Over the Easter period of 6-9 April, 2007, more than 1,000 people
made
their way to Woomera to celebrate the 60th Anniversary Reunion.
There were many past Woomerites with memories of the "old days" and it was quite easy to bump into those who remembered their time in the 1950s and '60s. Of course many went in search of their old home sites, although in many cases the buildings no longer remain.
A crowd gathered early on Saturday, 7 April, for breakfast and the Welcome Back Ceremony held at the
Woomera Missile and Rocket Park adjacent to the Woomera Technical &
Social History Centre.
During the weekend there were tours out to the rocket range and the
Nurrungar facility. The tours were led by people who had themselves
spent many years at Woomera and they were full of stories from the past.
Old film footage was shown in the Woomera Theatre and there was a
videoed message from Australian-born astronaut Andy Thomas.
The Heritage Centre, in the previously named Oasis Community Centre,
possesses an excellent display which was recently revamped with
memorabila and hardware from past programs. The Souvenir Shop did great
business over the Easter period with souvenirs marking the 60th
anniversary.
The Woomera Area School and Hospital were open for tours, there was
a supper dance at the Eldo Hotel and a great fireworks display lit up
the Woomera sky on the Sunday night. On one night, some of us headed
out of Woomera to look at the dark skies of the Outback.
Breen Park was the scene for a popular breakfast on the Sunday (even
the flies joined in!) and lunch was again served to hundreds of locals
and visitors with entertainment for the children. Exotic birds still
populate the large cages around part of the park's perimeter.
For some, Spud's Roadhouse was a place for a meal, although old Spud
Murphy passed away in February and the roadhouse is under new
management these days (although it retains its character).
With only a few hundred residents these days, Woomera is a different
place to that which once supported more than 6,000 inhabitants in a
"closed" society. However, the spirit of the old Woomera Village
definitely remains when Woomerites gather for a beer and discuss old
times.
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Memories of Woomera |
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