Released 25/07/2017
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Mick Gentleman, will today attend a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, which played a vital part in broadcasting the first TV images of the moon landing.
“I am very proud to honour the hardworking men and women who served at the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station from its humble beginnings in 1967 through to the day its doors closed in 1981,” Minister Gentleman said.
“The tracking Station was established by NASA as part of the Manned Space Flight Network to support the Apollo mission. The men and women who worked at the tracking station throughout the years have many incredible stories about tracking the mission to the moon, and today provides an opportunity for them to share those stories.
“Today is a chance for Canberrans to understand what the station did for our city. It placed the nation’s capital on the world stage and brought great economic success, infrastructure and most importantly strong friendships that remain today.
“It’s fantastic to see the profile of Honeysuckle continue to rise. Last year the ACT Heritage Council granted heritage status to the tracking station and this allows the community to appreciate this wonderful piece of ACT history.
“Our city has a rich and unique heritage that ranges from local Aboriginal history through to European pastoral use. Canberra, and in particular the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station has a sense of pride, place, identity and belonging from those who worked there to the millions of people who tuned in to watch the moon landing on their TV sets all those years ago,” Minister Gentleman concluded
Though the Honeysuckle creek tracking station closed its doors for good in 1981, the dish from the site has been relocated to the CSIRO-managed Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, where it can still be viewed today.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases