Carnarvon Opening Ceremony

25th June 1964.

Film and audio recording from the Opening Ceremony

1.) Watch Silent Department of Supply footage with the audio of the Minister for Supply’s speech (see below) added.

Audio recording from the Opening Ceremony

2.) Hear the speech given by The Hon. (later Sir) Allen Fairhall, Minister for Supply.

mp3 audio file – 6.7MB, 13.5 minutes.

This recording has the national anthems of the USA and the speech by the Minister for Supply. Does anyone have the rest of the audio?

Audio tape preserved by Hamish Lindsay, digitised by Colin Mackellar, May 2013.

Message of Welcome to the Goddard Networks

Space enthusiast Brian Larwood in Perth has contributed this film, made by NASA to welcome Carnarvon to the Goddard networks.

It begins with the head of NASA’s Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition, Edmond C. Buckley introducing NASA Administrator James Webb.

Then Dr. Harry J. Goett, first Director of the Goddard Space Flight Center, brings in greetings from various Goddard stations around the world.

The video runs for 8'37".

Available from YouTube – or as a 41MB mp4 file here.

Paul Dench writes:

“Although the station wasn’t officially open until 25 June 1964, construction of the FPQ-6 started mid-January 1963, I was the first Tracker on the payroll in early May 1963, an office was open in town in July ’63, and Trackers were on-site early in August.

TTY was connected by September 1963 and some 50 Trackers and 30 NASA engineers were on-site before Christmas ’63 installing the equipment.

FPQ-6 tracked a spacecraft for the first time on 25 January 1964 with its first official contact three days later – a 3-hour track of Ranger-6 through TLI (trans-lunar injection).”

Opening Day: 25 June 1964.

PMG Technician John Lambie writes –

That’s me on the right. (No I am not guarding the PMG [telecoms] cable marker.) To the left is Monte Sala, Digital Command System (DCS) engineer and spouse Lydia and their children near the fountain that Monte designed and built.

With thanks to John Lambie. Scan: Colin Mackellar.

The opening ceremony.

At the microphone is Allen Fairhall, Minister for Supply, Commonwealth of Australia.

Front row from left to right
1. Obscured ?,
2. Senator Shane Paltridge, Australian Minister for Defence,
3. NASA Associate Adminstrator Edmond C. Buckley,
4. NASA representative ?
5. John Knott CBE, Secretary, Department of Supply.

Rear Row
1. ?
2. Lewis Wainwright, Station Director, (in front of window)
3. ?
4. Lloyd Bott, Dep. Sec. Department of Supply,
5. Wilson Tuckey, Mayor, Shire of Gascoyne Minilya (far right)

Photo and IDs: John Lambie. Scan: Colin Mackellar.

Partners in Space. This folder contained souvenirs from the opening of Carnarvon on 25th June 1964.

(Courtesy Margaret Ruck.)

This 3-page press-release from NASA Public Affairs announces the opening of the new Carnarvon station, the first tracking station built especially to support Project Gemini.

With thanks to Bill Barry at NASA HQ for the copy, and to Brian Larwood.

Opening Day 25 June 1964.

John Lambie’s brother Millar stands at the eastern end of the T&C Building, towards the WWV receive antenna. The two Acquisition Aid antennae are behind him, as are some of the many cars which brought guests to the opening ceremony.

With thanks to John Lambie. Scan: Colin Mackellar.