Harold Truter, the principal of the junior school at Rosmead, had locked up the house and the attendant tennis court on Friday 10 November 1972 when he left for the weekend. On returning in the evening of Sunday 12 November he noticed a strange light in the sky but considered it just an unusual but natural phenomenon. Whether or not this was connected to what he then discovered is unknown. As he was unloading his car he saw that the surface of the tennis court had been broken up; there were holes in it and tar and coal ash had been lifted up and scattered.
The gates were, however, still securely locked. The police were called in. It is worth noting at this stage that there were many other UFO reports received from the same area at the same time including reports of sightings by police officers. Investigation of the tennis court indicated a symmetrical pattern of identical holes; some of the tar from the court had been strewn some 600 ft (183 m) away, on to a ridge nearby.
Bluegum trees alongside the tennis court had been badly burnt and they died about two months later. Analysis of samples taken from the site indicated no obvious anomalies though indicated no solution either. Whether or not the tennis court was the landing site of a UFO remains speculated by some, but unproven.
(Colonel B. J. Van Heerden tries to simulate the damage with a spade)