Local Government
Exmouth
Region
Gascoyne
14km N of Exmouth
Exmouth
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1964
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| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | |||
The VLF towers have historic and scientific heritage significance. The tallest man made structure in the Southern Hemisphere, the tower complex plays a very special role in Australian Defence strategy. The towers form what was at one time the most powerful transmitter in the US Navy. The towers are still in use for transmitting Very Low Frequency signals to submarines.
Locatcd 11km north of Exmouth. this is an array of 13 towers in an area of approximately 2km. The towers surround a Helix building and a central tower known as Tower Zero. The configuration of very tall narrow towers supports the aerial array of wires, which arc the actual transmitting medium. (.4 summary of the technical details of the VLF Towers is shown on Pg 3 of this place record form).
The building of the Very Low Frequency Towers (VLF) was a vital part of the long range communication system of the US Naval Communication base set up in Exmouth in 1963. The towers were, at the time, the highest man made structures in the Southern Hemisphere. The 13 towers, built in 1964. supported the massive antennae for the transmitters and receivers needed for communication with far ranging US submarines. The web of antennae is approximately two kilometres in diameter and could be described as a large spider web of wire. Underneath the 'web' is approximately 350.000 metres of copperwire buried in the ground. The power plant located in the VLF area was one of the biggest operated by the US Navy with the capacity to crcate enough electricity for a small city. In 1967 an electric navigation light was fixed to the central tower (Tower Zero. 388 metres high) which made the nearby lighthouse obsolete. Today (1997) the towers still dominate the skyline in the vicinity of the communication base and have become an important tourist attraction.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC Gordon; "History of North West Cape". | Thesis (Teachers Higher Certificate) | ||
| Information from Naval Communication Station Harold E Holt. | |||
| "North West Cape: US Naval Communication Station". | Commonwealth Govt Printer |
Historic site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | Transport\Communications | Comms: Other |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Comms: Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | World Wars & other wars |
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | Telecommunications |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.