Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
construction role 95, 216
deployment of aircraft 81–82, 86
see also Hudson, Avon; Tooke, Thomas
Royal Australian Navy
deployment of ships 64, 67, 70
public relations role 214, 216
Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia
on Aboriginal people’s safety 171, 173
appointment, members and sittings 271
on ‘black mist’ allegations 196–199
on compensation for nuclear victims 305
condemnation of minor trials 117–118, 132, 164–165
criticism of AWTSC 150–151
endorsement of Kerr Report 270
interrogation of Pearce 117, 133, 136–137, 230–231, 239–240, 244
interrogation of Penney 271–272
interrogation of Titterton 132–133, 138, 140, 143–144
recommendations 272
terms of reference 31
Walsh’s regrets 271
see also McClellan, Peter; McClelland, James
Royal, Simon 293–294
Rutherford, Ernest 6, 23
safety controls
Hurricane and Totem trials 80–81, 153–154
Roller Coaster experiments 117
responsibility for radiological safety 97–98
Vixen trials 127–130, 137–138
see also ARPANSA; AWTSC
Salisbury, Marquess of 134
Seager, Drake 102
Seamen’s Union 155
secrecy
British atomic research 42
British deceit over plutonium residues 117, 131–133, 282–283, 289, 290, 292–293
consequences 310–311
Manhattan Project 46–47
Maralinga trials 110
media compliance with 201, 209–210, 225, 269
Monte Bello tests 64–65, 68
Vixen B trials 97, 116–117, 119, 124–125, 151
see also D-notice system; spies and espionage
Secrets in the Sand (BBC documentary) 295
Shedden, Frederick 64, 65, 95, 147, 208, 211, 215–216, 218–219
Sheehan, EL 221
Sinclair, Ian 260–261
Skipper, JH 102
Smith, Frank 192
Snowden, Edward 311
Soviet Union see USSR
spies and espionage 50–52, 56–58, 204
Stanton, John 20
Stevens, Donald 141
stochastic effect 131, 317g
Strassmann, Fritz 36
strontium-90: 152, 228, 234, 303
Stubbs, Stewart 159
Sun 88, 108, 209
Supply, Department of 94–95, 96–97, 128, 168
Sydney Morning Herald 80, 150, 208–209, 213, 250, 254, 258–260, 262, 265, 289
Symons, Michael 250
Szilard, Leo 35, 37, 39, 162
TAG (Technical Assessment Group) 283, 284, 292, 295
Taranaki site
burial of plutonium at 16, 26, 129, 232, 238–239, 243, 254, 280–281, 282
exclusion zone around 128
origin of name 22–23
plutonium residues at 22–23, 26, 119–122, 123, 129, 228, 234, 239, 241–242, 279, 282
see also Operation Antler; Owen, George; Vixen B trials
terrorist threat 254, 255, 257, 258, 259, 261
The Australian 20
thermonuclear weapons, defined 157, 318g
Thomson, David 269
Thomson, Donald 177
Thomson, George 42, 219
Thwaites, Tim 288
Timbs, Maurice 124, 167, 168
Tims trials 118, 120, 255–256
Titterton, Ernest
on Aboriginal people’s safety 172–173
as advocate of nuclear weapons 149–150, 151
appointment to ANU 6, 141
on ‘black mist’ allegations 197
as chair of AWSTC 141, 143–144, 151, 161–169, 172–173, 190–191, 303
character 140, 144–145
analysis of babies’ bones and 302–303
concealment of information by 120, 132–133, 138, 151, 162–167
death and obituary 140–141, 143–144
‘Dr Strangelove’ appellation 7, 140, 144
on fallout danger 250
insider status with AWRE 78, 120, 133, 140, 143, 147–149, 161–162, 169, 235
on plutonium contamination risks 258, 273
political role in the testing program 165–166
role in British and American atomic research and testing 46, 54, 140–143
role in clean-up operations 235–236
Royal Commission’s criticism of 132–133, 138, 140, 143–144
on terrorist threat 258
Vixen B trials and 120, 132–133, 163–166, 168
Tizard, Henry 53
Tjarutja people see Maralinga Tjarutja people
TM100 and TM101 sites 228, 232, 234, 238–239, 255
Toohey, Brian
investigative reporting by 19, 256–258, 260–261 263, 265–266
Killen’s denunciation of 261–262
Tooke, Thomas 297–299
Torlesse, Arthur 70, 71
Totem see Operation Totem
Townley, Athol 124, 164, 167
Tracker, HMS 71
Trident missiles 309
Trimouille Island (Monte Bello) 70, 71, 86, 89, 245–246
Trinity test at Alamogordo 47–48, 140
Truman, Harry 48
Truth/Mirror newspapers 109
Tube Alloys Directorate 33, 35, 44–45, 49, 55
Turner, Harry 97, 105, 162, 163, 192–193, 229, 231
Tyte, LC 70
underground tests proposal 227
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics see USSR
United Aborigines Mission 175–176
United Australian Press (UAP) 218
United Kingdom
1968 agreement on contamination responsibility 16, 19, 26, 244, 276, 281–282, 291–292
deception over Vixen B trials by 117, 131–133, 163, 244–245, 282–283, 289, 290, 292–293
denial of responsibility for plutonium clean-up 260, 276, 291–292
negotiations with Australia on compensation 276, 279–281, 283, 285–286, 288, 291–292, 294–295
nuclear weapons program 4, 52–56, 58–60, 307–309
repatriation of Tims plutonium by 121, 255–256, 259–260, 266–267, 292
role in nuclear weapons development 34–35, 39–44, 53–56, 58–60, 299–300
views McMahon Act as betrayal 50
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) 259
United Press Associations (UPA) 220–221
United States Air Force 81–82
uranium, characteristics 36
Uren, Tom 250–251, 254, 259
USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
as atomic power 6–7, 57, 84, 107, 154
Britain and 55–56
and moratorium (1958) on atomic testing 126, 269
radioactive contamination in 246
spy rings 7, 37, 50–52, 56–58, 202, 204
see also Cold War
Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986: 306
victims see Indigenous people; nuclear veterans
Viereck, Jennifer 3
Vixen A trials 127–128
Vixen B trials
British deception 117, 131–133, 244–245, 282–283, 289, 290, 292–293
governmental and public concerns 132
as breach of international law 121, 125–126, 129, 132–136, 250–251, 254, 268
lack of media attention 124–126, 225
objectives and methods 119–121
preparations 114–116
radioactive consequences 116–117, 121–123, 129, 277, 281, 282
safety controls 128–131, 137–138
secrecy surrounding 97, 116–117, 119, 132
similarity with Roller Coaster trials 119, 136, 278–279
Titterton’s concealment of dangers 151, 163–169
Toohey’s revelations 265–266