Storms and a New Arrival
Things were becoming fairly serious between Joy and I, and we decided to get married on Tuesday, after Easter, in 1961. I learnt a piece of bad news upon returning, whilst I was away, Dave Fotheringham had been involved in an accident and had been killed. I was not given any details except the Land Rover rolled over.
Now, those of you who have been in this situation, will know, I was in strife. Where was Joy going to stay in Woomera? As a single bloke, I could not arrange married accommodation; you had to be married to do so. There was a waiting list and a period of months. So, I did what lots of others had done. I asked around, and Jeff Tullett said he had a caravan in his back yard, and we were welcome to it, if we wanted. Did we ever! So off we went to stay there on the Pimba side of town. Joy now found out about the shopping facts of Woomera. ASCO and its 3 pence a pound freight charge on ALL goods sold, or a trip out to Pimba, to the Tea and Sugar. What an experience that was. A nice one too. If that was not enough variation, you could go to Port Augusta, or, on to Adelaide. Our first entertaining was done in that van, we had Flt. Lt. Ben Pampling and his wife over for Chinese. I don’t know what they thought, but Joy and I certainly had a good time.
After a few months, I had worked my way up the waiting list, and
was offered a single bedroom flat, Flat 12, Block C, 
right
opposite the school oval (pictured from flat in 1964). Talk about being
in the heart of town, the theatre was just behind, the store and coffee
lounge to the side, the hospital behind the coffee lounge, and the swimming
pool behind the theatre. I could sit out on the verandah and wave to, or,
invite in, any or all that passed by.
Mel and Helen Bucholz lived in Flat 1, below. Helen worked in the Plotting Room at the Range, Mel worked I know not where. Kevin and Wendy May lived in Flat 11, beside. Kevin May was an Engineer at Lake Hart. We used to have water fights with the May’s and Bucholz’s, hose and buckets going, people must have thought we were all mad. Sylvia Cox and her husband lived in Flat 2.
While we were at Flat 12, the scariest thing happened. Joy had done the washing, and just hung it out on the hoist to dry, when along comes the wind, followed by the biggest sandstorm ever. The wind must have been a good 60 to 70 MPH (96 to 113 km/h). The washing went that brownish red colour; the dust has found every crevice in the flat and is EVERYWHERE! Just as Joy is asking if things could possibly get worse, it did. Along came the rain, driven by the same wind. All the blocks of flats were now covered with mud, as were the cars, or, at least the parts to the wind. I had at this time a Morris Mini Minor, and it was parked in the parking area. Kevin May had a black Morris Minor parked next to mine. The clothes were a shocking sight on the line. After the rain ceased, we all went out to survey the damage, and I decided to take my car to the car wash down of the oval side of town. There was a high pressure hose there, and it was needed. It turned out that the backside of the Mini had been sand blasted back to bare metal. Thank God for insurance. Next it was the big job to clean the clothes again, clean the flat, and hose down the side/end of the block of flats. Those who were not there may think it is a tall tale, but ask those there on the day to find out if it is true.
Another true story, we flew in an Otter to Mt. Eba one day, into one of those westerlies from hell, we had airspeed of around 110 knots (204 km/h) I think, and watched a car beating us as it went along the road below. What about those International Vans, hit a bump and talcum powder like dust fell all over you, for miles. That was why we had crew cuts, to make the washing and cleaning easier.
I have gone forward a bit; before the Mini, I purchased Joe Bock’s old FJ utility. Joy and I did a few trips back to Brisbane in it. Sometimes with Rod Deacon, (he repaired his car and sold it), sometimes with another, or on our own. From Woomera to Brisbane was 1300 miles (2,092 km) approx., and it took between 27½ and 30 hours to do the trip. We used to do this on the short stand-down mainly, when there was not a big job to be done, that required a full team effort.
Joy got a job out at the Range, working on the tracking cameras. I remember Camera 8, was on top of the Instrumentation Building. This was where all the VIP’s went to watch. I recall the day a Sea Slug, [the name was not to be mentioned, TOP SECRET, and all that jazz (yet, the ABC could mention it in the news)] trial was on, all this Red Braid was up there, and one of the boosters did not separate, the Sea Slug started to curl over, headed back towards the building, and they all took off. Those of little faith. There was a hell of a kerfuffle down the stairs, (remember the door opened out), and they were all piled on top of each other. The Sea Slug was blown up about 400 yards (366 metres) away.
Some of the people, who worked with Joy, were Mavis Chrismanish, Dennis Kader, Penny Matoga, Edna Walstron, and Ray Farmer. Penny’s husband was a chef at the Senior Mess; Edna later married Noel Smith.
I have lost track of time here, but it was about this time that Joy
became pregnant. We did not say anything to those at work, not for any
reason, but it could always be put off until tomorrow. Anyway, Ray Farmer
and Joy were working away; they used to decide what sites would have a
sight at what time, which would be on target, which would be on missile,
or whatever. Ray said he wanted to have a talk to Joy, about her future,
and how would I feel if she went to Adelaide to do some courses to assist
her to do whatever she did. That was when she HAD to tell him that she
was 3 months along. He said a few words, and someone else got the job,
but, not until after Joy left. Joy was there right up until 3 days before
Gary was born, on 24 April 1964, at 6:50pm. Now I know someone else who
has that birthday. 
Marty
Dexter’s wife Val came in hours after Joy went into the labor ward and
came back before Gary was born. Debbie, ask mum about that, and see if
she remembers. I had been at the hospital for quite a while, and I went
back to the flat and crashed. Joy still talks about the wilted flowers
I gave her after the birth.
I can vaguely recollect the Anzac Day Parade, and years later, back in Brisbane I was watching the ABC, and there was a show on how Anzac Day was remembered in various parts of Australia. There was Woomera, 25/4/64, and leading past the Post Office, was our dog in front of the Air Force Band. That is what the little mongrel bitch got up to while I slept. Joy came home a few days later, and the dog was a worry. She kept looking at this bundle that had appeared, and we were concerned. Joy went out to get a nappy one time, and when she came back into the bedroom, the dog was astride Gary, licking away, and that was that. That bundle, always was hers. Joy would go over to the store, Gary in the big Pommy pram we had obtained, set the brake outside, and the dog would defend the pram and its contents against all comers. What a beauty.
About now, Helen and Mel left the Village to return to Adelaide, and we shifted into their flat below ours. An easy shift. We threw it all over the balcony, and in through the front door, and only took a few hours. We gained a garden, a bit of lawn, and the hose out the back. It made it easy to get water up, but not as much fun as dumping a garbage can full of water on someone sun baking below.
It was about this time that Jack and Bernie Nelson also left Woomera to go to Salisbury. What a send off that was. In more ways than one. Jack and Bernie went home about midnight, and we partied on. About 1:30am, it was decided that this had really gotten a roll on, so, we all agreed to take the party to the Nelson's house. We got there, let ourselves in, set it all up, then went into the bed room, woke up Jack and Bernie, and told them they weren’t going to get any more sleep, so they may a well join us outside. They did, and without a cross word. Saints, the pair of them. But then, that was Woomera at the time.
Jack must have done an awful lot of work, because 3 blokes replaced him. Ron Hewitt was the new boss. He was a Tech. Officer - Senior or Principal, I can’t remember. Colin Branch was under him, another Tech. Officer, and Cyril Ramsbottom, also a Tech. Officer, whose nickname shall not be mentioned.
Alan Kennedy
E-mails: alan@vk4fm.com
(9 November 2000)
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Memories of Woomera |
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