96-777: RAAF Base Woomera (WMA), was proclaimed by Chief of Air Force Directive in January 2015. RAAF Base Woomera and the RAAF Woomera Test Range (WTR) are the two formations which make up the RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC). RAAF Base Woomera consists of two sectors, 'Base Sector North' which is a restricted access area and includes Camp Rapier. the entrance to the Woomera Test Range and the RAAF Woomera Airfield ( IATA : UMR , ICAO : YPWR ). 'Base Sector South'
192-516: A Land Rover . He used a theodolite to observe the Sun or stars for latitude and longitude calculations. Once the line of the road had been decided, a bulldozer followed to cut a raw track, clearing away the spinifex and mulga scrub to form a basic level track. This was then graded using a standard road grader. The Gunbarrel Highway was begun at Victory Downs homestead 316 km (196 mi) by road south of Alice Springs . It then pushed west to
288-631: A 2020 ready point to coincide with the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Historically, for both Woomera and Australia, following the end of the Anglo-Australian Joint Project no further development occurred to make use of the technologies, skills and knowledge gained while the Project was operating. Australia became the fourth nation in the world to build and place in orbit a satellite from its own territory ( WRESAT ), that
384-626: A Defence Contractor (as of March 2020 Broadspectrum ). The role of the base is to provide operational and garrison support to Defence activities within the WRC. The RAAF Woomera Test Range formation of the Woomera Range Complex is managed by the AWC's Air Force Ranges Directorate (AFRD). The Air Force Test Ranges Squadron (AFTR SQN), is based out of RAAF Edinburgh, but they also maintain a permanent detachment based out of RAAF Base Woomera. The role of AFTR SQN
480-494: A cook, during construction of the Gunbarrel Highway. By the time road building was completed in 1963, Len had pulled 29 teeth, joking that he had 29 notches on his forceps. Len Beadell marked "astrofixes" along his roads with aluminium plates on which latitude, longitude and other information was stamped. Many of these have sadly been taken as souvenirs; there is a program underway to replace these with replicas. Len's legacy
576-784: A fully instrumented, land-based, specialised test and evaluation range. This assessment was to redefine the future role and strategic importance of the Woomera Range Complex within Australia's long-term Defence requirements. During the early 1960s, the Woomera Range participated in the Mercury and Gemini space programs . Specialised tracking and communications stations were established at Red Lake approximately 50 km (31 mi) north of Woomera and at Mirikata about 200 km (120 mi) west of Woomera. These stations were important during
672-524: A mute testament to Australia's once renowned position in space research and development. That former position, however, was recognised in 2007 with the unveiling of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) plaque commemorating Woomera's induction into the AIAA hall of fame, a distinction that placed Woomera's contribution to aerospace history and development on a par with Kitty Hawk (site of
768-495: A newer road, the Great Central Road , has superseded some of Beadell's original tracks by taking a more direct route, made possible with more modern heavy equipment. However, all of Len's original roads still exist, and are popular with hardcore four wheel drive enthusiasts. They may be difficult to negotiate and require a great deal of preparation. Almost all of them lie in aboriginal lands which require travel permits. He
864-480: A number of full-time personnel at the base to support Defence activities at the WRC. The 2015 range proclamation states that the range may only be used for Defence related activities and that Defence access to, and use of the WRC will be managed through Headquarters, Air Warfare Centre at RAAF Base Edinburgh. Requests for Non-defence access to, and use (e.g. mining) of, the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA), which
960-473: A party of British scientists to inspect the airfield which was recently completed. During 2015, all of the Woomera aerodrome aircraft parking aprons (4), taxiways and the main runway, were all refurbished in $ 40M upgrade. In 2016, through public tender, a significant repair was made to Hangar 1, and in 2018 the air movements terminal was refurbished and a new secure-storage facility built. A new connecting road between
1056-645: A period of leave and further survey work in Queensland. In January 1944 he was promoted to Corporal. In March 1945 he was back in New Guinea at Lae with the unit. The company moved by ship to Wewak where there was a large enemy presence. Their assigned tasks were to map the coastal area, and build a new airstrip. The strip was completed in August 1945, just as the war came to an end. On return to Australia in December 1945 he
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#17328691072451152-757: A topographical mapping program which continued to 1953 when responsibility for surveys were transferred to the Department of the Interior. One member of the Survey Corps detachment which commenced work there in March 1947 was Sergeant Len Beadell . Australia was responsible for providing the testing facilities, personnel, and most of the funding, while the United Kingdom supplied most of the scientific equipment and personnel, and in addition to its financial contribution, paid for
