The Telemetry and Control (T&C) building during construction.

Frame grab by Colin Mackellar from a Department of Supply film from the Tidbinbilla archives.

The Telemetry and Control (T&C) building with the Acquisition Aid (Acq Aid) antennae. The boresight tower is also visible at left. Looking southward along the axis of the station.

Scanned by Tony Pelling from a photo in the Tidbinbilla archives.

And here’s a cropped higher resolution version of the photo above. With thanks to Meg Travers, State Records Office of Western Australia. (State Records Office of Western Australia collection. Cons 5939, Item 1962/067.) Larger, Largest.

The T & C Building.

Photo: Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.

Jack Duperouzel works on one of the Acquisition Aid antennas around the time of MA-6. He’s carried in a make-shift boson’s chair held aloft by a crane.

Jack comments, “Even though I’d been in the Navy, I wasn’t feeling very safe.”

The Amenities block at the southern end of the T&C building, with the southern Acquisition Antenna at right. Large, Larger.

Dept of Supply photo scanned by Kate Chamberlain.

The southern Acquisition Antenna at right, from the road running between the two antennae behind the T&C Building.

Large, Larger.

Dept of Supply photo scanned by Kate Chamberlain.

The northern-most of the Acquisition Aid antennas, adjacent to the T&C Building.

Scanned by Tony Pelling from a photo in the Tidbinbilla archives.

This pre-opening WRE photo was also featured on the front page of The West Australian on Friday, March 24 1961.

And here’s a cropped higher resolution version of the photo above. With thanks to Meg Travers, State Records Office of Western Australia (State Records Office of Western Australia collection. Cons 5939, Item 1962/067.). Larger, Largest.

The northern-most of the Acquisition Aid antennas. The top-most level has now been enclosed.

Photo: Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.

The Telemetry and Control (T&C) building with the security caravan in the foreground. 1963.

Behind the building are the Acquisition Aid (Acq Aid) quad helix antennas.

Photo and text: Hamish Lindsay.

The Security van at Muchea, and Australian Commonwealth Policeman Bill Ptolomey, probably 1961.

When Bill left, he was replaced by Irishman Tim McQuaid.

Photo: Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.

Additional note from Muchea’s Gordon MacDonald (February 2016 e-mail):

“Tim McQuaid hitched a ride back to Ireland via the USA on the Bendix owned DC4 aircraft which was equipped with Project Mercury capsule gear and flown around various stations in the network to provide a training platform.

This aircraft was a bucket of bolts held together with fencing wire and driven by one Capt. Keeler, a seat of the pants pilot of the old school.  Everyone reckoned at the time that Tim was taking his life in his hands in making the trip but it appears that they did indeed make it back OK, albeit with some opposition from aviation authorities in Woomera and other places.”

The original cherrypicker! A 44 gallon (200 litre) fuel drum was suspended from a mobile crane to allow access to the antennas. Here, staff work on the Command quad-helix antenna. 1963.

Photo and text: Hamish Lindsay. Large, Larger.

Another view of the operation. Photo: Hamish Lindsay.

The Powerhouse and the Ground to Air Transmitter. Looking south.

Large, Larger.

Dept of Supply photo scanned by Kate Chamberlain.

This photo was taken from the Ground to Air Transmitter, looking very slightly west of north.

The Power House with its fuel tanks is the closest building.

In the mid distance is the Pump House and the circular water tank to the right.

This photo appears to have been taken as the station was being dismantled – the acquisition antennae are not visible atop their platforms near the T&C building, and neither are the WWV antennae, the two boresight towers or the Verlort van. (The acquisition antennae and Verlort Radar were relocated to Carnarvon.)

The tower on the horizon at right – above the fuel tanks – is in the direction of Gingin and may be a microwave repeater tower.

Large, larger. Compare with this frame from a 1961 film.

Photo scanned by Tony Pelling. Image enhancement Colin Mackellar.

View from the Power House, looking north.

In mid-distance is the Pump House and water storage tanks.
The large building in the distance is the Telemetry and Control Building, with the two Acquisition towers to the right, and the boresight antenna further to the right.

Photo by Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.

The Pumphouse and water tank. Looking north, part way between the Powerhouse and the T&C Building.

The T&C building and the two Acquisition aid antennae are on the top of the hill, with the boresight tower to the right.

The Water bore is adjacent to the T&C building, on the left.

Large, Larger.

Dept of Supply photo scanned by Kate Chamberlain.

The VERLORT trailer and radar dish. With thanks to Meg Travers, State Records Office of Western Australia.

This is the early version, before the radar dish was replaced with an open wire dish.

Larger, Largest.

From the State Records Office of Western Australia collection. Cons 5939, Item 1962/067.

The VERLORT Radar, at the northern end of the site.

Photo: Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.

Looking south from the VERLORT Radar site.

The T&C Building is in the distance at centre. The tall tower is the boresight tower for the VERLORT. The entrance road from Muchea township comes in from the left, on this side of the boresight tower.

Photo: Glenis Austin (nee Wilkerson), scan by Jenni Whyatt.