Rocket Range Australia

From the Film Australia Collection. Made by the Commonwealth Film Unit 1957. Directed by William Shepherd. Rocket research and testing is carried out by the Weapons Research Establishment at Salisbury and Woomera in South Australia. When this film was made in the late 1950s, the Australian Government's Weapons Research Establishment in South Australia used what was then cutting-edge technology for rocket research and testing. This film provides a fascinating insight into the work carried out at the sprawling Salisbury complex of offices, laboratories and workshops and at Woomera, home to both the world's longest rocket range and a purpose-built township in the middle of the desert.

[@ironknellmedia5706]

I was born at Woomera rocket range base hospital in 1965. It's great to see this footage. Thank you.

[@sueneilson896]

Much of the equipment shown has been preserved and is on display at Woomera today, including some of the aircraft and rockets. Well worth the visit.

[@tonymccarthy6713]

It is very nostalgic for me. I was stationed in Woomera from 1965 to 1967 to provide Meteorological support. It was an exiting time for me, my son was born in the Woomera district hospital in 1966. Those were the days.

[@Clintreid75]

Thanks for uploading! Much appreciated 👍

[@NFSAFilms]

Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed the film.

[@danrobinson572]

@@NFSAFilmswhat a treat for my Monday morning. Great 👍 video thanks 🙏

[@danrobinson572]

@@NFSAFilmsis the test place still there???

[@user-gq6ss6hk1w]

I enjoyed the film 👍 Thank you very much 👏

[@TradieTrev]

That old test gear is epic!

[@MichaelKingsfordGray]

Australia was the third country to send a satellite into orbit, from its own land. USSR, USA, then Australia. Launched from Woomera.

[@janeblogs324]

Orbit, not space aye?

[@michaelshore2300]

Sorry Troop British Black Knight Carrying Propero Launched from Australian test range

[@PiersLortPhillips]

This is really all about what might have been. It's a shame such obvious expertise and the ability to manufacture cutting edge technology has been lost to Australia over the decades since the film was made.

[@closertothetruth9209]

arent we going to be building the USA's missiles

[@zorbakaput8537]

In every aspect of engineering and manufacturing. We brought it on ourselves, collectively we wanted cheaper stuff and more pay. We got both and now we wonder why we lost so many opportunities to be amongst the world leaders (in almost everything). At 75 years of age I have seen us live off the back of the sheep and iron ore and then our industrialisation came and went. Thank mother nature for our natural resources keeping us afloat in C21 and it seems we are striving to squander that also.

[@cool386vintagetechnology6]

We've now got a generation who have no idea what Australia was once capable of.

[@desertferal]

Actually it’s about “what still is” Woomera is still as busy as ever, still testing the latest technology….and opposed to all the British rockets in the film, are more and more involved in indigenous technologies.

[@Thepigfromthepot]

Indigenous rockets ya recon?

[@nickashton3584]

I saw the house I spent three years as a child there in the film over woomera village, also I remember the pool

[@mtacoustic1]

Served at a joint US-Australian radar site in Woomera in the late 80's. A great experience and a great bunch of people! The site where I worked has since been dismantled.

[@grahamjohnbarr]

As usual in Australia. Become the worlds best then shut it down & destroy every thing connected with the Product.

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

Yes exactly, we are becoming a 3rd world country.

[@thekaxmax]

nah, we just sold it. To the Chinese. Because, apparently, sheep are all we need.

[@concernedaussie1330]

100% . It’s basically treason!

[@keithdrower9120]

Yeah, but that happened after they shared everything at the annual seminar, with the whole World. Give away all of the secrets for nothing....!

[@mwallace2922]

Its the Aussie way. 👍👍👍👍

[@cromulentparty]

My grandfather flew the Bristol freighter around this time. I'll be sure to show him!

[@shannonjaensch3705]

My parents still have a large rocket tail fin section sitting in their yard. Was one of two that my father scored back in the Woomera/Andamooka hey days. One was a pot plant for 30 years and the other completed the missing piece of the whole rocket that used to be displayed in the Barossa Valley out the front of the Kev Rohlach personal collection museum. Was close to throwing out boxes of the specific telemetry paper they used the other week but happy to gift them on to a collector if you live in Australia and can collect yourself or pay for shipping.

[@watchtherocks12]

Interested. Shipping to Melbourne?

