Woomera, SA
0.5 km (2 hrs )
★★★★☆

The once closed military and research town of Woomera (from the aboriginal word for launcher) is now open to the public and offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of space research and weapons testing.

Established in 1947 as part of the Anglo-Australian Project that focused on nuclear weapons testing and missiles, the once thriving town which boasted a population of over 7,000, now looks run down, with streets empty of buildings. There are still many barracks style accommodation for visiting defence personnel and the town retains some of the former facilities such as swimming pool, cinema and ten pin bowling alley. The public is welcome to stay at the caravan park or ELDO hotel.

The places of interest for me was of course the missile park, located in the centre of town. This features a plethora of rockets that were developed and launched at Woomera, including the ELDO rocket, Blue Streak, Blue Steel and Black Knight rockets. There is even a US Army Redstone rocket that launched Australia's first satellite into space. This was my third time visiting Woomera, but hopefully, not my last.