The Night "They" Waved Back
In the remote coastal village of Boianai, Papua New Guinea, the evening of 26 June 1959 began like any other. Anglican missionary Father William Booth Gill, an Australian with a reputation for level-headedness, finished dinner and stepped outside the mission station around 6:45 pm.
He noticed an unusually bright "star" high above Mount Pudi, sparkling with intense white light. Curious, he called Papuan teacher Stephen Moi Gill (no relation) and medical assistant Eric Langford to join him. Soon villagers and mission staff gathered. Eventually 38 people in total.
The "star" descended steadily. It grew larger, revealing itself as a structured disc with a wide flat base and a narrower upper deck. Bright light from the UFO bathed the beach and surrounding hills.
The Figures Appear
As the craft hovered at rooftop height, four humanoid figures emerged on the upper deck. They moved purposefully, occasionally bending as if adjusting equipment.
Father Gill described them as human in proportion, wearing what appeared to be tight-fitting coveralls that glowed with the craft's light. Their movements were deliberate and natural.
"On the deck were four men. They seemed to be engaged in some activity... One seemed to lean over as if looking at something below."
– Father William Gill, original report
The crowd grew excited. Someone suggested waving. Father Gill raised his arm. One figure immediately raised an arm in response. Others waved both arms overhead; two figures mirrored the gesture exactly.
A thin blue spotlight beam swept across the sky from the craft's underside. Smaller sparkling objects darted around the main disc like satellites.
The Second Night – Even Closer Interaction
The following evening, 27 June, the large disc returned precisely at 6:05 pm, accompanied by several smaller objects. The figures reappeared – at times two, three, or four on deck.
Witnesses used torches to signal. Every wave was returned. When two men walked toward the craft across open ground, the figures briefly vanished below deck before re-emerging.
"I stretched both arms above my head and waved vigorously. All four figures waved back with both arms in the same manner."
– Father William Gill, signed statement
The craft hovered until clouds covered it around 9:45 pm. Smaller lights remained visible high overhead until late into the night.
The Witnesses And Documentation
Thirty-eight people observed the events, including educated mission staff and local villagers. Twenty-five signed a formal statement confirming Father Gill's account. Teacher Stephen Moi Gill and medical assistant Ananias provided detailed corroborating reports.
Father Gill sketched the craft and figures, noting structural details: a wide base, angled supports to the upper deck, and the blue beam's origin point.
He sent reports to the Anglican Church in Port Moresby and Australian authorities. Dr. J. Allen Hynek later interviewed Gill and declared him "completely sincere and credible."
Broader Context In Papua New Guinea
The Boianai events were part of a larger 1959 wave across Papua New Guinea. Other missions reported similar hovering discs and lights during the same period.
The interaction element – beings responding directly to human gestures – remains almost unique in UFO literature.
Location / Anomalies:
- Primary site: Boianai Anglican Mission Station, Goodenough Bay, Papua New Guinea (Coords: approx 9.9333° S, 149.8833° E)
- Secondary objects: Up to eight smaller sparkling lights performing independent maneuvers
- Anomalies: Large structured disc with visible deck and supports, four humanoid figures in apparent coveralls, direct responsive waving to witnesses, thin blue spotlight beam, hovering for hours across two consecutive nights, intelligent interaction with ground observers.
Sources / Balance:
Father William Gill original handwritten reports and sketches
Signed statements from 25 witnesses including Stephen Moi Gill and Ananias
Anglican Church mission correspondence
Dr. J. Allen Hynek personal interviews and case file
Australian Department of Territories UFO files
Contemporary Papua New Guinea press coverage
UFO researcher Donald Keyhoe and NICAP documentation
Final Verdict
THE NIGHT THEY WAVED BACK. Thirty-eight sober witnesses, led by a respected missionary, spent two evenings in open dialogue with figures aboard a structured craft. Every wave was returned. Every torch signal acknowledged. Signed statements, sketches, and independent corroboration stand unchallenged after more than six decades. The Boianai encounter offers something rare in ufology: direct, intelligent response from the occupants. When Father Gill raised his arm and they raised theirs in perfect unison, a message crossed the gulf. The question that lingers over that quiet Papua New Guinea beach remains: Who were they greeting so deliberately... and what did they want us to understand?