A seriously evaporated history of the Australian nuclear industry, and community opposition to it. This document may also be downloaded as a PDF for printing.
See www.sea-us.org for much more detail.

1894 Uranium discovered, NSW, but its properties not understood

1906 Radium mining begins, Radium Hill, SA, U. is waste product.

1945 Atomic bombs used on Japan, Hiroshima Aug 6/Nagasaki Aug 9

1947 Major gov’t-backed U exploration across Australia begins.

1952-63 UK tests A-bombs at Maralinga, Emu Field, Woomera, Monte Bello Is.,Christmas Is. (17,000 exposed-revealed 2001)

1954 Radium Hill SA reopens, mining begins at Rum Jungle NT

1958 •U- mining begins at Mary Kathleen QLD
•Menzies opens nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights

1967-71 Exploration boom for uranium. Discoveries at Beverley SA,Yeelirrie WA, Ranger, Jabiluka, Koongarra NT

1971 Rum Jungle closes. 100 km2 & river catchment contaminated.

1974 ‘Long march’ to NW Cape to protest against US base.

1974-5 Discoveries: Angela NT, Roxby SA, Manyingee WA

1976 National railway workers strike re sacking of worker who refused to marshall wagons for Mary Kathleen U-mine.

1977 •Fox/Ranger Uranium Inquiry’s final report urges caution. It is read ‘both ways’. Liberal gov’t gives go-ahead to Ranger mine.
•FoE holds ‘Atom-Free Embassy’ outside Lucas Heights.
•ALP Conference: total opposition to U-mining

1978 Ranger U-mine Agreement made -Aborigines under duress.

1979 •Mining begins, and ends 4 months later, at Nabarlek, NT
•Thousands campaign as Movement Against Uranium Mining/Campaign Against Nuclear Energy/Campaign Against Nuclear Power.
•Mining work starts at Ranger and Roxby Downs
•ACTU declares opposition to U-mining & transport.

1980-1988 Milling of uranium at Nabarlek, then mill closes.

1981 •Ranger U-mine begins in Kakadu National Park.
•Darwin wharfies blockade uranium from Ranger for 7 wks.
•People for Nuclear Disarmament begins as major umbrella peace & anti-nuclear organisation in each state

1982-87 PND’s Palm Sunday rallies attract hundreds of thousands - demanding an end to U-mining, withdrawal from ANZUS alliance, and an end to the global arms race.

1982 •ALP moves to ‘One mine policy’ - to allow U-mining at Roxby.
•Protest action at Honeymoon halts development of mine.

1983 Women’s peace camp, Pine Gap (US base),Alice Springs

1983-84 National protests against new mine at Roxby Downs.

1984 Women’s peace camp,Cockburn Sound naval base, WA

1985 •U-mining trials at Manyingee WA, despite 3 mines policy.
•Local peace groups number 350 around Australia.

1985 •CRA discover Kintyre deposit, Karlamilyi-Rudall River Nat’l Pk,WA (early 90’s:WA ALP/Libs excise Kintyre from pk.)

1987 Big protest at Pine Gap over renewal of the US’s lease.

1987-89 Protests at Nurrungar US communications base.

1988 Commercial production begins at Roxby Downs/Olympic Dam

1991 •Start of search for national nuclear dump site
•Study shows 40% cancer rates in Radium Hill ex-U-miners

1996 •ALP Fed. gov’t. approves doubling of output at Roxby.
•New Lib. WA gov’t encourages big scramble for U- leases.
•New Lib. Fed gov’t. opens the way for unlimited new U-mines.

1996?-98 Pangea have private meetings with Wilson Tuckey & other MP’s.

1997 •Lib gov’t. approves Jabiluka in face of extreme opposition by Traditional Owners and two-thirds of Australians surveyed.
•Fed. gov’t announces plan for new reactor at Lucas Heights
•Mirrar veto road to Ranger mill fi env. review for Jabiluka mill

1998 •ALP ‘No new mines’ policy i.e. only allow mines that started before they take office. ALP promise to stop Jabiluka.
•Mirrar Gundjehmi take case against Jabiluka to UN World Heritage Commission. Thousands join Jabiluka Blockade.
•New Qld ALP gov’t announces it will block U- mining.
•Billa Kalina region SA targetted for national N-waste dump.
•FoE exposes Pangea global N-waste dump plan for WA/SA

1999 •Sutherland Shire & Local Gov’t Ass’n call for Royal Commission into proposed new reactor at Lucas Heights.
•50,000 sign anti-Pangea petition. WA gov’t legislates against import of foreign N-waste but Pangea say they are not deterred.
•Beverley acid leach U-mine (SA) is given go-ahead. Blockade.

2000 •Beverley begins commercial production (US General Atomics)
• SA legislates against import, transport, storage & disposal of medium to high level radioactive waste
•Argentinian co. INVAP wins tender to build new reactor sparks new Senate Inquiry into the tendering process.

2001 •ALP (‘no new mines’) ousts pro-U-mining WA Lib.gov’t.
•Fed. gov’t says it will use C’wealth land for nat’l dump.
•Rio Tinto, new Jabiluka lease owners, announce mining delay.
•Pres. Bush commits USA to Ballistic Missile Defence (Star Wars). Expected to trigger new N- arms race. Aust. gov’t keen to help, involving Pine Gap (NT) ‘joint’ base. Protests begin.
•Senate Inquiry re reactor tender process condemns approval.
•Australians join International Day against Star Wars Sat.13 October 2002 Protest planned for Pine Gap if Gov’t won’t bar Star Wars use.