1248-670: Is a wooden spear-throwing device . Woomera was adopted initially as an appropriate name for the settlement of Woomera , that is also called Woomera Village, based on a recommendation from Group Captain Alfred George Pither . Since its establishment in 1947 and its renaming in 2016 as the RAAF Woomera Range Complex, the defence facilities have been variously known as the Anglo-Australian Long Range Weapons Establishment and then
1344-536: Is accessible by the public and essentially encompasses that part of RAAF Base Woomera long referred to as the Woomera Village . Woomera Village is often quoted as a 'remote town'. It is not a 'town', but rather an 'open base' of the RAAF. The 'village' has previously always functioned as an Australian Government/Defence Force garrison facility until it was fully incorporated into RAAF Base Woomera in 2015. RAAF Base Woomera
1440-658: Is also part of the Air Warfare Centre. Headquarters AWC, Air Force Ranges Directorate and the Test Range Squadron are all currently based at RAAF Base Edinburgh , in Adelaide, located approximately 450 km (280 mi) south-west of the complex. RAAF Base Woomera was formed in January 2015 by amalgamation of RAAF Woomera Airfield and the Woomera Village. No.20 (Woomera) Squadron was formed on 1 April 2015 to manage
1536-635: Is also to be seen on many standard Australian road maps of central desert areas, showing such things as "Len Beadell's Tree", and "Len Beadell's Burnt Out Truck". Mount Beadell in Western Australia was formally named after him by the Surveyor General of Western Australia in 1958. There is a stone cairn, memorial plaque, and a replica of his theodolite atop the mountain. ( 25°32′09″S 125°16′32″E / 25.53583°S 125.27556°E / -25.53583; 125.27556 ) In modern times
1632-467: Is also well able to handle larger aircraft types such as the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing 747 . Large aircraft movements occur often at Woomera in support of ADF test and evaluation activities on the complex. The centre line of the airfield was surveyed by Len Beadell in early 1947. A RAF Dakota was the first aircraft to use the field, as it landed at Woomera on 19 June 1947. It brought General Evetts and
1728-526: Is an operational Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located within the 122,188-square-kilometre (47,177 sq mi) RAAF Woomera Range Complex , situated approximately 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north of the base's "village" area, in South Australia , Australia. Officially established as an airbase with effect from January 2015, the RAAF Base Woomera comprises
1824-466: Is controlled by the RAAF for safety and security reasons during the conduct of some activities on the complex. Airservices Australia defines the exact limits of restricted airspace in their annual handbook. When required, the RAAF issues a 'Notice to Airmen' (NOTAM) which effectively 'closes' access to any part of the WRX when safety or security needs require such action during the conduct of Defence activities at
1920-528: Is essentially the ground area that delineates the Woomera Range Complex, is managed through the 'Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office' (WPACO) in Canberra. Note: Aeronautical access requirements for RAAF Woomera aerodrome can be found in the 'On-route supplement Australia' (ERSA). The entry for Woomera states that landing approval is coordinated through the 20SQN Air Base Command Post (20SQN ABCP), but that civilian aircraft are not normally given permission to use
2016-514: Is highly prospective and the Government of South Australia and Geoscience Australia have assessed that by 2025 about A$ 35 billion worth of iron ore, gold and other mineral resources are potentially exploitable from within the WPA. Access to the WPA for non-Defence use requires Commonwealth approval and is on the proviso that Defence activities will not be unduly compromised. The ground area of
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#17328691072452112-546: Is operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a Service of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The complex has a land area of 122,188 km (47,177 sq mi) or roughly the size of North Korea or Pennsylvania . The airspace above the area is restricted and controlled by the RAAF for safety and security. The WRC is a highly specialised ADF test and evaluation capability operated by
2208-702: Is sometimes called "the last true Australian explorer". Beadell's paternal grandparents came from England in the mid-1870s. His father Fred Algernon Beadell, was born in Sydney and mother Viola Pearl Mackay was from Townsville . They were married in Townsville on 19 December 1914, and soon moved to the Sydney area. A daughter Phyllis was born in 1917, followed by Len in April 1923. Beadell's primary education began at Gladesville Public School, Ryde in 1928 and continued at Burwood Public School in 1930, both suburbs of Sydney. At
2304-432: Is the day-to-day operation and management of the ranges within the WRC. RAAF Base Woomera is located approximately 450 km (280 mi) north of RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide ). The Woomera Range Complex (WRC) is used as a specialised Defence systems test range supporting the defence of Australia. The Air Force, Department of Defence, and some State and Federal Government agencies (education, police etc.) maintain
