Apollo-11 40th Anniversary celebration and ReunionSmall Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Logo

19th - 22nd July 2009 in Canberra Australia

Realistically this will be the last reunion and celebration organised and attended by many of the people who took an active part in the moon landing project. I'm hopeful that I will make the 50th anniversary in 2019 (with luck I may not even need that Zimmer frame), but I will not be organising it!

So we plan to make the 40th the biggest and best of all.

This year we are having a 4 day event. We are inviting everyone who participated in Apollo, anyone who worked (or still works) at any of the Space tracking stations and other related organisations, anyone interested in Apollo and any of their children, Grand children and friends. That should cover just about everyone {:-))

We do not expect that everyone would attend every event - and at this time all events except the main event (Lunch on the 21st) are FREE!

STOP PRESS: We have had to officially cut off further sign ups - Sorry all - you have missed the boat....

The current plans are:

1. Day 1 (Sun 19th July) - quiet catch up and pre-register at the Southern Cross Club in Woden. We'll be there from 10am to 3-4pm. Come for lunch & drinks (own cost) - Click here for more details.
2. Day 2 (Mon 20th) - Coach or private transport to CDSCC (Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex) for several events. They include a farewell to the ex-Honeysuckle  antenna due to be de-commissioned within days and Lunch. Then on to the HSK site - to dedicate a Plaque to all who worked at HSK (Click here to see the plaque) and to bury a very special Time capsule. Click here for more details.
3. Day 3 (Tue 21st) - Long lunch 11am to 4pm or so! To be held in the ballroom of the Woden Southern Cross Club's brand new 'Events Centre'. This is the signature event - 'on the day on the hour' first steps on Lunar surface replay, Book and DVD launches, and many other activities. Click here for more details.
4. Day 4 (Wed 22nd) - A special showing of two Apollo Movies never seen before in Australia at QUESTACON here just near Old Parliament house, the National Library etc. Click here for more details.

Parkes Radio Telescope is also holding special open days to celebrate the 40th Anniversary on Sat 18th & Sunday 19th July. Anyone planning to attend the Canberra Celebrations and who is also really keen to visit the Parkes site is encouraged to go on Sat the 18th. I have been advised that people who are signed up for the Canberra celebrations will get some 'special treatment' in Parkes. I think this is a good thing?! Checkout Parkes pages for more information

Our Canberra event being organised by a committee of four:
John Saxon, Geoff Seymour, Mike Linney and Phil Maier - all ex-Honeysuckle (and CDSCC in my case :-).
BUT we are joined by:
Colin Mackellar - Webmaster and DVD maker extraordinaire, who has also agreed to contact Houston and the Astronauts to join us via Email, video link or even in person. Colin designed the Logo as well.
Tony Gerada & Hamish Lindsay who are organising the Honeysuckle site Plaque.
Mick Stanic who will make a video of the events and who is organising a graphics design company for logos and memorabilia.
John Sarkissian and others at CSIRO, who are holding their own Open days and 40th Anniversary celebrations on Sat & Sun the 18th & 19th. See above.
Glen Nagle & Miriam Baltuk at CDSCC Tidbinbilla regarding our visit there.
Mary-Anne Waldren Executive Director of the Australian Science Festival for advance publicity.

I could certainly add others to the list but any other offers of help or support will be gratefully accepted!

In the meantime, Tony Gerada continues to try to establish who was working at Honeysuckle during the Apollo-11 mission. The current list of names is posted here and your corrections and comments would be much appreciated.

If you are not on the mailing list - please join by visiting https://lists.tip.net.au/mailman/listinfo/honeysuckle Please O.K. security warnings and continue to sign up - our certificate is definitely valid but we can't afford to buy one of Microsoft's 'approved' ones. Click HERE to view the periodic Email report messages.

If you would to attend one of more of the celebration events, please complete the sign-up form by clicking here. And if you want to attend on the 21st please pay us money! See the form or click here for the prices.

STOP PRESS: We have officially cut off further sign ups as of COB yesterday (14th July) - but if you are DESPERATE to join us - please call me on 6161-1524 and I'll see what can be done.

John Saxon 15Jul2009