During the 1950s and 1960s, the British government conducted a series of nuclear tests within the borders of its faithful ally, Australia. The mainland atomic tests and the subsequent extensive and dangerous 'minor trials' were held at Maralinga, in the South Australian desert.
At the time, many Aboriginal people in the SA bush had the logical thought: 'Must be a war on again ... an enemy has come.' What a surprise to find out that the bombs, starting with the 'Black Mist' bomb of 15 October 1956 at the Emu site northwest of Coober Pedy, were detonated by an ally! Britain had simply asked a willing Australian prime minister, Menzies.
Even after the consternation of finding the Milpuddie family asleep in the Marcoo bomb crater, the British scientist Professor Titterton assured the Australian public that 'no harm was caused to anyone'. Unsurprisingly, the 1984–1985 royal commission into the British nuclear tests heard much evidence to the contrary from Aboriginal witnesses, including Mrs Milpuddie.
Having lived in both Coober Pedy and Yalata (to where the Traditional Owners of the Maralinga lands were moved in 1952), I've heard from Aboriginal people many stories and seen some of the serious repercussions myself. As well, non-Aboriginal service and other personnel have had decades of fruitless campaigning for compensation.
Personal traumatic experience of these nuclear tests was the driving force behind the leadership of Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta (KPKT) — Senior Aboriginal Women of Coober Pedy — during what became a six-year-long national campaign (1998 to 2004) against the national radioactive dump proposed by the federal government for the northern South Australian bush.
South Australia, seen as a politically weak state, proved a formidable foe, with the KPKT and environmentalists teaming to protect country, groundwaters, and present and future generations of South Australians. Huge grassroots campaigns, media support and a newly elected SA Labor government under Premier Mike Rann took up the fight.
With 86 per cent of South Australians opposed to the national proposal and a federal election on the horizon, key federal MPs from SA persuaded Prime Minister Howard to abandon the plans. Senator Nick Minchin gave 'a rolled gold assurance' that SA would never again be targeted as the site for the dump.
Fast forward to early 2015 and, to the absolute astonishment of those of us involved in the previous campaign, Premier Jay Weatherill announced that a royal commission would be held to consider the feasibility and viability as