Orroral Valley gallery

Orroral Valley Installation – August 1965

After World War II, decorated combat photographer Charles ‘Chick’ Edward Gallagher went on to have a long career as a filmmaker.

Among other projects, he made feature films for NASA (including Goddard Space Flight Center’s 1965 film “The Vital Link”).

In August 1965 he travelled to Australia and visited Orroral Valley to document the installation in progress.

A copy of the album of photos he took sat in a filing cabinet at Goddard Space Flight Center until the area which housed it was due to be cleared out in 2014.

The album consists of small black and white and colour prints, many numbered by hand. (In 1965, at least one of the photos he took was released by Goddard Public Affairs as an 8x10 inch print.)

Before everything else went into the dumpster, GSFC TV Operations Lead Engineer Joe Damiano rescued the album and some related photos.

He organised for the album of small prints to be scanned by Rob Garner.

We are grateful to Joe Damiano for sharing these scans. And thanks to Philip Clark for help in identifying some of the photos.

Images separated and enhanced and identification added (where possible) by Colin Mackellar. (Most photographs from the album are below – a few duplicates are not included.)

12151.

Camera operator at the Collimation Tower. Is this Charles E.Gallagher? (Contact.) It looks like a chilly day above Orroral Valley!

Cover of the photobinder.
This copy was given to William L. Beerman Jr.

12013.

12133.

Canberra as seen from Black Mountain.

12136.

Canberra as seen from Black Mountain.

12136.

Canberra as seen from Black Mountain.

12137.

Canberra as seen from Black Mountain.

12138.

This is apparently one of the two TV transmission towers (CTC-7 or ABC-3) on Black Mountain. They were demolished after Telstra Tower was built adjacent.

12138a.

Kings Avenue Bridge over Lake Burleigh Griffin. Looking from King Edward Terrace across to the Australian–American Memorial and the Russell Offices of the Australian Department of Defence.

The artificial lake had only been filled the previous year.

12157.

Road signs at Naas Road and North Street at Tharwa on the way to Orroral Valley.

Note the country telephone exchange and red phone box.

12161.

On the way to Orroral, the turnoff to the Honeysuckle Creek construction site is on the right.

12162.

Road work on the way to Orroral at Naas Bridge.

12163.

On the way to Orroral – intersection of Naas Road with Top Naas Road, looking West. (Naas bridge in background.)

12164.

On the way to Orroral. On Boboyan Road, crossing the bridge over Half Moon Creek.

12165.

About 2/3 way up Fitz’s Hill heading south.

12166.

Looking north down Fitz’s hill.

12167.

Looking south down Fitz’s hill.

12170.

On the road to Orroral just after Orroral River crossing. The 26-metre antenna is just visible in the distance.

12171.

On the road to Orroral. The 26-metre antenna is just visible in the distance.

12172.

Cattle grid, just past the junction with Cotter Hut Road – the tracking station entrance is just out of view to the right, about 340 metres away.

12120.

The temporary main gate and guardhouse.

12195.

12125.

The Operations Building.

12181.

The Operations Building.

12182. The Operations Building.

12086.

12014.

Station Director Tom Reid, left, apparently discussing installation progress.

The blackboard has lists of equipment and carriers (such as PAA – Pan American Airways) with expected arrival dates.

Note the phone numbers on the top line – e.g. “Maskaleris” is Goddard Representative Christos Maskaleris. NASA Com is Deakin Exchange. D.O.W is Department of Works.

P.A.A. = Pan American Airways.

The S.S. Mariposa carried much of the station’s equipment across the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney.

From left: Tom Reid; Richard Collins, WRE; unidentified; Lance Sharp, WRE. (Richard Collins and Lance Sharp were working from an office at 41 Jardine Street, Kingston.)

Enhanced version here.

12015.

Tom Reid, Station Director; Dick Collins, WRE; unknown; Lance Sharp, WRE.

12018.

Station Director Tom Reid speaks with his secretary Leonie Hoorweg.

12199.

Orroral Valley’s founding Station Director, Thomas Reid, and the 26 metre antenna.

12131.

Lewis (Lew) Keith Cottrell, Deputy Station Director.

12036.

Model of the station in the foyer.

12619.

12620.

12072.

Time for morning tea.

12075.

12054.

12049.

The station’s cherrypicker is used to lift crates of equipment from the truck which delievered them.

12050.

12078.

12066.

12067.

12069.

12081.

As crates are unloaded outside, the huge job of cabling is underway.

12035.

Australian Collins Radio employee Ken Clay (foreground) studies a cabling diagram. All the cables had to be manually terminated.

Ken is wearing his GTV-9 overalls. He had previously worked at television station GTV-9 in Melbourne on technical support for Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight show. Ken also worked for Collins installing S-Band equipment at Carnarvon and for the Wing at Tidbinbilla, as well as working on the construction of the OTC Moree Satellite Earth Station.