[@keithammleter3824]

I remember using those Cossor oscilloscopes shown in several parts of this film. They did not have the modern appearance and overall high performance of the rival American made Tektronix oscilloscopes. But they could do what the American oscilloscopes could not do - measure a waveform very precisely.

[@jamesmcgowen1769]

Do you know where the rockets landed? I’m wondering if they had a team of people waiting for it near the landing site?

[@chrisquinlan3012]

The station homesteads had bomb shelters built for people to be in a launch time just in case a rocket went out of control .Some missiles were found years later out on the properties,big country !@@jamesmcgowen1769

[@janeblogs324]

Timestamp?

[@WoolyJumper5]

That was absolutely gripping! Filmmaking at its best.. technology is stunning too.

[@MarkJohnson-ro1ed]

I used to live in Woomera between 1981 and 1985. I remember a few of the building had been modernised but that church was still there!

[@rustymotor]

Excellent documentary, Woomera is a fascinating place to visit and I imagine an exciting place to live during its hay day. Great museum to explore if you are lucky to be there when its open, I always seem to end up there when it’s closing for the day or not open on certain days. Seems a pity Australia is falling behind in the technology race, at least we can make good coffee.

[@pauldriver3401]

We Stayed there in the Redstone building which would have been a single mens quarters I think. The restaurant is pretty nice as well. I was there working in the Telstra exchange which is behind the Post Office shown. The Post Office is now just an abandoned shell.

[@patrickbradley1056]

Thank you for this gem. So many familiar faces from my time on Range E in the late 50s. Takes me back to a wonderful adventure.

[@NFSAFilms]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting us know.

[@djizzah]

​@@NFSAFilmsI have a friend in Seattle went to kindergarten there, apparently a lot of US citizens resided there as well

[@pauldriver3401]

@@djizzah The Americans came later, they were the ones that built the 10 Pin Bowling Alley

[@ralph04ification]

​@@pauldriver3401the yanks had been there for ages... Redstone rocket, Island Lagoon NASA Tracking Station DSS-41, JDFN Nurrungar. to name a few.

[@hellie_el]

❤❤❤ there is something so hopeful in this film. it's a little heartbreaking.

[@mwallace2922]

Very much so. 😢

[@Danger_mouse]

I'm currently at work, watching the video in the Woomera prohibited zone on a mine site 🙂👍

[@duncanm6589]

Fantastic to see this old footage and see what happened at Woomera over the years. Thanks very much for sharing this.

[@NFSAFilms]

Our pleasure!

[@paulbriozzo4895]

At Woomera's peak, Australia was third in the world in launch capability. Due to a lack of vision by the Menzies government, we gave it all away. Very sad for our lost opportunities.

[@thekaxmax]

and first in guided missiles.

[@jackeagles1637]

Oh, what could have been. I don't recall the exact words. However, Menzies said something like there is no future in Australia developing missiles or satellites and Woomera basically came to an end.

[@dmystify1381]

i dont feel it was a lack of vision somehow...the lies we are told are mind-boggling.

[@robertnicholson7733]

The Menzies Government had vision, vision right up the ... Thats right old chap, we will provide the raw materials and you manufacture it. Trouble was post war Britain was a basket case, debt, really bad goverenment vision of it own. I must say tha tlater governments were no better and it was the Whitlam government that essentially killed the semi-conductor industry in Australia wit ha little help from some greedy people in other industries, now also gone.

[@stephenpage-murray7226]

Went to school there in the late 60’s. Lived in Carcoola Street.

[@iffracem]

I lived there from 67-70. Lived in Boori St.

[@alistairgordon5751]

Cool documentary video,I was born there in 1969,my father operated tracking cameras during launches.

[@graemewhite5029]

When I was an apprentice, a couple of the older fitters I worked with had been to Woomera with Blue Streak. They were based at Spadeadam and worked for either Rolls or De Havilland. One of them had got himself a "girlfriend" on the base, I don't know what story he told her, but he must have thought he was "safe" with his missus being twelve thousand miles away back in Blighty, but she must have had better radar than he thought as she managed to find out. Cue a heat seeking knee to the goolies when he got home !😂

[@vk3ase]

One of your best and in HD as well but i am biased and love the old teck stuff especially if in an outback setting. Using an Australian made Byer Mk1 tape recorder to record data, they were introduced in 1956 in time to be used for the extensive broadcast coverage of the Olympic games and like most of the equipment in the film were made here.

[@GlideYNRG]

There's a good book called Fire Across the Desert I stumbled across a while ago. Would have been an amazing time to have been involved.

