Cooby Creek Achievements

Cooby Creek – Achievements

While Cooby Creek participated in a wide range of pioneering experiments (see the booklet), it was the television broadcasts which were seen by the general public in Australia.

Here are some firsts from Cooby Creek:

6th April 1967. The first satellite photos showing all of Australia – from ATS-2 (the second of the Applications Technology Satellites).

Australia, as seen from the ATS-2 satellite, and received at Cooby Creek, on 6th April 1967.

ATS-2 was a gravity gradient stabilised satellite.
Original Polaroid photo by Neil Sandford.

On the back, Neil wrote, “6th April 1967. ATS-A. s/c advancing towards Australia.”

Photo and enhancement by Colin Mackellar.

Australia, as seen from the ATS-2 satellite, and received at Cooby Creek, on 6th April 1967.

Original Polaroid photo by Neil Sandford.

On the back, Neil wrote:

“ATS-II launch, 6th April 1967.
During 1st orbit, Australia completely visible. Concentrated cyclone over Japan and cyclonic disturbance over Indian Ocean.
One gravity gradient boom clearly visible, and the other boom grey against Earth cloud cover just off west coast of Australia.”

Photo and enhancement by Colin Mackellar.

In January 1967, Cooby Creek successfully received test transmissions via ATS-1 from the Japanese earth station at Ibaraki.

A test transmission from Ibaraki (Japan) to Cooby Creek, 11th January 1967.
Polaroid photo: Nevil Eyre.

A test transmission from Ibaraki (Japan) to Cooby Creek, 11th January 1967.
Polaroid photo: Nevil Eyre. (The Polaroid has degraded somewhat.)

Context:

The OTC’s satellite earth station at Carnarvon had sent one-way live TV from Australia to the UK in November 1966, and recorded a return transmission for later playback.
The OTC’s satellite earth station at Moree, NSW, would not become operational until 1st April 1968 with the unscheduled telecast of US President Lyndon Johnson declining to seek a second term.
The OTC earth station at Ceduna, South Australia would come online in December 1969.

In May 1967, the station sent the first live satellite television from eastern Australia – to an event in Greenbelt, Maryland –

In the early hours of Sunday 14 May 1967, Cooby Creek hosted a local Toowoomba Scout troop.

Via ATS-1 and the Rosman STADAN station in North Carolina, Cooby Creek sent live one-way television of the Toowoomba Scouts to their Baltimore counterparts waiting at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

This is the first public satellite television broadcast to the outside world from eastern Australia. See the Goddard News below for a report:

Here’s the front page of Goddard News, Volume 13, No. 9, 12th June 1967. Click for it as a PDF file, courtesy of the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Here’s an image from the above Goddard News.

Colour television transmissions were also received from Japan in June 1967–

This newspaper clipping from The Courier Mail for Saturday 3rd June 1967, was preserved by Terry Newman.

This newspaper clipping, preserved by Terry Newman, speaks of the impressive quality of the received colour television picture.

Click the image for fuller text.

The next week, the station brought the first live satellite television into Australia to be seen by Australian viewers –

Expo 67

Cooby Creek received a live broadcast via ATS-1, originating from the Australian pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal in the early hours of Wednesday 07 June 1967. (6th June 1967, Canadian time, was desigated as Australia’s Special Day at the World Exposition. Prime Minister Harold Holt was on hand.)

This was the first live TV seen from outside Australia to be seen by viewers, and was relayed to the Eastern States through the ABC to commercial broadcasters.

Viewers were treated to performances by The Seekers, Normie Rowe, Rolf Harris and Bobby Limb. Robert Helpmann, who directed a tour of Canada by the Australian Ballet, also appeared during the programme.

This newspaper clipping, preserved by Terry Newman, previews the Expo 67 telecast.

Click the image for fuller text.

This clipping from The TV Times of 31 May 1967, preserved by Terry Newman, explains what is planned for the Expo 67 telecast.

Below are some Polaroids taken by Neil Sandford at Cooby Creek during the broadcast. (Photographs of the Polaroids by Colin Mackellar. With thanks to Neil Sandford. As Neil points out in his hand written anotations, the Polaroids do not do justice to the received picture.)

Pulse and Bar from Montreal via ATS-1.

Anotations on the back.

“Expo 67. 7th June 67.
Pulse & Bar from Montreal.
Rec at CBY.
SHF sig strength -102dbm
Noise temp approx 95°K
Wet misty WX.”