Vladimir Godic passed away suddenly on Sunday, January 29th, at Cairns, Queensland. His passing has taken from us a fine person and a great contributor to UFO research in Australia. His impact will be felt for years to come.
Born in Yugoslavia, Vladimir emigrated to Australia in 1949. He began a serious interest in the UFO mystery during the late 1940s immediately in the wake of the wave of sightings that ushered in the modern era of UFO sightings. When he more formally embraced the UFO mystery, he quickly took on significant roles. He was a senior vice president of UFO Phenomena Investigation Australia (UFOPIA) group from 1964 to 1968, as well as being an investigation officer from 1965 to 1968.
Occult perspective’s began to intrude into UFOPIA’s activities leading Vladimir to decide that there were better ways to approach the UFO subject. In December, 1968, with Crystal Walsh, he founded UFO Research (SA) Inc. The main focus of this group was to promote a serious scientific approach to the UFO subject, something Vladimir saw as sorely lacking in a lot of other groups: A rationalisation of the various groups in South Australia followed with Vladimir’s group emerging with its original vision intact UFO Research (SA) Inc also pioneered a more business like approach to UFO research rather than •the UFO club syndrome• that dominated the civilian response to the subject.
Vladimir produced 37 editions of the UFOR (SA) newsletter from 1976 to 1980.
By 1980 Vladimir saw that the time was right to launch a higher profile national vision for UFO research in Australia. He utilised his excellent administrative and publishing skills to produce the UFO Research Australia Newsletter (UFORAN) as a vehicle for quality research from around the country. UFORAN first appeared in 1980 and went on to provide an outstanding outiet for UFO investigation and research. To read through the 23 editions that Vladimir published is to embrace a remarkable tribute to his achievements. They are a testimony in content and quality of Vladimir’s burning desire to give wider expression to what he saw as important and reliable material – the distillation of Australian UFO research.
For a period around 1982, Vladimir was administrator for the Australian Centre for UFO Studies (ACUFOS). He helped to inject into ACUFOS a range of measures that improved the resource function of ACUFOS. Ultimately however he and others withdrew from ACUFOS frustrated by the politics and impediments that were affecting much of Australian ufology at that time. In response Vladimir established UFO Research Australia (UFORA) in 1984 which championed a scientifically oriented networking approach. Those of us who embraced this approach saw its clear advantages and have seen the measurable progress in Australian UFO research.
Vladimir led the way in embracing other forms of communicating our labours to a wider audience. He quickly utilised the electronic bulletin board concept using a network of personal computers amongst Australian researchers. This allowed researchers to tap into the international Internet community and glimpse the future. Access to the Paranet bulletin board, electronic mail (E-mail), and rapid communications of research data have allowed a growing number of researchers the benefits of a greatly enriched horizon of knowledge. While he championed this excursion into cyberspace he also led a critical response to its excesses and problems.
With his wife, Pony, he coordinated the development of a digital book on UFO research in Australia and New Zealand- essentially the best of UFORAN’s fine publishing record. Anyone who examines the UFO Research in Australia and New Zealand digital book published by Dynamo House will quickly see the depth of research Vladimir and Pony distilled into it While it contains the research endeavours of a number of researchers it was Vladimir’s and Pony’s vision that got it there. Vladimir’s achievements are legion and they will not be forgotten. Pony shared his vision and passionate embrace of the UFO mystery. Pony’s loss, and that of his daughter, Kaye, and his son, Grant and ours will be softened by the measure of Vladimir’s legacy. Vladimir’s legacy of extraordinary efforts liberates us and assists us to contemplate the mystery of UFOs.
Bill Chalker
