I wrote back in June 2009 about the letter Denis Cox sent to a Top Scientist at Woomera.
The letter had been turned up in our National Archives of Australia. After I wrote about it it was featured on Letters of Note, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's in-house magazine, ABC radio's PM programme, and in Fairfax Digital media.
Paul Carter who is taking his Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne about Australia's early space history has commented about the unique historical value of Denis's letter and another scholar at a Sydney museum will write about it for an American spoce society and also incorporate information from Denis in a thesis.
Unsurprisingly, many people around the world and in Australia enjoyed the glimpse it gave of late 1950s Australia and of how a boy gave life to his dreams.
Throughout this Denis has, in his wry way, enjoyed his unexpected burst of fame. He and I have written a few emails back and forth over the past six months and he has let me know that, yes, he has received a ceremonial reply from a top rocket scientist.
On 17 November at a secure Melbourne location Denis was delighted to receive a written response to his long-ago letter from the person leading some defence research:
That's Denis on the left. The scientist at right cannot be named for security reasons, but apparently his codename is "daughter".
He's given me a close up view of the letter, which you can click to see a larger image:
Thanks to Denis Cox for allowing me to use these images. The photographer of the images cannot be credited here because I do not know his or her name. But thanks, whomever you are.
Denis probably qualifies as a famous person now, so he must be added to this list of famous people who have met me, in this case even if only by email.
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