2400-673: Is the principal formation of the WRC and the primary operational reason for the existence of the Range Complex. Access to and use of the WRC is managed through Headquarters, Air Warfare Centre RAAF , with the AWC's Air Force Ranges Directorate (AFRD) responsible for assuring the overall capabilities of the Range. The day-to-day operation of the WTR element of the WRC is the responsibility of the Woomera Test Range Squadron (WTR SQN). In this role,
2496-585: The ADF 's 'Force2030' plan, the range facility was reorganised and renamed to the RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC). The ground area of the WRC is defined by the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) and includes the Nurrungar Test Area (NTA). The WPA covers an area of 122,188 km (47,177 sq mi) and is described by the RAAF as the largest land-based test range in the western world. The WPA
2592-650: The GAF Jindivik target aircraft. Missile testing commenced in 1949. The Joint Project ran until 1980. When the Anglo-Australian Joint Project began to wind down in the early 1970s, the village population began to rapidly drop from its peak of about 7000 residents in the mid-1960s. However, with the establishment of the USAF/ADF Joint Defence Communications Facility at the nearby Nurrungar site in 1969, approximately 18 km (11 mi) south of Woomera, along with its 1100 permanent staff,
2688-592: The Gary Highway and Gary Junction Road for his son, the Anne Beadell Highway for his wife and Jackie Junction for his youngest daughter. These roads further opened up the inhospitable country, for a variety of purposes. Beadell chose and surveyed the location for the Giles Meteorological Station and airstrip during construction of the Gunbarrel Highway. During a break from construction of
2784-598: The Government of South Australia . The Woomera Prohibited Area Advisory Board monitors the operations of the WPA and the WPACO. The airspace above the WPA is called the Woomera Restricted Airspace (WRX) and is controlled by the RAAF for safety and security reasons during the conduct of some activities on the complex together with the support of Airservices Australia . The complex also contains RAAF Base Woomera , or
2880-493: The RAAF Woomera Airfield , the dual- runway military airfield located 3 nmi (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north of the settlement of the Woomera Village. The airfield has been in military operation since a RAF Dakota landed at Woomera on 19 June 1947. The word woomera is an Australian Aboriginal word of the Dharug language of the Eora people of the Sydney basin; a woomera
2976-784: The Rawlinson Ranges , skirting south of the Gibson Desert , via the mission at Warburton , to connect to an existing road at Carnegie Station. The total distance was about 1,400 km (870 mi). Len's stories of the building of this road are told in the first of his numerous books Too Long in the Bush , a reading of which will give some insight into the incredible feat that building this road was. Len suffered near starvation, many mechanical breakdowns, countless punctures and other mishaps, all in searing desert heat, but seemingly took it all in his stride with good humour. Beadell's sense of humour
RAAF Base Woomera - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-646: The Woomera Rocket Range between 1947 and 1980 when it was operated by the Australian Government as a Defence research and long range weapons testing range. Since 1980 the complex has had various other titles and in more recent years, the RAAF facility has mainly been known as the RAAF Woomera Test Range . In 2013, and as part of the ongoing redevelopment and remediation of Woomera into its 'next-generation' configuration in readiness to support
3168-562: The first Moon landing mission . One significant facility installed by the US was the highly specialised "Deep Space Station 41" (DSS-41). This facility was constructed at the edge of Island Lagoon about 25 km (16 mi) south of Woomera and was directly supported from the Woomera Defence Village. DSS-41 played a role in the 'race for space' from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, when the main tracking systems were dismantled and returned to
3264-399: The "mixed use" of the area, which contains many billions of dollars of mineral resources. Non-defence users of the area include pastoralists, Aboriginal people and traditional owners , mining and exploration companies with leases in the WPA (including Arrium and OZ Minerals ), opal miners, tourists, research organisations and rail operator, One Rail Australia . Modern mines within
3360-466: The 1950s, the Black Knight rocket (as a component of Blue Streak) was tested at the range. The first rocket launch occurred in 1957, and continued until the last satellite launch, Prospero X-3 in 1971. Australia's first satellite, WRESAT , was launched from Woomera in 1967. The complex was awarded a National Engineering Landmark in 1999. Although initially allowed to lapse after the cancellation of
3456-654: The Anglo-Australian Long Range Weapons Establishment, and handed over to the Department of Supply . Evetts Field is now only semi operational, mostly used as an emergency runway for the Flying Doctor and for RAAF operations. It features two runways, each 2,028 metres (6,654 ft) long. Evetts Field was used for launching the Jindivik target drone from 31 October 1950 to June 1975. The airfield
