History page4

By the late 1960;s activities began to slow down significantly although throughout it’s brief existence Woomera tended to live on a knifes edge as projects were started and abandoned fairly often.

In 1970 the Eldo project was closed and the towns population had declined from a maximum of about 6800 to about 4000.  But as the Eldo departed, USAF arrived and with the agreement of the Australian Government, selected Nurrungar, about 20kms south of Woomera, as a site for a ground station to control satellites of the defence support program.

By 1975 British activities at Woomera had all but ceased and the joint UK/Australian project under which Woomera was established was terminated.  Most of the equipment and facilities were demolished or sold off by 1980.  In 1982, Woomera, which had been a closed town since 1947 requiring a security clearance and a security pass to live here, was made an open town.  The gate to Woomera was located where the Old Guard Gate Opal Showroom now operates.

With the rundown of the rocket range, the role of Woomera changed to that of a residential and support base for the defence facility at Nurrungar.  Of course we still support range activities carried out on the range for about 10 to 12 weeks a year (RAAF).

The town, rocket range and the supporting facilities were developed at breathtaking speed soon after WW11 at a time when materials and labour were scarce.  It took many enterprising and very determined people who lived for years under what can only be described in today’s terms as appalling conditions, to build and operate what was the largest overland range in the western world.  The experimental projects carried out there, presented all those involved with some unique problems, many of which had to be solved right here with what was available.  There were no other places close by which could provide support.  Much tracking and support equipment was designed and built in Adelaide or in some cases at Woomera itself.  Techniques, concepts and equipment developed there remain in use today, albeit in other recognizable and some surprising forms.  The pioneers of Woomera were by any measure hard working, resilient, imaginative, optimistic and resourceful.  Their energy, enterprise and vitality produced some spectacular and memorable events.