Maralinga

‘Maralinga nuclear test cloud, 1950’ – Innovention Australia, via flickr.

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Between 1952 and 1963, British forces dropped nine nuclear weapons and nine thermonuclear weapons between Woomera and the Western Australian border, within contamination distance of urban centers. The Menzies-led Australian government of that time was wholly complicit and lied about the known dangers of nuclear tests. Between these bombings, Britain conducted continuous “minor trials,” which, according to the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia, additionally detonated 99.35 kg of beryllium, 23.979 kg of plutonium, and 7968.88 kg of depleted uranium. By contrast, Little Boy, dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 by the United States, contained only 64 kg of uranium-235, and Fat Man, dropped on Nagasaki in 1945 by the United States, contained only 6.4 kg of plutonium. Anyone who wishes to immediately lose faith in the human race should read the short transcript of the Royal Commission, which is freely available online.

A rough timeline is provided:

October 3, 1952: Operation Hurricane, Monte Bello Islands, 25 kiloton nuclear weapon

October 15, 1953: Operation Totem, “Totem 1,” Emu Field, 9.1 kiloton nuclear weapon

October 27, 1953: Operation Totem, “Totem 2,” Emu Field, 7.1 kiloton nuclear weapon

1953: “Kittens,” Emu Field, chemical detonation, 0.036 kg beryllium

1955: “Tims,” Maralinga Naya 3, chemical detonation, 1.38 kg depleted uranium

1955–57: “Kittens,” Maralinga Naya, chemical detonation, 0.75 kg beryllium

1955–57: “Kittens,” Maralinga Kittens, chemical detonation, 120 kg depleted uranium

May 16, 1956: Operation Mosaic, “G1,” Monte Bello Islands, 15 kiloton nuclear weapon

May 19, 1956: Operation Mosaic, “G2,” Monte Bello Islands, 60 kiloton nuclear weapon

September 27, 1956: Buffalo, “One Tree,” Maralinga, 12.9 kiloton nuclear weapon

October 4, 1956: Operation Buffalo, “Marcoo,” Maralinga, 1.4 kiloton nuclear weapon

October 11, 1956: Operation Buffalo, “Kite,” Maralinga, 2.9 kiloton nuclear weapon

October 22, 1956: Operation Buffalo, “Breakaway,” Maralinga, 10.8 kiloton nuclear weapon

1956–58: “Rats,” Maralinga Naya 1, chemical detonation, 151 kg depleted uranium

1956–60: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM4, chemical detonation, 6605 kg depleted uranium

September 14, 1957: Operation Antler, “Tadje,” Maralinga, 0.9 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

September 25, 1957: Operation Antler, “Biak,” Maralinga, 5.7 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

October 9, 1957: Operation Antler, “Taranaki,” Maralinga, 26.6 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

November 8, 1957: Operation Grapple X, “Round C,” Christmas Island, 1.8 megaton thermonuclear weapon

1957: “Tims,” Maralinga Naya, chemical detonation, 1.6 kg beryllium

1957: “Kittens,” Maralinga Naya 1, chemical detonation, 5 kg depleted uranium

1957: “Kittens,” Maralinga Naya 3, chemical detonation, 23.4 kg depleted uranium

April 28, 1958: Operation Grapple Y, Christmas Island, 3 megaton thermonuclear weapon

August 22, 1958: Operation Grapple Z1, “Pennant,” Christmas Island, 24 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

September 2, 1958: Operation Grapple Z2, “Flagpole 1,” Christmas Island, 1 megaton thermonuclear weapon

September 11, 1958: Operation Grapple Z3, “Halliard,” Christmas Island, 800 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

September 23, 1958: Operation Grapple Z4, “Burgee,” Christmas Island, 25 kiloton thermonuclear weapon

1959: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK33, chemical detonation, 0.008 kg plutonium

1959: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK29, chemical detonation, 0.14 kg beryllium

1959: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK28, chemical detonation, 0.25 kg beryllium

1959: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK27, chemical detonation, 0.23 kg beryllium

1959: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK30, chemical detonation, 0.10 kg beryllium

1959: “Rats,” Maralinga Dobo, chemical detonation, 28 kg depleted uranium

1959–60: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM11, chemical detonation, 26.2 kg beryllium

1959–60: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM11, chemical detonation, 67 kg depleted uranium

1960: “Tims,” Maralinga Naya 1 TM100, chemical detonation, 0.6 kg plutonium

1960: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak, chemical detonation, 67.8 kg depleted uranium

1960–61: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM16, chemical detonation, 39 kg beryllium

1960–62: “Kittens,” Maralinga Naya 2, chemical detonation, 32 kg depleted uranium

1960–63: “Vixen B,” Maralinga Taranaki, chemical detonation, 22.2 kg plutonium

1960–63: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM16, chemical detonation, 731 kg depleted uranium

1961: “Tims,” Maralinga Naya TM101, chemical detonation, 0.6 kg plutonium

1961: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK60A, chemical detonation, 0.294 kg plutonium

1961: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak VK60C, chemical detonation, 0.277 kg plutonium

1961: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM5, chemical detonation, 10 kg beryllium

1961: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak 60A, chemical detonation, 1.72 kg beryllium

1961: “Vixen A,” Maralinga Wewak 60B, chemical detonation, 1.72 kg beryllium

1961: “Vixen B,” Maralinga (Taranaki site), chemical detonation, 17.6 kg beryllium

1961: “Tims,” Maralinga Kuli TM50, chemical detonation, 90 kg depleted uranium

1963: “Vixen B,” Maralinga Taranaki, chemical detonation, 24.9 kg depleted uranium

1963: “Vixen B,” Maralinga Taranaki, chemical detonation, 22.4 kg depleted uranium

Five Threnodies for Maralinga

    The mushroom cloud dispersed rapidly. For a few seconds it took

the intriguing shape of an aboriginal face silhouetted over Australia,

then it eddied 1500ft high, and was blown away to the north-east . . .

    (Douglas Wilkie, the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, October 16, 1953)