3552-505: The Australian government to mark $ 500 million in funding for Woomera in May 2009, to update tracking systems and other infrastructure. The complex is currently used for Australian Defence Force trials, and access is leased to foreign militaries and private companies for their own testing of weapons systems, rockets, and drone aircraft . The complex has also been used for rocketry . During
3648-528: The British turned to Australia, asking for a site with a long testing corridor containing minimal population. The two nations joined in the Anglo-Australian Joint Project , a Commonwealth weapons design and test program established in 1946. In April 1946 a mission from the United Kingdom led by Lieutenant-General JF Evetts CB CBE MC flew to Mt Eba homestead to carry out the first investigation for
3744-592: The Defence Estate & Infrastructure Group (DEIG). CSG's role, delivered through No.20 (Woomera) Squadron, is to essentially operate the aerodrome precinct ('Base Sector North') element of the base in direct support of Defence activities at the WRC. DEIG's role with the WRC is two-fold; firstly DEIG is responsible for the operation of the 'village' support elements of the base (i.e. 'Base Sector South') such as messing, accommodation, security and other normal RAAF Base services and, secondly, DEIG are responsible for managing
3840-563: The Department of Defence by GML Heritage Consultants.There are at least 14 separate stone foundations at Lake Hart North (which is not used by the department), which the archaeologists surmised were either "habitation structures" or "low-walled hunting hides". At another location, Wild Dog Creek, there are a number of rock engravings in the Panaramitee Style (generally dated to the Pleistocene , 10,000 years ago), created by chipping away
3936-593: The EA-18G Growlers and Joint Strike Fighters" after the upgrade. The base was also used for testing of the Blue Streak missile system. In 2013 testing began on Taranis , a drone aircraft which is the result of a joint project between UK defence and BAE Systems. In December 2009 there were up to ten different tests that occurred on the complex daily, and bookings for access had been made as far in advance as 2023. The increase in interest from other parties prompted
RAAF Base Woomera - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-578: The Gunbarrel Highway in June 1957, Beadell convinced a visiting dental surgeon at Woomera, Dr Bruce Dunstan, to give him a crash course on tooth extraction. Beadell had prior experience of the trouble that teeth could cause himself and his crew when days or weeks away from city facilities. This instruction and further assistance from an Alice Springs dentist, Ray Meldrum, equipped him with dental supplies and local anaesthetics sufficient for bush work. Beadell carried out his first extraction in March 1958 on Cyril Koch,
4128-772: The Joint Project, the use of the range for rocket research later increased. In 2002, the University of Queensland launched a rocket carrying the HyShot engine: the first successful flight of a hypersonic scramjet engine. During the Cold War, Woomera had the second highest quantity and rate of rocket launches in the world after NASA 's facilities at Cape Canaveral . Between 1957 and 2007, over 518 launches from Woomera were recorded. Other launches included: Asteroid sampling spacecraft retrieval: Several launch areas have been used over
4224-413: The Nurrungar Test Area (NTA); with a land area of 122,188 km (47,177 sq mi), the WPA is described by the RAAF as the largest land-based test range in the western world. The Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office (WPACO) coordinates daily operation of the complex which comprises a mix of South Australian crown land and is covered by pastoral leases and mining tenements granted by
4320-411: The RAAF for the purposes of testing defence materiel. The complex has been variously known as the Anglo-Australian Long Range Weapons Establishment and then the Woomera Rocket Range ; the RAAF Woomera Test Range and in 2013, the facility was reorganised and renamed to the RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC). The ground area of the WRC is defined by the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) and includes
4416-510: The RAAF has also established, in conjunction with the South Australian Police, regular patrols of all roads and sites across the WPA to ensure public safety, particularly during periods when Range activities necessitate the closure of public access roadways and other easements (such at the main trunk railway line to Darwin ). RAAF Base Woomera is co-managed, but as part of the wider WRC facility, by RAAF Combat Support Group (CSG) and
4512-483: The RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), and in conjunction with the DSTO, had been continuing to utilise the former 'Range E' (instrumented) facility since 1991. In the mid-1990s, ARDU took over total management of the Range from the then DSTO but with the creation of Defence Estate, the administration of the Woomera Prohibited Area itself was handed back to Estate to manage, with RAAF only maintaining control over
