Hi Zane & All,
From my location at Billimari (25-odd KM NW of Cowra) it was an impressive sight. At first (about 5.20pm) I saw a bright, white apparently stationary star-like point that I estimated to be about magnitude -6 (minus 6), about 25 degrees above the eastern horizon. My heart racing I suspected a possible nova or supernova and put out an immediate call on F.B for other observers to confirm. Some saw the same object but in other locations in the sky meaning it had to be close-by and not a S.N.
I managed to resolve it about 5 minutes later using my 15x70mm binos when it certainly looked like a helium balloon. A photo taken a couple of minutes later (after I had cropped and sharpened it) confirmed the identity.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/superpressureballoon/
Best,
L.