter claimed he spotted something while on the Pacific Highway on the way from Sydney to Gosford. 

‘I was just gazing out of the front window of the car and I saw approximately half a kilometre away a bright silver metallic object crossing from south to north,’ he said.

‘When you see something like this there is a sure knowledge that you are looking at something that is beyond your experience.’  

Adrian Bale, who the video identifies as a student, had an elevated view from a coastal lookout vantage point. 

Form air traffic controller Lindsay Carter said whatever he saw from the Pacific Highway was ‘beyond his experience’

‘We were watching a bright light move in a strange fashion that you’ll never see or we’d never saw anyway,’ he said.

‘It was moving quickly and moved, for instance, in a zig-zag fashion. 

‘We were watching it for 10 to 15 minutes watching it move in this direction north and we just saw this bright light- 15 to 20 metres above our car – the bright light, the emanating light towards our car. 

‘Mate, it was just awesome.’

Businessman Rick Dowse said he noticed a bright light coming for the right of his car.

‘It seemed to be following us for quite a while and then all of a sudden it turned at a right angle right across the expressway in front of the car,’ he said. 

‘It was large, round and seemed to have a stream of sparks flying out the back of it. I don’t know what it was but it was most peculiar.’ 

Some of those commenting on the TikTok video said they had also seen similar things at the time

‘I first thought maybe it was some type of meteorite but it was too large. It was travelling too slow and turned a right angle which meteorite’s aren’t inclined to do.’  

In the comments under the video there were even more true believers confirming accounts.

‘I saw this as a 15 year old. I can confirm it went from south to north from my view at Umina,’ one TikTok user wrote. 

‘I was only young at the time but my family watched this as we had a view of Woy Woy bay. My mum & I had dreams that came true ever since then,’ another said. 

Some, however, were more skeptical.

Hit 90s US TV show the X-files was about a government conspiracy to cover up alien interactions

‘I always thought there was something different in the water on the coast,’ one wrote.

For others it was the 90s fashion choices that were out of this world.

‘Is the guy in glasses and grey jumper, old mate from Curiosity Show?’ one wrote. 

Coincidentally or not 1994 was perhaps the period of peak popularity for paranormal pop culture sensation the X-files, a US TV drama about a massive government conspiracy to keep real encounters with aliens a secret.