[@rogerjamespaul5528]

Tell us about an ABC Documentary series called 'Overseas and Undersold" which is about Technologies we were working on in the sixties, but were advised by the Americans and the British to stop wasting our time and to focus on Primary Produce instead. This happened during the Menzies era, who was Pro British and the Prime Minister of Australia at the time.

[@NFSAFilms]

Yes that series of ten episodes was produced by Film Australia (successor to The Commonwealth Film Unit) for The Australian Trade Commission in 1987. Unfortunately we can't release it here at this time due to copyright restrictions but hopefully one day we can.

[@rogerjamespaul5528]

@@NFSAFilms Thanks for the response.

[@tasd5673]

Where can we watch plz

[@maccjw]

Thx for that insight, it sounds more like not wanting to upset the natives instead of copyright protection, can’t have Aussies thinking for them selves now can we, quote “advised by the Americans and the British to stop wasting our time and to focus on Primary Produce instead”

[@danrobinson572]

@@NFSAFilmsit’s been 2 weeks since a video

[@michaelshore2300]

Two interesting anecdotes. In the Film there was a Fire Flash missile on a test stand. In the RAF at RAF Newton we had a small Missile museum and one of those stands But had no Idea how it worked, going through some old Photos We found a Picture of an RAF Sgt Demonstrating this rig and recognised him as being on one of the Aircraft courses there. We found, him and asked what the rig did ? " NO idea; I was just walking by and this guy with a camera asked me to stand there and point" In the 80s I was at the test range Aberporth in Wales . As in the film the Kini Theodolites were driven by ladies on one firing the missile broke up and the range officer was on the Radio ? Comms " Has anyone got that ?" aver laconic " I've got a bit of it". I was at the Bloodhound School and The only 'demo' bits we had were recovered from down range Woomera.

[@Green_House]

Brings tears to the eyes.

[@jaisabai4155]

Magnificent, thank you. As an adjunct to this may I recommend reading the Wikipedia account of the role of Mr Walter MacDougall, a Patrol Officer connected to the work done at Woomera.

[@richard63]

There was another film made and released ( ABC ) called Woomera, with interviews and more rare footage, released mid 1990s.

[@NFSAFilms]

Film Australia produced a film in 2004 called Welcome To Woomera that has these kinds of interviews from past residents. shop.nfsa.gov.au/welcome-to-woomera

[@piffiiiiiiit]

Good show old chap!

[@uriituw]

Fascinating film. I had no idea about most of this.

[@tonywilson4713]

Little known but Australia was one of the first nations to launch a satellite into orbit. But thanks to the ignorant stupidity of generations of politicians and their advisors we have gone BACKWARDS.

[@peterallen4331]

I love how all the women are dressed as thought they are going out for Sunday lunch.🙂

[@dmystify1381]

i totally thought that,Total Class i reckons.❤

[@DanielSMatthews]

This is awesome, do you have any more of this type of footage, technology in Australia in the post WWII era before 1970?

[@tracysrocket]

Excellent film quality from the period

[@danrobinson572]

Great 👍 video as always!!!!

[@steveone]

1957 's simple pleasures for a small population .

[@williambyast7791]

So,What did Australia do with all the research! Or was it backed by The UK!

[@australianchartentries60sa35]

I love this channel. Thank you

[@NFSAFilms]

Thank you too!

[@DavidWilliams-hr2pu]

In reply to sueneilson, the museum at Woomera is not very accurate. I worked at Woomera in 1957 and from 1960 to 1962 on Bloodhound. Very few details of this highly successful missile are available there and the final indignity was to describe Bloodhound as "also known as Thunderbird". Bloodhound was the missile accepted over Thunderbird as the main deterrent by UK, Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore et al. Great times and a pity to see Woomera today.

[@InfinitePlain]

A lot of comments about Australian tech. It’s really UK tech being undertaken in Australia by BAE.

[@thatdonq]

Undertaken or Developed?

[@user-jr1bl6tc3k]

German technicians at wre helped

[@markdonnelly1913]

Woomera, smack bang in the middle of the GAFA.

[@phoneticau]

In 1957 Au was on par with UK in the space race

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Wow the older computing machines are super creepy along with that music, I wonder what the future kids looking back on our ipads and pcs will think of our stuff. Really appreciate this film, I was always really interested in woomera and the bases as a kid travelling thru there.

[@powerofone1645]

Thunderbirds are Go.

