Sydney Video

Sydney Video for Apollos 10 – 12

Sydney Video was a specially built switching centre at Paddington in Sydney.

Sydney Video was situated in the International Telecommunications Operating Centre, on the first floor of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission’s International Telecommunications Terminal in Oxford Street, Paddington, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

At the time, the OTC centre was the main Australian international gateway exchange, and it also housed OTC’s ARIA equipment, which linked the ARIA fleet by HF radio to cable circuits to the ARIA Comm center at The Cape.

The OTC International Telecommunications Terminal

The OTC International Telecommunications Terminal at 361–379 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney. Photo from a 1969 OTC publication. Scan by Colin Mackellar.

The building – with modifications – is still in use today, and is known as the ‘Paddington International Telecommunications Centre’. It is owned by OTC’s successor, Telstra.

Photo taken in July 2010 by Colin Mackellar.

The scan-converted TV (525 line US standard) from Honeysuckle Creek and the slow scan TV from Parkes came into ‘Sydney Video’. The scan converter was used to convert the Parkes picture to 525 lines.

At the console below, NASA controller Charlie Goodman (NASCOM), sat where Wayne is in this photo.

Mr Goodman selected from either Honeysuckle or Parkes and that selected picture was then sent to OTC’s Moree earth station, for transmission to the US.

A split of the 525 line picture was also sent across Sydney to the ABC’s Gore Hill studios, via the PMG’s Television Operations Centre in Pitt Street, Sydney, for conversion to Australian standard (625 lines) and distribution to Australian viewers.

Hear Wayne Ozarko explain what it was like –

OTC Tech Wayne Ozarko

OTC Technician Wayne Ozarko helped install the equipment at Sydney Video. He is seen here in a frame of film found by Mark Gray of Spacecraft Films.

Listen to this 7 minute interview with Wayne (3.2MB mp3 file).

Watch this 11MB mp4 file (containing the image above) of silent film of Sydney Video shortly before Apollo 11. Courtesy of Spacecraft Films’ Mark Gray, who found it in US archives.

Ian Mackenzie on Sydney Video

Ian Mackenzie worked for ATN Channel 7 in Sydney in setting up outside broadcasts and links. During the Apollo 11 Moonwalk he was at OTC Paddington and was just outside Sydney Video. These days he runs Chromatronics.

Watch this 32MB mp4 (12'14") interview recorded in Sydney in July 2009. Or watch it in HD on Vimeo.

See also:

These interviews with Richard Nafzger, Goddard Engineer in charge of Apollo TV ground support – especially parts 3 and 4.

This NASA photo, G-70-1459, shows the Sydney Video team in preparation, in the days leading up to Monday July 21.

In the foreground, from left: Charlie Goodman, Vern McGlynn, Ray Lauver.

Facing camera, from left: Dick Holl, Ted Knotts, Elmer Fredd.

Ted Knotts is wearing his RCA TV Camera tie pin – the same design as was modelled by Elmer Fredd on his OTC tie in July 2010. (The scan converter was RCA and the lunar TV camera was Westinghouse.)

Larger, Largest (2.4MB). Photo preserved by Dick Nafzger. Scan: Colin Mackellar.

Monday July 21, 1969.

This NASA photo (G-70-1464) of Sydney Video was taken after the EVA had ended, but before Armstrong and Aldrin dumped their backpacks down the ladder (i.e. some time between 3:08 and 5:42pm AEST).

Charlie Goodman is at left. Charlie was responsible for selecting the video from either Honeysuckle Creek or Parkes to send via satellite to Houston.

At centre is Elmer Fredd (celebrating with a can of Reschs Dinner Ale) at the scan converter.

On the right is Peter Trost, Department of Supply Engineer with the American Projects Branch, responsible for the Australian NASCOM segment.

Photo was taken through the glass window separating Sydney Video from the rest of the International Telecommunications Operating Centre at OTC Paddington.

Photo: Thanks to Dick Nafzger. Scan: Bill Wood.

