Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002
Subject: Re: Woomera Site
I am looking for a friend who has always held a special place in my heart and who I am ashamed to say I lost contact with. Anyone having any information on the whereabouts of Amanda Schut (Peek) please contact me at the address below. Amanda if you are out there, know that I think of you kindly and often.
Thank you Mr Rigby, for your site and for the memories you have allowed me to revisit!
Regards,
Rhonnda George
E-mail: rhonnda2@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002
Subject: Lived in Woomera '78 to '90
Hi! Just found your website after surfing the net, amazing to see so many familiar names amongst all the e-mails.
I came to Woomera in 1978 and did just about all my schooling from then on. I left to go to Uni in Adelaide in 1990. I still have many fond memories of the place. I have recently had the chance to go back to the town, and unfortunately, it has very much gone down hill since then. The memories still live on, however. Great to hear names like Jay Dempsky, Gordon Brown and Kerry Veale who I remember well. Would love to hear of any news of Cheryl Bowers (nee Cookerley), Brett Checker, Tammy Ewing, Jeff Lindke, and everyone else who remembers me.
Thanks!
Peter Cooper (Junior)
E-mail: ppcooper@senet.com.au
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002
Subject: Rockets
My uncle, Colin Murray, worked at Woomera during the 'fifties or 'sixties, can you tell me anything about his role there? My family are reluctant to talk about it, but I think it may be interesting both for myself and my children.
Yours,
David Murray (Jnr)
E-mail: su@kiernonmurray.fsnet.co.uk
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002
Subject: Requesting Information
I am currently researching an accident to an Air Charter aircraft on Mount Subhan Turkey on 23 April 1959 en route to the Woomera range. Sadly all 12 civilian aircrew were killed, but the RAF launched a major rescue mission to save the crew and also to destroy two unexploded missiles bound for the range. Any further information on the operation and the type of missiles invoved would be of great interest.
Regards,
S Wilby
E-mail: wibbs@ntlworld.com
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002
Subject: Woomera 1977-1979- Beere Family
Just a note to say what a great website this is and it has brought back some great memories. We are the Beere family from the UK who lived at Woomera from 1977 to 1979. There is my mother and father - Pauline & David - and I have two brothers Glenn and Gregg. My Dad played cricket and soccer for Centrals, and my older brother Glenn played Aussie Rules for Village and soccer for Works. I played Soccer for the Shots.
I remember from school the Marconyak twins and the Springs sisters from the states, and other people include Andy Joy, the Byard family and Stubby & Tanya Djuric. I hope everyone is OK and if you remember me drop me a line.
Best Regards,
Mark Beere
IGA Ltd
Tuscany Way, Blackbushe Business Park
Yateley, Hampshire GU6 6GF
Tel : 01252 302043
E-mail: mbeere@iga.co.uk
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002
Subject: Ex Woomera.....!!
Dear Mark,
Words fail me. I first went to Woomera in 1953, shuttling back and forth for the next twenty years of my life. Mainly educated in Woomera, I worked, was married, gave birth to three children and buried one in an unmarked grave out Phillip Ponds.
I have spent these past many hours reading through the reams of information with the mists of memory clouding my rapidly failing eye sight. I don't know who instigated this site, but to whomever, my profound thanks (Webmaster - see homepage for comments on the origin of the website). There was not all that much which was really familiar - perhaps I moved with a different crowd or maybe it is the trick of memory that each sees the world from their own corner of history. None the less, it gave me the chance to simply remember. I can smell the desert and all its glory as if it were yesterday.
There are a myriad of tales yet untold. Kader's Car Yard (or Crèche, depending on who was asking for the post boss of K13), the immortal Robby Smith, the incredible duo-decathlons and other insanities which made up our "social life". Aunty Beth Clarke, historian and local identity. Pearlie Pepper and Rexy with his "fight any man in the house". Max Hawkins, fastest tanker driver at Evetts ... in reverse. Big Ernie Wilmot of Jazza fame. Danny Scott who took Centrals to their undefeated premiership. Neil Curley (believe it or not) of the Koolie footy club and "that" particular episode. These and a host of others should be consigned to the printed word before they fade or are lost as we, the originals, pass into history.