4608-447: The Supernova 1987A and other astronomical experiments. Woomera then focused on supporting the nearby joint Australia-United States Joint Defence Space Communications Station, Nurrungar . The surveillance facility closed in 1999. During the 1990s it became apparent to the RAAF that Woomera was the only land-based test range left in the western world that was large enough for the testing of the generation of weapons systems which Australia
4704-547: The US. While none of the DSS-41 facility exists, the roadworks and building sites for this facility are still visible. In June 2022 Google Earth shows that a new facility has been constructed on the old DSS-41 site. After the cancellation of the Joint Project, the complex was operated by Defence Research Centre Salisbury (former Weapons Research establishment, now Defence Science and Technology Organisation ) in support of Australian Defence projects as they arose and also in support of German and NASA Sounding Rocket launches to observe
4800-416: The WPA allows public transit on the Tarcoola-Alice Springs railway , Stuart Highway , Lake Cadibarrawirracanna Road, Olympic Dam Highway (B97), William Creek Road, as well as the Woomera Village. Permits are required to use the Anne Beadell Highway . From time to time, and for safety reasons, Defence is able to close access for short periods along these easements during the conduct of tests carried out on
4896-471: The WPA is bound generally by Woomera in the south-east, Roxby Downs and the village associated with the Olympic Dam mine in the east, William Creek in the north-east, Coober Pedy and further north to the 28th parallel , Maralinga in the south-west, and the Trans-Australian Railway and Tarcoola in the south. The WPA is divided into green, amber and red zones; representing infrequent, periodic, and frequent Defence use, respectively. Easements through
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#17328691072454992-407: The WTR SQN is also directly supported by Headquarters AWC; No. 20 Squadron RAAF ; and Defence contractors permanently based at RAAF Base Woomera. In 2007, the Woomera Test Range was acknowledged by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as a site of world aerospace historical significance. In 2016 the Australian Government announced plans for an A$ 297-million remediation of
5088-462: The Woomera airfield , hangars and technical areas as well as the Woomera Village. Operations and capability management of the entire Woomera Range Complex, is vested to Commander, Air Warfare Centre (CDR AWC), located at RAAF Base Edinburgh ( Edinburgh, South Australia ). Operational management of the RAAF Base Woomera formation is the joint responsibility of No. 20 Squadron (20SQN) and the Defence Estate and Infracture Group (E&IG), supported by
5184-461: The Woomera Prohibited Area overlap with the native title determination of the Kokatha people, an Aboriginal Australian people of South Australia. The dunes and trees are considered sacred to the Kokatha people, being linked to their Tjukurpa (Dreaming) stories, in particular that of the Seven Sisters creation story. In particular, the black oak trees are relate to male Kokatha connections to this storyline. In 2021, an anti-aircraft missile
5280-438: The Woomera site. The team claimed they were testing an aerodynamic enhancement device but were later fined AU$ 132,000 for breaching series' testing regulations. In 2011 Federal Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson , together with South Australian Premier Mike Rann , announced that large areas of the Woomera Protected Area would be opened up for mining. This followed years of negotiations for
5376-401: The airfield unless such use is related to Defence activities at Woomera. RAAF Woomera is able to operate all current types of aircraft used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), including C-17A Globemasters and all fast jet types. The airfield can be fitted with an arrestor cable system when required to bring it to normal RAAF operating standards for F/A-18 Hornet operations. The airfield
5472-411: The area include the Challenger gold mine, Peculiar Knob iron ore mine, Prominent Hill copper mine and the Cairn Hill iron ore mine . As of 2017, only Prominent Hill is operational. Peculiar Knob is in care and maintenance owing to a weak iron ore price, while ore bodies at Cairn Hill and Challenger have been exhausted. Effective from 1 January 2015, the management of the Woomera Range Complex
5568-407: The building in order to comply with building code requirements. Evetts Field (AU09) is a satellite airfield located 40 kilometres (25 mi) north-west of the RAAF Base Woomera within the RAAF Woomera Range Complex. On 15 May 1951 Koolymilka airfield was officially named Evetts Field in honour of Lieutenant General John Fullerton Evetts , who led the English party that selected the Woomera site for
5664-418: The complex. The groundspace of the complex is known as the Woomera Prohibited Area and measures 122,188 km (47,177 sq mi). It was first declared a prohibited area in 1947. Germany's use of V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets during World War II prompted the British to establish their own rocket testing programme. However, the density of population in the United Kingdom made testing risky, so
