Catch up: 70th anniversary of the first British nuclear test in Australia

Posted: 12th October 2022

Last week was the 70th anniversary of the first British nuclear test in Australia – Operation Hurricane at the Montebello islands off the coast of WA. Watch the recording – with some deeply personal stories from veterans and test survivors.

Operation Hurricane recording -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JUDZXEGRxw

ECU study finds radiation risk at WA’s Montebello Islands nuclear test site 70 years on
More than half a century since Britain conducted the first nuclear tests in Australia — in WA’s north — marine scientists have made the concerning discovery a radiation risk remains for marine life and tourists. The Montebello Islands, an archipelago of about 174 small islands located 120km off the WA coast near Barrow Island, were used by the British in 1952 to conduct its first-ever atomic weapon test on Trimouille Island as part of Operation Hurricane. *includes a video piece and radio piece.

Untold History of WA: How British nuclear tests on Australia’s Montebello islands still affect people today ($) The British nuclear explosion tests exposed Australian defence personnel to dangerous radiation levels and fears still remain.

Radiation ‘hotspots’: legacy of British nuclear tests lingers on idyllic islands in Western AustraliaTourists warned not spend more than an hour at the Montebello Islands sites – as a new study examines the effect of radioactive sands on marine life.