I will try to knock something together but, in the mean time, any chance of getting this request on the board? How many of Mrs. Rogers "girls" are out there yet? Margaret and Irene McFarlane, Reba Smith, Marlene May, Philicity O'Neill, Wendy Fielding, Margery Brushingham, Irene and Margaret Trench, Lesley Randall, Dianne Daniels, Fay Bryant, Marian Dowling, Shirley Weatherall, Pamela Weatherall and Gloria Rodgers (Loyla). Not forgetting Rosemary (Woe) and Lindsey Rodgers. Our mad male counterparts:- John Dowling*, Jamie Mole, Greg O'Neill, Michael O'Neill, Bevan Bowden, Ray Heather, Buzz Clifford, Own and Errol Weatherall and so forth ? Where are you now. I read with sadness via Irene Macfarlan's daughter Anne, that Billy Trench has already made that last journey to the Stars. Where are you all now ?
Please let it be known that I would welcome hearing from them at any time. Or for that matter, from those who may have news of the last of the originals. If per chance some may remember me, even if I have been so crass as to have forgotten them, please write, I will be glad to reminisce and perhaps find old friends.
They were quite right you know, Woomera was not just a time and a place it was a special camaraderie of dreams and ideals wedded to a isolated wilderness or indescribable beauty; a place where anything was possible and nothing which was dreamed could fail. We worked hard and, by heck we played hard. Where are all those young Turks now ?
Again with thanks,
L. Janet SILSBURY (nee COX ex GALLOWAY)
E-mail: loma@centralonline.com.au
*John (Jack) Dowling moved from Australia to Cape Canaveral, Florida, and was Australia's representative at Mission Control Centre for Project Mercury. He stayed on through Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and ASTP working his way to become Director of the MILA tracking station at the Kennedy Space Center - a position he held into the Space Shuttle era. I was fortunate to experience Jack's wonderful hospitality in Florida on a number of occasions, as did many other Australians. The last I heard his health was not good and he was in a nursing home in Titusville, Florida. - Mark Rigby, Webmaster
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002
Subject: Ex Woomera.....!!
Hi Mark,
While surfing the net I came across your site about Woomera. It brought back a lot of memories for me as I lived there from 1984 to 1987. My ex-husband Gordon Kerley was stationed out at Nurrungar. He was in the Aussie Airforce and his boss was Brian Kavanaugh who I have just read passed away about 6 weeks ago.
I used to call bingo at Centrals Sports Club on a Thursday night and also was involved with the radio station 5RRR.
I had 2 and a bit wonderful years there and didn't want to leave but had to as my then hubby had been promoted. We lived in Kilpa Street with our 2 boys Alan and Stephen.
I hope someone out there knows of us and gets in touch, would love to hear from anyone.
Kind Regards,
Heather Kerley
E-mail: wizzardess@hotmail.com
Subject: Woomera request/memories
I have just re-visited your site and am amazed
at the number of names I remember! For anyone who remembers me (and
has the courage to contact me again!!) my e-mail address is below.
I'd love to hear from you! Also, does anyone know of a reunion in
WA? If there isn't one planned maybe we should get one going.
Any WA people who would like to be involved
let me know.
Cheers all,
Lyn Batten
1987 - 1997
E-mail: spiral7@iinet.net.au
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002
Subject: Help!
I am trying to locate my father's sister who I am sure lived in Woomera before moving to Mt. Compass. Her name is Jean Barratt. She is married to John Barratt and they had two children David and Michelle (Penny) as she is also known.
I would be really grateful if you have any information as to how I can get hold of her. I am planning to fly my Dad out to see her if I can find her! Many thanks- look forward to hearing from you.
E-mail: MichelleBunce1@aol.com
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002
Subject: Woomera Memories
I was posted to Woomera in June 1960 and served there until Nov 1962. I was married there and my eldest son was born there. My wife-to-be had her first flight on her trip from UK to Adelaide in 1961.
I was with the TAS at Evetts Field for the whole of my posting and remember Dave Underwood, Dave Hunt, Carl Roedling, Fred Napper Allan Smi(y)th, amongst many others. My "Proxy Parents" at our wedding were Ted and Rene Fishwick and for my wife, they were Flt Sgt Allen Cooper and his wife Jean.
Unfortunately we have lost contact with all of them. We would like to make contact with anyone who served with me during that time.
I just discovered your site this morning while browsing and have spent the last 3 hours indulging myself and my wife, rehashing so many happy memories. A great Place and a Great Time and an EXCELLENT site.
Thank you for the pleasure you have just given us both.
Denis Keegan
E-mail: denis.w.keegan@sympatico.ca
Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2002
Subject: 25 JSTU 1974 - 1975 Reunion
I was a member of 25 JSTU in 1974 carrying out trials of the Seawolf missile system for the Royal Navy. As a result of my experience withAustralia, I emigrated with my family in 1981 and now live in Sydney.
