George Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight (left) speaks with Station Director Tom Reid at the Servo Console during a tour of Orroral Valley by the Manned Space Flight Network Inspection Team in January 1967.

Photo: Hamish Lindsay. Negative scan: Colin Mackellar.

George Mueller (left) speaks with Station Director Tom Reid during a tour of Orroral Valley by the Manned Space Flight Network Inspection Team in January 1967. (The notice partly obscured by George Mueller is dated 20th December 1966.)

Photo: Hamish Lindsay. Negative scan: Colin Mackellar.

In 1980, author James A. Michener visited Orroral while researching his novel “Space” which was published in 1982. (The book was made into a CBS Television mini-series in 1984.)

Station Director Lewis Wainwright, Michener (centre) and Chief Engineer Dave Kemp, stand outside at the Orroral Valley Ops building.

Scans by Lewis Wainwright’s grandson Conor Lewis Jedam.

After his visit, Michener sent this note of thanks.

Scan by Conor Lewis Jedam.

STS-1 Commander John Young (centre) and Pilot Bob Crippen (right) present a signed photo to Orroral Station Director Lewis Wainwright when they visited in September 1981.

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(Photo courtesy Philip Clark and Rob Quick.)