20010 DARWIN HOMES 1PLAN BY L. J. HOOKER

Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a newspaper.

PRICE: lOc. Airmail 25c

PHONE 6582 - MITCHELL STREET, DARWIN.

Vol. 18, No. 23. DARWIN, FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1968

CANBERRA, Thursday.- The moon-landing space rehearsal, which swung in the balance today when one of the three astro­nauts fell sick, will go forward as planned.

Doubts arose on the Apollo-9 program when the lunar-craft pilot Russel Schweickart, became sick.

But today, it was decided to drop only the space clamber between the two ships that Schweickart was to have made in the early hours of tomorrow morn­ing.

This was designed to test the crew's capability to rejoin the main space ship should redocking be im­possible.

In a trans Pacific call to the senior NASA offical in Australia Mr W. Hunter, the Apollo flight director, Mr C. Kraft, said tonight cutting out the space walk would not jeopardise ·che mission.

Nauseated Schweickart reported being nauseated twice -

before entering the lunar ship and after coming out. Mr Hunter said that after consultation with the

flight doctor, •the emergency rescue walk between the two ships would be omitted.

This meant that early tomorrow morning Schweickart was due to open the porch door of the landing bug and step out into the "goldenslippers" to carry out photographic work.

He was due to stand "clear in space" for 16 min­utes - between 4.57 am and 5.13 am, Australian East­ern time.

The NASA sources said the cancellation of the rescue walk between the two ships did not add dan­ger to the separation and docking movements due to start tomorrow night at 11 pm.

These operations are the first space simulation of the land and take off from the moon and are a vital climax not only to the mission but to the whole $24,000 million Apollo program.

Crucial In seven crucial hours tomorrow night the three

astronauts will prove that the lunar craft - Lem -will take men to the moon and back or whether other means must be found.

Mr Hunter said today: "Failure will not wreck the program but the effect would be drastic."

The timetable in which the two manned craft will separate, travel in different orbits more than 100 miles apart and then rejoin for the transfer of crew, _covers delicate maneouvres vital not only to ;he m1ss10n but to ti-·e lives of the two men in the landing craft.

Failure to redock will mean their only chance is to cross in free flight to the hatch of the command ship - the only one equipped for re-entering the earth's atmosphere.

II Float free There would not be any attachments and they

would be the first men to f11aait free in space without being tethered to a spaceship.

The flight director said tonight that the cancel­lation of tonight's space walk did not add' to this 1anger because the two men had previously practised the unaided space walk in training.

Hopes on land - tricil house will go up

··. Kent's visit? . ·• ~ Q":;l-1 w _.. • I • .,. '~.

t i y shortly The L. J. Hooker organisation wants to build

2000 houses for sale on long terms in Darwin.

The genera I manager of L. J. Hooker Corpor­ation, Mr J. I<. Campbel I, told The News yesterday that a specially designed trial house would be built in ·the city soon.

And it was revealed that Hookers, one of Aus­tralia's biggest and most progressive sub-dividers and real estate operators, has already closely studied the Darwin housing situation.

Top men in the organisation did surveys and feasibility studies here last year and approached Administration about land.

Mr Campbell told The News that they planned, if successful in obtaining land, to build 2000 homes in the first instance.

They would be build in progressive stages.

"We would probably put up a thousand then 500 a yeal' for a couple of years," Mr Campbell said.

Talks with Administra­tion indicated that land in the Brinkin subdivision north of Rapid Creek would be made available in 1969.

The L. J. Hooker plan would be in line with large-scale subdivisional projects tackled by the organisation m the south.

The houses would be built and the areas de­veloped and then offered for sale on long terms.

Financing of homes for buyers in the Territory would present some spec­ial problems and it would be necessary ot arrange a second-mortgage cover through Life Assurance quarters.

Mr Campbell said this aspect in view of the Government's restricted home loan scheme had already been gone into thoroughly.

Payments He could not say at this

stage what weekly pay­ments on long term pur­chases would amount to.

But he could say that they would not be more than 25 per cent of aver­age income.

This was the yardstick applied in long term housing schemes in other parts of Australia.

The indication on that basis would be homes for purchase on payments of around $15 to $20 a week.