I am looking at the feasibilty of organising a 30-year reunion at Woomera in 2004/05. I already have two other takers, Richard (Dick) Lord and Michael (Jimmy) Green. Anyone who was part of the trials unit, service or civilian interested in partaking in a reunion please contact me as follows:
Telephone: +61 2 9311 7240 (International) 02 9311 7240 within Australia.
Rick Broniman
E-mail: carrick@pentire.com
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002
Subject: Woomera
(Webmaster comment - readers trying to track individuals should particularly note paragraph 2.)
I stumbled across this site by accident. I am a little sad at what has become of Woomera. I guess I now know how my former boss, John Byard, felt having seen the population fall from 6,000 to the 1,800 or so who were there when I was. BTW, if anyone knows John . . . give him my regards. I never got back to Woomera . . . 4 years in Tasmania, 2 years in the US and 2 years in the UK and now Kuwait, well . . . I just never seemed to make it back.
I was at Woomera from 1986 to 1992, mostly in that time dealing with the WRE/DSCW archives. I think I still have a fairly good memory of what became of which records, files and other bits and pieces, at least while I was there. Unfortunately, while there were containers loads of records processed in my time, there was so much more that was destroyed in the 70's, however I can state that approx. 13,000 employment cards from the late 40's to early 50's were sent to Australian Archives. For anyone trying to track an individual however these cards have a limited life (50 years) and the earliest of them must be about due for destruction. A further several thousand medical files from about the same period at the Hospital were also sent away in about 1989/90.
There were several VIP visitors books held at DSCW from the 50's and 60's with many many photographs and some miscellaneous materials, the ELDO F-7 flight log for instance was held in my safe (and was worth a read), along with what I believe was the earliest surviving on-the-site record of a LRWE Trial at the Range...parachute bomb testing from Lancs in late 1948 early 1949. It was a treasure...in pencil and ink in a large hardcover notebook, with hand-drawn diagrams, notes on what was dropped, where, notes about what was had for lunch and red dust smeared well into the pages...imagine it! Engineering at DSCW also had (in1992) what was (I am certain) an original cloth-paper copy of the town plan of a little place in California, almost exactly the same shape/layout as Woomera with street names like First Street...Second Avenue...Main Street...
For some of these requests I have seen, I can pretty much recall whether the records survive and their classification so if they want to let me know, I'll trawl my memory...
Great site...
Daryl Lock
Kuwait City
E-mail: darylmark@hotmail.com
Subject: Woomera information
We were working in Woomera in the 80's and were friendly with Brian and Annie Kavanagh. Brian was RAAF, head of the Australian Military at Nurrungar at the time. From Woomera they went to places as diverse as Singapore, the US, Canberra and Darwin before retiring a few years back and building a home in the Glasshouse Mountains north of Brisbane.
The sad news is that Brian passed away on 26 Janaury 2002, aged 56.
The funeral was held in Brisbane last Friday (1 Feb).
I've tried to contact all people who knew them during that time, but have missed a few so I hope they find this web site.
Regards
Kerry Chinnick
E-mail: Chinnick.Kerry@saugov.sa.gov.au
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002
Subject: Request
I was in Woomera from 1993 to 1995. I would love to find anyone who remembers me and would love to chat a while. I miss Woomera very much, and wish that I could have stayed there forever. I really miss the community and all of my friends.
Barbara Markham
E-mail: barbaraowens2000@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002
Subject: Contact
Anne Hayes/Arnold if you see this could you please contact me at inghamrj@cyber.net.au I have tried your Excite address without success.
With thanks,
John "Snow" Ingham ex AGWTU, Aust Army,
Range E."
E-mail: inghamrj@cyber.net.au
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002
Subject: Woomera Centrals Reunion
Woomera Centrals Sports Club reunion is on Saturday, 26 January, 2002, at Port Noarlunga, South Australia.
Please contact Terry Lavender (08) 83829783 for details.
M. Lavender
E-mail: MLave75245@aol.com
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002
Subject: Looking for Jim Smith
I am trying to locate James (Jim) Smith who I worked with at Woomera in 1970-1971.
Jim contacted me from the States in April 2001 but didn't leave a contact or e-mail address. After 30 years it would be nice to catch up again, if anyone knows where Jim is please contact me.
Regards,
Merilyn Bache
E-mail: mbache@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
(e-mail address updated since original posting)
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Memories of Woomera |
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