[@danrobinson572]

Woomera looks like a very nice place. Does it look the same??

[@desertferal]

In some ways better, in some ways not so much. Only 150 ish people here now, so smaller, more established, and more modern buildings: but some of the older buildings including churches still standing.

[@bossdog1480]

Mostly gone now.

[@shannonjaensch3705]

Mostly concrete slabs where the transportable houses once sat on but now near all been sold/removed away. Very eariy feeling to go back there knowing it was once a hustle n bustle community hub.

[@pauldriver3401]

There are still several blocks of houses neatly kept, a Movie Theatre, Museum/Visitors centre and a nice restaurant, The Restaurant was an Officers Mess I believe. The Post Office is closed and empty, there is a small shop. You can book a room and stay there or could back in 2015. In the Middle of town they have a display with a Canberra Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft and quite a few rockets of different shapes and sizes. A very Interesting place to visit.

[@liamthompson9342]

What's that big machine with all the dials they've got the rocket sitting on at 10:50? I can't even imagine what it does.

[@normandiebryant6989]

I think it's to "program" the missile somehow. It has fins so maybe it can steer course corrections. I wonder if it can even home in on a target somehow? The film was made in 1957, just before transistors and solid-state electronics were invented, so I'd think having anything too complicated made with thermionic valves wouldn't fit in such a small missile.

[@kerosene4751]

That's an air to air missile called the Fireflash. I'm guessing that equipment was able to test the guidance system, air pressure, gyroscopes, valves, servos, rudders, etc. Interestingly, these were unpowered missiles after the first 1.5 seconds when the rocket boosters were jettisoned and the missile coasted the rest of the way to its target. Source: Wikipedia 🙂

[@liamthompson9342]

@@kerosene4751That's a useful lead. Surprisingly little info about it on the web.

[@keithdrower9120]

Classic.

[@autumngryffinnheart6374]

Music reminds me of Forbidden Planet

[@DingoCC]

If only!

[@shannonjaensch3705]

Was a hustle bustle community hub in the middle of nowhere back in the hey day but sadly is nothing more then concrete slabs a a handful of houses left now.

[@ricbarker4829]

Woomera is still used as a range for weapons testing and has a serviceable runway. The "community hub" section is still there and is open to the public, whereas the hangars and airfield in the "red" zone is a restricted area. "Concrete slabs and a handful of houses" have you even been there?

[@a239947]

The town is still there. Cinema and everything. It's just vacant.

[@IT-sq5rj]

Tela metri!!!

[@piffiiiiiiit]

😂

[@mikerussell3298]

So sad that most of the equipment and facilities were sold at a fraction of their cost, essentially scrap value. Or just destroyed Lucky to have bought an Askania Kinetheodolite for $40 completed with all lenses.

[@neriksen]

Greed has destroyed it all. The enemy has become our master.

[@seanys]

The Woomera Wocket Wange.

[@cameronnewton7053]

That wascally wabbit!

[@mwallace2922]

And what do we make now?

[@ceeking76]

Coffee

[@davidkamp2607]

Flimsy housing?

[@pauldriver3401]

Cost the equivalent of 5 Billion Dollars in today's money to establish.

[@bobeden5027]

800 babies in 5 years, no TV then, hey? hahahahaha.

[@janeblogs324]

Baby boomers sound familiar?

[@letsgococo288]

If you believe this you’ve got rocks in your head.

[@relwalretep]

Huh, did Australian English really once pronounce "telemetry" like that?

[@1218omaroo]

No, that's wasn't normal. Like everyone else, we pronounced it "telEMetry". With so many Brits on the ground there, maybe there was some sort of strange hybrid accent being formed?

[@steveone]

The blah.blah blah was overdubbed by voice actors later on . The bloke reading his part obviously didnt know how to pronounce telemetry .

[@tessanderson2431]

Narrator sounds like Brian Henderson.

[@stevehunt4660]

Lost you say....... 😂

[@beagle7622]

Same old story. Too expensive too run for little return. I know there would have been a report to the Federal Government saying just that & Australia does not have the expertise to operate such a facility.

[@user-ol1qm9ey7g]

ใช่ฐานยิงแบบรถเคลื่อนที่ไม่ค่อยได้ผลพวกโดรนไร้นักบินไล่เก็บเรียบแล้วก็สิ้นเปลืองมากมีเท่าไหร่ก็ไม่พอ

[@AMERICAWARINDONESIA]

😂 australia bumi hanguskan