When Meredith Morison attended college in Geelong, she was given an assignment to tell her classmates a story and they had to decide whether it was true.
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Not one person believed the story that she told because what happened on her family's farm back on a hot day in 1965 was proof that the truth is stranger than fiction.
An Ansett DC-3 aircraft crash landed in the outpaddock at Southern Cross.
Incredibly, the 20 passengers and three crew members escaped unhurt.
However, Mrs Morison's mother - Thelma Inglis - initially had trouble convincing police that an aeroplane had landed on her property.
The incident happened on April 1, 1965 - April Fool's Day.
"I remember mum phoning the police and her saying 'they don't believe me because it's April Fool's Day'."
Mrs Morison doesn't remember a lot about the day, but she does recall that the plan was visible from their house.
"I do remember mum giving cups of tea to the police," she said.
"It was a bit of excitement for the day for a five-year-old."
An uncovered photo of the plane resting in the paddock was posted on the Facebook page Lost Warrnambool this week.
A news article at the time states: "The plane crashed through three fences and a drain about a mile west of the aerodrome.
"It dodged pine trees and dense hedges and it bounced across three paddocks.
"The badly damaged DC-3 then spun round and came to rest facing the opposite direction, with barbed wire hanging from one propeller and with a trail of broken fence posts behind it.
"All the passengers were badly shaken.
"The plane had just left Warrnambool for Melbourne when the port engine failed."
The pilot, captain Harry Peers was quoted saying: "I tried to make it back to the airfield, but I didn't think we could do it.
"I looked around and selected a clearing and put the aircraft down. The propellor hit the ground first. We were able to steer the aircraft and we headed it between fence posts.
"We skidded on our belly for about 300 yards. It was all over in a matter of seconds. There was no panic among the passengers."
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Monique Patterson
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
