Just what is WOOMERA? Well it's the strangely-named Earth Base located in Australia seen in the very first SWORD comic strip in SOLO 19 [24th June 1967] pictured above. It complements the Moon Base in the Ocean of Storms on the Moon. Both are admistered by SWORD Commanders Rapier and Sabre [aka Woodsy and Wotan! hee hee].
So why Woomera? I had to check ...and then it all made sense. Woomera was and is a military area, where rockets and missile tests are carried out like the British Blue Streak. It will have been known to the [unknown] writer of this very first SWORD strip. I imagine it sounded fairly exotic. Maybe it featured in kids' magazines like Look and Learn, World of Wonder and so was known to kids in 1967 [anyone know?]. I imagine the writers considered and discounted Cape Kennedy and the British missile area High Down for whatever reason.
Amazingly, the real Woomera base is still there and online! There's a village and heritage centre [below] and merchandise available! [pictures courtesy of Woomera Base]
Rapier and Sabre would have been thrilled!
PS. WOTAN mentioned the Woomera card in the Tri-ang LUNA-CY game. It's pictured below and the Mighty Wotan's covered it in full previously on the blog.
Woomera is very famous in space an rocket circles. I have a 1960s picture book dedicated to to the place.
ReplyDeleteSean
Apologies for the typos.
ReplyDeleteI should add that Britain detonated a number of nuclear bombs in Woomera, the largest was around 28kt. They don't seem to mention that in the sites you linked to - probably bad for tourism... ;-)
Sean
It was known to us as schoolboys in the 70's, but as 'Woomera Missile Range' rather than plain Woomera, I think it was as you suggest - the exotic sound of it, not guns, not tanks...Missiles!
ReplyDelete'Hurancl'...A carnivorous solitary hunting mule with a green and black striped hide.
Furthermore, it is now accepted that the name Tarooma, given as the location of the Australian base of the British Experimental Rocket Group, as early as 1950, was actually a cover for activities at Woomera.
ReplyDeleteThe 1955, low yield nuclear detonation at Woomera was, of course, the unfortunate Quatermass II...
But surely you don't need an American to tell you this...
Theres a Woomera base pad card in the Tri-ang Luna-Cy game from 1968. Its one of the biggest UK rocket test areas from that period. Blue Streak, Black Arrow and the Black Knight system would all have passed through there.
ReplyDeleteWotan, a round-up of all the 1960s space board games would be enjoyable. Any plans for that at Moonbase Central?
ReplyDeleteSean
Sean - anything can happen in the next half hour - i wouldnt rule it out!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, look here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/