Honeysuckle Creek, Early scenes, late 1966



These photos are scans of medium format negatives taken by Hamish Lindsay.

Scans by Colin Mackellar, 2018, except for 0001 by Craig Lindsay 2022. Larger versions available.

 

HSK early days

00 – On the original road, heading home.

The Ford Falcon is about to cross Honeysuckle Creek, about 230 metres WNW of its junction with Booroombora Creek. (Map to come.)


HSK early days

0001 – fording the creek, heading home.

Scan by Craig Lindsay.


HSK early days

01 – On the original track, heading home. Road washaway.


HSK early days

01a – Detail from the above photo.

Roy Benson is driving. That could be Bruce Hamilton in the back seat.


HSK early days

02 – The original road ran along the southern side of Dead Man’s Hill – separated from the present road by the valley along which Honeysuckle Creek flows.

This and the next photo were taken on the way to Honeysuckle, about half way along the original road.

Note the Ford Falcon (arrowed) parked on the track around the bend.


HSK early days

03 – This view, taken from above the car parked in photo 02, gives a feel for the rough terrain, and the work required to construct a road through the granite countryside.


HSK early days

08 – A view of the new road (“the Panos Freeway”) under construction.

The photo is taken looking east to east-south-east, from a point about 1 km from the tracking station, which is to the right of the photographer, and over the hill.

In the distance, outlined in yellow, a grader is working on the road.


HSK early days

04 – The microwave dish is lifted up onto the link tower adjacent to the Honeysuckle Creek Operations Building.

This dish provided a microwave link to DSS-42 Tidbinbilla (the Wing station) via a passive repeater on Dead Man’s Hill.

In the distance, in almost the opposite direction from Dead Man’s Hill, is the Collimation Tower (arrowed).


HSK early days

04a – Detail from photo 04, above.


HSK early days

05. The microwave dish is lifted up onto the link tower.


HSK early days

06. The Collimation Tower.


HSK early days

09. The USB Area inside the Operations Building.

Racks, cabling and equipment are in the process of being installed.

The Servo window at the end allows operators to see the antenna (which is out of view to the left through the window).

On the left at the end of the room (highlighted by the yellow box) sits the VLF loop antenna, waiting to be installed on the roof above the servo console. This will allow accurate calibration of the station’s time standard.


HSK early days

11. Collins Radio RF Engineer Steve Randal – part of the Collins Radio installation team – relaxing in front of the Tracking Data Processor.