Ernest (Ned) Kelly

1928 – 2018
Woomera Minitrack


Ned Kelly

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

Frame from a 1961 WRE film.

 

Ernest Graham (Ned) Kelly served in the Australian Navy in 1957-8. From there he went directly to WRE Woomera.

He worked under Jack Dowling at the original 108MHz Woomera Minitrack on Range G in June 1958, during the International Geophysical Year. As such, Ned was one of Australia’s first space trackers.

Dowling had coordinated the installation of the 108MHz Minitrack antenna field prior to the arrival of the semi-trailer fitted out with the electronics.

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

 

Interview with Ned Kelly

audio Listen (15 minutes, 7.7MB mp3 file)

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’.

Ned Kelly

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

Photo: Bruce Window.

Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly at the Mod1 Minitrack Console at Island Lagoon in 1962.

Photo: Bruce Window.

Here is the 1961 WRE footage from which the top photo was taken.