Ernest (Ned) Kelly at the original Woomera 108MHz Minitrack in 1961.

Frame from a Department of Supply film.

Interview with Ned Kelly

Listen (15 minutes, 7.7MB mp3 file)

Ernest (Ned) Kelly is one of Australia’s first space trackers. He began working at the original 108MHz Woomera Minitrack on Range G in June 1958, during the International Geophysical Year.

When the Minitrack station was moved to Island Lagoon, south of Woomera, he helped establish the new 136MHz station, a short distance from DSS-41.

Interview recorded by Colin Mackellar, 26 August 2014.

With grateful thanks to Ned for his willingness to share his ‘tales from the first space age’.

Minitrackers Ernest (Ned) Kelly and Bruce Window in 2012.

Photo: Bruce Window.