British Nuclear Testing in Australia

Alright, strap in, because we're diving deep into the radioactive history of Australia's flirtation with nuclear bomb testing. Spoiler alert: it's a grim tale of colonial bullshit, environmental destruction, and a general disregard for human life. Here's a timeline of every nuclear test explosion that the Brits decided to detonate in the Land Down Under.

1. Operation Hurricane (1952)

• Date: October 3, 1952
• Location: Montebello Islands, Western Australia
• Details: The first British atomic bomb test was conducted off the coast of Western Australia on the Montebello Islands. They detonated a 25-kiloton bomb, which was actually detonated inside the hull of the HMS Plym to simulate a bomb smuggled into a harbor. Lovely thought, eh? The explosion left the area radioactive, affecting marine life and the ecosystem.

2. Operation Totem (1953)

• Date: October 15, 1953, and October 27, 1953
• Location: Emu Field, South Australia
• Details: Because one spot of radioactive devastation wasn't enough, they moved to Emu Field in South Australia. Two bombs were detonated here. The first, Totem 1, had a yield of 9 kilotons. The second, Totem 2, yielded 7 kilotons. These tests caused significant radioactive fallout, contaminating large areas and affecting Indigenous populations who lived in the region.

3. Operation Mosaic (1956)

• Date: May 16, 1956, and June 19, 1956
• Location: Montebello Islands, Western Australia
• Details: Back to the Montebello Islands for two more tests. Mosaic G1 and G2. G1 had a yield of 15 kilotons, while G2 was a whopping 60 kilotons. The environmental impact was devastating, further wrecking the marine ecosystem and leaving the islands contaminated.

4. Operation Buffalo (1956)

• Date: September 27, 1956; October 4, 1956; October 11, 1956; and October 22, 1956
• Location: Maralinga, South Australia
• Details: Four bombs were detonated in the Maralinga region. The yields ranged from 1.5 kilotons to 15 kilotons. This series of tests caused widespread radioactive contamination, affecting the health and lives of Aboriginal populations and military personnel involved in the tests. It's also worth noting that they conducted 'minor trials' involving radioactive material spread over large areas.

5. Operation Antler (1957)

• Date: September 14, 1957; September 25, 1957; and October 9, 1957
• Location: Maralinga, South Australia
• Details: Three more tests at Maralinga. The first test, codenamed Tadje, had a yield of 0.93 kilotons. The second, Biak, yielded 5.67 kilotons, and the third, Taranak, had a yield of 26.6 kilotons. More contamination, more environmental damage, and more health issues for everyone in the vicinity.

Aftermath

The British left behind a toxic legacy. Radioactive contamination plagued the test sites for decades. Indigenous communities suffered health issues, displacement, and loss of land. The Australian government eventually took steps to clean up the sites, but the damage had already been done.

In 1993, a Royal Commission was held to investigate the tests. They found that the British had conducted the tests with little regard for the safety and health of the Australian people and the environment. Compensation was eventually paid to some of the victims, but it was too little, too late.

Summary

In total, 12 major nuclear test explosions occurred in Australia between 1952 and 1957. The tests caused extensive environmental and health damage that lingered for years. It's a glaring example of how governments can fuck over their people and environment in the name of so-called progress and power.

So there you have it. A timeline of nuclear bomb tests in Australia. Not exactly a story of sunshine and rainbows, but hey, history's a bitch sometimes.