Celebrations after the EVA.

From left: Ted Knotts, Richard Holl and Elmer Fredd celebrate in front of the Scan Converter, with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong safely back inside the Lunar Module.

Inspection of the picture on the monitor shows that the PLSS dumping has not yet occurred.

This photo was taken with the Polaroid camera which was used with the Fairchild slow scan monitor behind Ted.

Large, Larger (1MB).

Photo preserved and scanned by Dick Holl, this copy via John Sarkissian. Image restoration Colin Mackellar.

A very-well-earned drink.

From left: Ted Knotts, Richard Holl and Elmer Fredd celebrate in front of the Scan Converter, with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong safely back inside the Lunar Module.

The PLSS dumping has not yet occurred, so this is between 3:09pm and 5:43pm Sydney time.

This photo was taken with the Polaroid camera which was used with the Fairchild slow scan monitor behind Ted.

Photo preserved by Dick Holl, scanned and enhanced by Bill Wood.

Dick Holl relaxes in front of the Scan Converter after the EVA.

Photo preserved by Dick Holl, scanned and enhanced by Bill Wood.

16:31:50 Australian Eastern Standard Time on Monday July 21, 1969.
(112:59:50GET.) Armstrong had left the surface at 15:09AEST.

PDF version.

Timeline. (PDF file.)

Like the two photos above, this was taken after the EVA had ended, but before Armstrong and Aldrin dumped their PLSSs down the ladder.

Dick Holl writes, “Elmer has the helm” [at the scan converter].

The OTC leaflet being read by Ray Lauver can be seen here.

Peter Trost was the Engineer with the American Projects Branch of the Department of Supply who was responsible for ground communications.

Photo preserved and scanned by Dick Holl.

here is the same photo with anhancements applied to bring out details.

PDF version.

Photo preserved and scanned by Dick Holl. Image processing: Colin Mackellar.

This photo was taken shortly before Apollo 11. From left:

Charlie Goodman and Vern McGlynn (seated at the video selector console),
Richard Holl (standing at the Fairchild slow scan monitor),
Elmer Fredd (seated at the RCA scan-converter),
Ted Knotts (standing at the oscilloscope test equipment),
and Ray Lauver (seated at the Ampex VR-660 Video Tape Recorder).

Photo: With thanks to Dick Holl for the scan of this Department of Supply photo.

Credit: Still Photography Section, W.R.E. Salisbury, S.A., NEG. No. CN69/115, 1969. Image restoration Colin Mackellar.

Larger. Largest (1.8MB).

This story, by Nan Musgrove for The Australian Women’s Weekly, tells of the events at Sydney Video.

(Note Charlie Goodman is incorrectly identified as Ed Mason. Ed was the head of GSFC public affairs.) Article © The Australian Women’s Weekly.

With thanks to Elmer Fredd for the scan. (The photo is very similar to, but not quite the same as, the one above.)

Head of Public Affairs at Goddard Space Flight Center, Ed Mason, presents certificates in recognition of support for Apollo 11 to several senior OTC men.

This photo was likely taken in November 1969 when Ed Mason was back in Sydney for Apollo 12 TV support.

Left to right: from Left to right.
Cyril Vahtrick (OTC Assistant General Manager – Technical), Keith Vincent (Paddington Manager), Ed Mason (NASA), George Maltby (OTC Managing Director), Bob Goodman (OTC engineer responsible for NASA links).

Thanks to OTC’s Jim Simpson for the scan.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Public Affairs Head Ed Mason (left) presents a certificate of appreciation (like this one) to the OTC’s Bob Goodman.

Photo: Bob Goodman via John Sarkissian.

This is roughly where the enclosed Sydney Video room was, on the first floor of the OTC building in Paddington. August 2019.

Now owned by Telstra, Australia’s national carrier, this part of the building is currently used for processing emergency calls. (John Sarkissian at left and Colin Mackellar at right.)

The logo for Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission.

See the OTC section.

More to come

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