Opening - 17th March 1967

 

brand new antenna

Invited guests are dwarfed by the 85 foot Honeysuckle antenna at the official opening, 17th March 1967.

Photo: Bruce Withey. Click for a larger version.
(More photos by Bruce here.)

invitation

An invitation to the Offical Opening.

With thanks to Hamish Lindsay.

 

Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station was opened by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt on 17 March 1967.

Official guests included –

Dr. Robert Seamans, Deputy Administrator of NASA
Edmund C. Buckley, Associate Administrator of NASA
Tecwyn Roberts, Head of the Manned Flight Operations Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center
John South, Goddard’s Representative to Australia
Christopher Kraft, Assistant Director for Flight Operations
Willson Hunter, NASA’s Senior Scientific Representative in Australia

as well as
Senator Denham Henty, Australian Minister of State for Supply
Lloyd Bott DCS CBE Deputy Secretary of the Department of Supply.

The Honeysuckle opening

This photo – taken from the cherry-picker – shows the scene on opening day.

This photo is from the commemorative book presented to Department of Supply Deputy Secretary Lloyd Bott.

Click here for a larger version – or see a much bigger scan here.

Scan: Mike Dinn. With thanks to Michael Bott.


opening ceremony 1

Officials walk past the Ops building and up to the antenna.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

 

PM Holt arriving

Prime Minister Harold Holt’s car moves towards the antenna.

Photo: Danny Twomey.


Harold Holt

Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt and his wife Dame Zara Holt (right) arrive at the station. Note the camera at left.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

Duntroon Band

The opening ceremony under the antenna. The Duntroon Military Band in the foreground.

Photo: Hamish Lindsay.

assembled dignitaries

The gathered guests waiting for the ceremony to start – with photographers perched on the granite boulders in the background.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

Opening party

A general view of the opening ceremony under the antenna. The Duntroon Military Band in the foreground.

Photo: Hamish Lindsay.

band

The Duntroon Military Band in the foreground.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

 

Duntroon band

The Duntroon Military Band in the foreground.

Photo from Ron Hicks.


offial dias

Deputy NASA administrator Robert Seamans addresses the crowd.

Station Director Bryan Lowe is seated on the left in the second row on the dias.

Notice Hamish Lindsay on the right, in the background – no coat and holding a camera.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

Honeysuckle plaque

The original Honeysuckle Creek plaque under guard in its glory day after being unveiled by the Prime Minister.

On the left is Ron Reavley (Ron retired from the Navy in late 1968 before moving into other work.)

Photo: Hamish Lindsay.

 

Holt, Seamans & Gemini capsule

Dr. Robert Seamans, Associate Administrator of NASA (left) and Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt looking at the Gemini spacecraft on display at the opening.

This spacecraft was Gemini X, flown by John Young and Michael Collins in July 1966.

Photo: Hamish Lindsay.

 

Holt and Seamans at Gemini X

Dr Seamans and Mr Holt inspecting Gemini X.

Photo: Danny Twomey.


Gemini 10

The Gemini X spacecraft.

Photo from Ron Hicks.

 

Gemini X and cherrypicker

Gemini X, with the cherrypicker in the background.

Photo: Bruce Withey.

 

Kraft and Hunter

(on the left) Christopher Kraft Jr (Assistant Director for Flight Operations – and later Apollo Flight Director) and Willson Hunter (NASA Senior Scientific Representative to Australia) on the cherrypicker.

Edmund Buckley, Associate Administrator of NASA, is partially visible on the left.

(Australian News & Information Bureau photo.)

 

More photos...