Mr Campbell revealed that L. J. Hooker's already had a block of land on which they would shortly begin to erect their "test home". ·

Spzcial techniques would be used in the building to a design already worked out as best suited for con­ditions in Darwin.

"One of our own em­ployees in the Hooker pas­toraJ organisation in Dar­win will be housed in the plaioo," Mr Campbell said.

The organisation would follow the pattern elsz­where and use locally pro­duced building materials where possible.

Mr Campbell said he and other executives of L. J. Hooker Corporation had talked with the Ad­ministrator and heads of appropriate departments last year.

Co-operation "We were received with

the utmost co-operation and courtesy and given

Mr Campbell said. He said L. J. Hooker's

were already "in the Ter­ritory" in a substantial way.

The corporation's pas­toral company purchased the huge Victoria River Downs property some years ago.

And the station has been heavily improved since.

L. J. Hooker Corpora­tion is also a major shareholder in the North­ern Meat E~porters Katherine abattoirs and is believed to have other pastoral interest in the north.

The Duke of Kent and his att~ctive Duchess are making plans for their Australian tour ... which will take in the Northern Territory. There has been no official advice on itinerary yet, but Canberra sources yesterday indicated ~hat i·he Royal couple are almost certain to be able to make Darwin in August when it's hoped they will officially open ~he new Civic Centre and present the big prize to the winner of a short story contest to be sponsored by Women's Weekly and The News. Details of the short story

contest will be announced next week. every assistance and faci- -----------

lity possible to help in our I PM BACKS QAN. TAS studies," Mr Campbzll said.

He said they were en­couraged by the attitude and co-operation of the

Director of Lands and OLD JET SALE PLAN ~~~~~'S on the question of , ·

''We realise that when land is availabie, and we are looking to the Brin-kin subdivision north of CANBERRA, Thursday.-The Prime Minister, Rapid Creek, development Mr Gorton, is personally supporting a Qantas will depend on sewerage attempt to sell six old Boeing 707-138s to Ansett availability as well", Mr Campbell said. Airlines and T AA.

He had understood that Both airli nes rejected the offer when Qantas Administration should be first made it direct . in a position to make land The two airline managements have now been available for private sub- told to prepa re Ion~ submissions for the Prime division this year. Minister.

' 'We are also aware that This is the first time an outflow of dollars in pro-tenders will have to be Australian Prime Minis- viding new overseas air­called, and we have an- ter has personally inter- craft for the domestic nounced our intention of vened in a civil aircraft airlines. tendering when this hap- deal since Sir Robert pens," Mr Campbell said. Menzies agreed to buy

Mr Campbell said that two British Aircraft Cor­a marked shortage of land poration BAC-llS for the had prevented major Government's VIP fleet. housing projects of the A key figure in the af­type envisaged in the past. fair is Sir Roland Wilson,

the Qantas chairman,

TAA and Ansett have $80 million worth of Boe­ing-727's and DC-9's or­dered for delivery in 1970-72 - but the Government has not yet given them permission to buy.

Here now However from talks ,

with Government officials it was clear that every effort was to be made to correct this situation.

who was previously head These orders would not of the Treasury and has be cancelled if the Gov­powerful political in-

"If we are successful in obtaining sufficient lots, we will go straight into a major .. building project,"

fluence. His vice-chairman, Mr

R. R. Law-Smith, is also a member of the Austra­lian National Airlines Commission, which oper­ates TAA.

Ansett, TAA -don't want -- -to buy 'em - -ernment told the two air­lines to buy the six 707's, but they would be de­ferred for several years.

The six Boeing-707-138's are lying at Sydney Airport.

Qantas has sold five others aboard but the mrurket has slumped.

These old jets are now unsaleable abroad. The

Contd on P 2

your

Members of the com­mission and the chair-man and managing dir­ '5 n our '])iamond Salon

TV set exploded - P:2 ector of Ansett Transport Industries Ltd, Mr R. R. Ansett, together with his board of directors, are ab­solutely opposed to buy­ing the jet.

Tl1e Prime Ministers' interest is to postpone Lhe

Y <lur Jew~l5er