5760-488: The complex. The Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office (WPACO) coordinates daily operation of the complex which comprises a mix of South Australian crown land and is covered by pastoral leases and mining tenements granted by the Government of South Australia. The Woomera Prohibited Area Advisory Board monitors the operations of the WPA and the WPACO and recommends amendments to co-existence policies and procedures; develop high-level relationships between Defence and
5856-414: The defined Woomera Instrumented Test and Evaluation Range (formerly Range E and as the instrumented portion of the WPA was then known). Over the following ten years (1997–2007), the RAAF re-defined the purpose and operation of the range and, by 2007, Chief of Air Force had again assumed full command of the entire Woomera Test Range Complex (i.e. both the Range and the Base). The RAAF Woomera Test Range (WTR)
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#17328691072455952-405: The design and testing of many weapons and Upper Atmospheric Experiments trialled at Woomera. Weapons designed by the Joint Project and tested at Woomera include the Sea Wolf , Sea Slug, Rapier , Sea Dart , and Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles, the Black Knight research rocket, the Blue Steel nuclear stand-off missile, the Malkara anti-tank missile, the Ikara anti-submarine missile, and
6048-436: The first heavier than air controlled flight), and the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon (site of the first inter-planetary landing by humans). By 1999 the Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit identified the future potential for the complex, particularly as it was one of the few sites in the world where over-the-horizon weapons testing was feasible. Prior to this review,
6144-432: The magazine area (west of the airfield) and the northern end of the main runway was constructed. The construction of a new security control gate facility was completed in the later months of 2018, approximately 1 km north of Woomera Village, at the entrance to Base Sector North of RAAF Base Woomera. The first control tower at the Woomera Test Range originally came from RAAF Base Uranquinty , New South Wales . The tower
6240-573: The nearby Flinders Ranges ), and the sites could provide hitherto unknown cultural information about the Australian desert area. Len Beadell Leonard Beadell OAM BEM FIEMS (21 April 1923 – 12 May 1995) was a surveyor , road builder, bushman, artist and author, responsible for constructing over 6,000 km (3,700 mi) of roads and opening up isolated desert areas – some 2.5 million square kilometres (970 thousand square miles) – of central Australia from 1947 to 1963. Born in West Pennant Hills , New South Wales , Beadell
6336-402: The needs of Defence activities at the WRC. Access is managed by the Department of Defence Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office using a permit system. There are a considerable number of warning signs across the range and on public access roads throughout the WPA warning travellers not to leave those routes without the permission of the Department of Defence. Since the beginning of 2012,
6432-428: The operation of the aerodrome, while the Woomera 'village' element of RAAF Base Woomera essentially continues to operate as it has done since 1982. The Defence Estate & Infrastructure Group manage the operations of the village within the new RAAF Base Woomera structure, but the village remains open to the public as it has been since 1982. The Village remains totally owned and operated by Defence and exclusively supports
6528-467: The project was conducted by the Director of Military Survey and Officer Commanding 5 Aust Field Survey Company AIF in 1946. The survey detachment of ten men, under the command of Major Lindsay Lockwood who had conducted a detailed survey reconnaissance in 1946, moved in March 1947 to 'The Pines' area in what became known as the Woomera area. There they started an Army program of topographic mapping which continued until 1953, when responsibility for such surveys
6624-454: The range and the upgrade of the measuring and monitoring and sensor systems at Woomera. Raytheon Australia was awarded the contract. The works are intended to accommodate performance tests of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and provide access for the United States military. Raytheon announced that the range would be challenged by the testing of "new remotely piloted air systems, evolved network centric warfare capabilities, and weapons fitted to
6720-411: The resources sector; resolve disputes between Defence and non-Defence users; report annually on the balance of interests in the WPA; and conduct a review every seven years of the balance of interests in the WPA. As of 2017 , the WPA Advisory Board membership included: Minutes of the Board from 2012 to 2016 were partially released following a Freedom of Information request in 2016. Large areas within
6816-409: The resources sector; resolve disputes between Defence and non-Defence users; report annually on the balance of interests in the WPA; and conduct a review every seven years of the balance of interests in the WPA. Its members comprise appointments from the Australian and South Australian governments. The airspace above the WPA is an integral part of the WRC. Entry into Woomera Restricted Airspace (WRX)
6912-470: The rock with sharp tools. Other Aboriginal Australian rock art exists throughout the area, including at Lake Hart, portraying, among other things, footprints which match the Genyornis , a giant bird that went extinct thousands of years ago. The report states that the location was likely "inhabited and used for many thousands of years", informally dated to up to 50,000 years ago (similar to human habitation in
