Apollo 11: Gold Coast’s surprise connection to man first landing on the moon in July 1969

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon 55 years ago this weekend – and they unknowingly brought a part of the Gold Coast with them. THE UNEXPECTED LINK

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins. Three men who are universally known and whose deeds are synonymous with greatness.

It was 55 years ago this weekend that the three astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission arrived at the Moon, with Armstrong and Aldrin travelling to its surface.

Hundreds of millions of people watched on as Armstrong climbed out of the landing module, down the ladder and set foot on the moon, uttering the iconic phrase “it’s one small step for man … one giant leap for mankind”.

More than five decades on, the events of July 20-21, 1969 are the stuff of legend.

Many Gold Coasters will have strong memories of that Sunday and Monday when man landed on the moon.

The crew of Apollo 11 – Neil A. Armstrong, Commander; Michael Collins, Module Pilot; and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot.

There are countless stories … people’s everyday lives being interrupted to see that grainy black-and-white footage.

Business was put on hold, French exams were paused and everyone came together to see the moment once believed impossible.

Excitement for the moon landing reached fever pitch on the Coast in the days leading up to the Eagle’s landing in the Sea of Tranquillity.

It was front page news for the Gold Coast Bulletin on Friday, July 18.

The Bulletin reported that the city had “leapt into the moon travel age with the help of vital communication links provided by a Gold Coast radio station and the Southport post office”.

The post office was part of a network of “nerve centres” through which television signals showing the event would pass before being beamed into homes. Radio station 4GG also provided live audio of the landing.

In this image obtained from NASA, Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin was photographed during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity on the moon by mission commander Neil Armstrong.

It was also reported that the State Education Minister, Alan Fletcher, requested that schools not keep children back to allow them the opportunity to watch.

Armstrong and Aldrin’s landing went off without a hitch and the Bulletin reported that the Gold Coast was “paralysed” by moon fever.

“Examinations were postponed and thousands of children were sent home or stayed in classrooms to watch history,” it was reported.

“As America’s space-age Christopher Columbus, astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first shadowy steps on to the desolate lunar surface at 12.54pm and 24 seconds, only a few people continued to walk the city’s ‘ghost town’ streets.”

Gold Coast Bulletin front page. July 22, 1969, July 22

Fever-pitch interest began in the early hours of July 21 as people woke at 3.30am to watch the coverage of the lunar module’s landing but were frustrated by interruptions to the signal.

At 6.18am they got their wish and saw as Armstrong took manual control of the craft and guided it to the surface.

Throughout the day, schools chose to either send students home or cancel planned exams in favour of watching the coverage together. At St Hilda’s, exams were postponed and eight televisions were set up for students and staff to watch. Principal Helen Granowski said she would not count the day as a proper school day.

It’s been 55 years since man first landed on The Moon (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

Meanwhile, at The Southport School, students watched the coverage at lunch but were forced to sit their exams through the afternoon.

In perhaps a far-fetched story, the Bulletin reported that it was possible that part of the Gold Coast was on the moon.

That was the statement of Mr J Pinter, the managing director of Southport company Associated Minerals Consolidated Ltd. “Ninety per cent of the world’s titanium comes from Australia and titanium is a vital metal used in the spacecraft,” he said. No direct link was ever established.

Aldrin is still alive. Armstrong died in 2012 while Collins passed away in April 2021.