7008-570: The suggestion of a school friend, Beadell joined the 1st Burwood Scout Troop where he met the scoutmaster John Richmond, who was to have a major influence on Beadell's life. Richmond had served in the army during World War I, and was employed as a draughtsman and surveyor for the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board in Sydney. Between 1931 and 1941, Beadell spent most weekends on bush survey trips with other scouts and Richmond, camping and searching for old survey marks. He learnt about
7104-569: The suitability of the area for a guided missile range. His survey and mapping adviser was Colonel Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE, Director of Military Survey, Army Headquarters. There was little in the way of adequate surveys and maps of the area and in September 1946, soon after the project was approved by the Government, a survey and mapping reconnaissance of the area from Pimba north to the Musgrave Ranges
7200-556: The survey section, renamed the 8 Aust Field Survey Section AIF in January 1943, for thirteen months. Most of 1943 was spent in the Milne Bay locality. It was here that Beadell developed his artistic skills by watching army topographical draughtsmen, whose job it was to draw maps from information supplied by surveyors. He was transferred to the 2 Section 6 Aust Topographical Survey Company AIF in Australia, returning to Sydney in November 1943 for
7296-520: The task. When that assignment was completed in November, he was asked once more to waive his discharge, as another project was in the making. The British and Australian governments had decided to build a rocket testing range in outback South Australia. He volunteered to be part of an Army survey team for that project, being transferred to the 5 Aust Field Survey Company, a 4 Military District Detachment, in February 1947. The initial survey reconnaissance for
7392-433: The technical aspects of astronomical sightings and how to use a theodolite . In 1938 with a group of six scouts, Richmond took Beadell to Lord Howe Island where they took star sightings and determined that the mapped position of the island was out by about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in latitude. Beadell finished his formal education at Sydney Grammar School in 1939. He went directly to a temporary surveying position with
7488-535: The time driving three ton trucks. In February 1942, he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Field Survey Company, and carried out contour surveys for army maps. In September 1942, he transferred to the Australian Imperial Force and was transferred to the 2 Aust Field Survey Section, the topographical survey and mapping unit of the New Guinea Force . In October he sailed for New Guinea serving with
7584-439: The trees protected when testing is under way. However, a 2022 inspection by SBS News reporters and Kokatha representatives found that there were shell fragments of carbon fibre on the dunes around the site. There are also a number of significant and rare archaeological sites which are remnants of previous Kokatha habitation within the weapons testing range, which are described in a 2020 heritage management plan prepared for
7680-603: The village population stabilised at around 4,500 people (including around 800 children). In the late 1990s, as the Nurrungar program was winding down, the ADF reassessed the role of Woomera in its future force structure. What became apparent to the ADF at that time was that the Woomera Test Range was the only land-based test range left in the Western world capable of testing the next (or what is now termed '5th' ) generation of weapons systems within
7776-547: The water board in northern New South Wales, which had been arranged by Richmond. At the age of 18 in 1941, Beadell received his call up notice for the army, and was keen to enlist. The service period was specified as the length of the war, plus twelve months. His initial service in the Citizen Military Force was in the Australian Army Service Corps at Bathurst, New South Wales , where he spent most of
7872-471: The weapons being used. At its peak, the complex had an area of 270,000 km (100,000 sq mi), most of which was in South Australia, but included a satellite range in north-west Western Australia. This was later scaled back to a total area of 127,000 km (49,000 sq mi); still the largest land-based weapons test complex in the western world. Facilities at Salisbury supported
7968-582: The wider Defence estate and infrastructure needs of the entire Range and Base complex. Consistent with the operation of all other RAAF Bases, DEIG manages a range of contractors to Defence to deliver the required services at Woomera. The Woomera Prohibited Area Advisory Board monitors the operations of the Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office and meets semi-annually to recommend amendments to co-existence policies and procedures; develop high-level relationships between Defence and
8064-594: The years: The Woomera Baker Observatory lies within the WPA. There is a public telescope which belongs to the Defence Department. Local volunteers assist RAAF Woomera in hosting stargazing observatory nights for the public and visiting military units. In March 2020, a new telescope was installed to replace the old one, which had been damaged five years earlier when its corrector plate had been accidentally cracked. In 2004, V8 Supercars team Team Dynamik were discovered to be conducting illegal vehicle testing at
8160-647: Was asked to rejoin the project and began further surveying as an employee of the Long Range Weapons Establishment in August 1950. A site for the secret testing of a British atomic bomb was selected by Beadell in 1952. A road from Mabel Creek to the test site Emu Field was built by him in March 1953, his first road. Beadell's best known road is the Gunbarrel Highway , named after the Gunbarrel Road Construction Party which
8256-482: Was assembled by him. He said he tried whenever possible to make the road as straight as a gunbarrel. The road was built with initial reconnaissance and survey by Len (not the case in 1958 when the survey reconnaissance from Warburton to Carnegie was led by the Supervising Surveyor (Geodetic) Australian Division of National Mapping, Mr HA (Bill) Johnson MBE LS FIS Aust ), usually alone, pushing through raw scrub in
8352-513: Was conducted by Major Lindsay Lockwood, Officer Commanding the Army's Australian Survey Corps Detachment 5th Field Survey Company based in Adelaide. In December 1946 the Secretary of the Department of the Army directed the Survey Corps' participation in the project. A Survey Corps detachment of ten personnel from the Adelaide unit set up a survey base camp at 'The Pines' near Pimba in March 1947, to commence
8448-428: Was disassembled by No. 2 Airfield Construction Squadron in the late 1940s and shipped to Woomera, where it was re-erected and reopened in the early 1950s at Evetts Field. The main control tower at Woomera aerodrome was constructed in 1953 and is still active. In 2016 the Department of Defence announced plans to replace the control cabin and an upgrade to all communications, electrical, mechanical and hydraulic services to
8544-404: Was found at Lake Hart West, a registered Aboriginal heritage site , about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of the trees, and this was not removed for about a year. Within the prohibited area, there is also a "red zone" which is used for the most intensive weapons testing and for which access permits are not generally issued, and this area is purported to be cleaned by the Department of Defence and
8640-667: Was posted to the 3 Aust Field Survey Company AIF in Melbourne. Len opted to stay in the Army at the end of the Second World War. He was promoted to Acting/Sergeant in May 1946. The 3 Aust Field Survey Company AIF was tasked to provide survey support to a new scientific exploration in the Darwin - Katherine region of the Northern Territory. Len volunteered to delay his discharge from the Army for twelve months to be able to participate in
8736-493: Was reorganised under the new RAAF Air Warfare Centre (AWC). Operations management of the complex are managed through Headquarters Air Warfare Centre, while day-to-day operation of the range is the responsibility of the Woomera Test Range Squadron, which was expected to be renamed to a 'numbered' squadron during 2016. The Woomera Test Range Squadron is a sub-element of the Air Force Ranges Directorate (AFRD), which
8832-403: Was soon to acquire. Beginning with the instrumented range (Range E) in 1991, the RAAF has gradually taken over responsibility for the operation of the whole complex on behalf of the Department of Defence . In 2009, Joint Project 3024 was established to upgrade the range's instrumentation systems, and Project R7034 established to upgrade and modernise the required infrastructure. These projects have
8928-514: Was the height, and end, of Australia's foray into space activities using its own purpose-built facility at Lake Hart (the ELDO site at Launch Area 6 of the Range). These launchers (there were two, and a third never completed) are now a relic of the Range's significant history of space-based activities. These two old launchers still tower over ten stories high over the inland Lake Hart dry salt lake, but are also
9024-422: Was transferred to the Department of the Interior. Len was promoted to Temporary/Warrant Officer Class 2 in February 1948, and elected to discharge in December 1948. Further work was required to select and survey launching pad sites, the centreline of fire for rockets, and the airfield. The site of the future village was chosen, allowing for approach paths of the runway and natural drainage. In November 1949, he
9120-407: Was virtually abandoned in the 1970s, with its control tower and other buildings sold off and removed. The two runways are now in poor condition. RAAF Woomera Range Complex The RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC) is a major Australian military and civil aerospace facility and operation located in South Australia , approximately 450 km (280 mi) north-west of Adelaide . The WRC
9216-424: Was well known, and he referred to many of his roads as "highways". The description stuck, and maps show the subject roads as highways, despite the reality that they have degraded to single lane unsealed tracks through the remote arid areas of central Australia. Following the Gunbarrel Highway, Len built further roads by the same method, naming most of them after his family. The Connie Sue Highway for his daughter,
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