THE MARALINGA STORY 2015

This excerpt from our "Trans Australia Railway - Part Two" video, covers the shameful Maralinga history. It was filmed in 2015.
Book your Maralinga Tour at www.maralingatours.com.au
Watch full video in our Discontinued DVD playlist.

[@samconomo3726]

Thanks for sharing that, and the acknowledgement to land and water at the end.sam.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Thank you Sam. Happy New Year cheers, Laurie

[@petergracemeguide1280]

Watch the pilot episode of the Thunderbirds it roughly reference the effect of the weather n tests

[@maxt7525]

May we a;ways pay our respects to our great European, British pioneers and explorers, who made our great country what it is today. Australia is for all Australians equally regardless of race, always was, always will be ❤️🇦🇺

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Agreed on your sentiments regarding our pioneers. However, with regard to the bomb tests and the alledged secret cooperation by Mr Menzies in agreeing to the tests taking place, it's a pity the British didn't do the tests in their own country. Unfortunately, I believe that the British authorities are still being totally uncooperative in releasing information as to what they actually did do there and what contaminants they have left behind. Maralinga by Frank Walker, and Atomic Thunder by Elizabeth Tynan are both recommended reading on the subject. Cheers, Laurie.

[@imirish4702]

I bet you are a baby boomer taking a passive slant at the indigenous people who were also victims of these illegal atomic tests. I wonder if you soule share the same sentiments if your ancestors lived in Maralinga.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@imirish4702 we covered the Indiginous suffering in the video that this segment was taken from. It should never have happened, and the fact that the organisers treated the thought that people could even populate the area with disdain was disgusting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/epyUc2qupqecaNE

[@James-kv6kb]

​@@imirish4702it was very difficult for the white people when you kept moving around and hiding, I've seen many videos of this .they didn't realise the vast amount of land the Aboriginal people needed to survive and when many of them were coming to the missions because it was a lot easier they assumed there was no one there

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@@James-kv6kb When you are playing with big bang bangs, one shouldn't assume anything.

[@seanbaskett5506]

I can relate to the eerie feeling of knowing you are on a road that an atomic warhead travelled down. The Trinity and Fat Man cores went right past my front door on US 95 in nitrate form before being turned into alloy at Los Alamos. As well as most everything that went from Hanford to the Test Site in Nevada.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Hi Sean. I can just imagine. Nobody in Oz knew that these tests were taking place at the time, and to this day, the British still haven't owned up to what they did and produced there, and thus, what deadly contaminants they left behind. Dark times in Australia's history. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Laurie.

[@chriswalker1058]

My dad was there in 1967 he drove a Bedford tipper lorry for the British army when they started to clean up the test site. Luckily he’s still alive and well he’s 74. The first machines there was two cat d8 dozers they drove all the way from the railway to maralinga. The concrete monument he took all the materials to make it on the little Bedford truck

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Hi Chris. There has been at least one comment that disputes the facts as presented by Robin Matthews. Those comments were in relation to the second clean up. It would be interesting to get your dad's perspective of what happened during the first clean up. I had an uncle who was there during the testing, and he eventually died of cancer, but what part Maralinga played in that is not known. Thank you for commenting. Cheers, Laurie.

[@chriswalker1058]

@@lauriekibblewhite I’ll ask him what all they did. From what I remember him telling me he said the sand was turned into green glass and they had barrels painted different colours set out in radials around the creators they represented different levels off radiation the radiation was higher slightly out from the centre because everything got blew out by the blast. Everything was dozed into pits and covered up.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@@chriswalker1058 Thank you Chris. Cheers, Laurie

[@phillipj.moodie3077]

@ Laurie Kibblewhite.In mid 1970s I worked for GE/Honeywell Information Systems located in the Dept. of Defence Tower in St. Kilda Road. My Salesmanager was ex-IBM and he handled the Computer System at Maralinga, f my memory is correct. A very interesting presentation. Phil.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Thanks Phil. The tour was an eye-opener, and Robin gave us an excellent insight to the history. My uncle was RAN, and he served his turn ... interestingly, he eventually died of Cancer. A family member also spent a lot of time in the Montebello Islands, and she also died of cancer. Thanks for dropping by. Cheers, Laurie

[@alainstasse4602]

Was doing seismic work at Maralinga back in 2008. Visited the village and airport while we were there to catch a plane as the airstrip we were originally supposed to use was too wet. I remember the flies. I've seen a lot of desert and outback. But nothing equalled the flies I experienced there. Was that Cruiser with submarine hatch doors still there when you visited? Thanks for sharing.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Hi Alain, I've been to few places where I am sure the world's entire fly population was present. I don't remember the Cruiser. Cheers, Laurie

[@jeep1943]

Still there in the airport terminal building.

[@Teagirl009]

That was really interesting and informative 👍. Cheers. I've seen a few docos on the tests but hadn't seen the full tour of the site. Did you get any high readings on the geiger counter? I know there were some tests a couple of years ago that showed the radioactive fallout and affect on soil was worse than previously thought. Leeching into the soil and groundwater. Affecting animals too. "These “hot particles” are not as stable as we once assumed. Our research shows they are likely releasing tiny chunks of plutonium and uranium which can be easily transported in dust and water, inhaled by humans and wildlife and taken up by plants." I saw a doco about contaminated milk as result of these tests and fallout. Sadly caused thedeaths of many children.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

I believe that the Geiger Counter didn't read positive in the area we were looking at. But there is a restricted area around the site where I "hear" that is not the case. If you read through the comments, you will also find some who have disputed some of what we were told about the cleanup ... what is the correct story? Who knows. There are some excellemt books on the subject Maralinga by Frank Walker Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story by Elizabeth Tynan are two that I have read. Recommended. There are a number more as well. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Laurie

[@Teagirl009]

@@lauriekibblewhite Thank you for the reccomendations. Will have a look👍 The doco I saw was about the milk etc was about ex serviceman AvonHudson. Yes I saw some disputes in the comments(as always on YT!) But I understand you're only sharing your experience that day and what you were told. 🤷‍♀️ From what I've read the clean ups failed to remove it all and that Plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years. I read with Chernobyl/pripyat tours you can only stay for limited amount of time They give you Geiger counters and can't touch anything or put your bag or cameras etc in the ground or even eat or drink in the open air. They recommend you throw your clothes away after. 😳

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@@Teagirl009 It is a very shameful part of our history in my eyes. I forgot to mention another book, written from the Aboriginal side. Maralinga, the Anangu Story by Yalata, Oak Valley Communities and Christobel Mattingley. Merry Christmas, Laurie.

[@Teagirl009]

@@lauriekibblewhite Indeed. One of many shameful chapters in our history. Cheers for all the reccomendations . Merry Christmas 🎄

[@stephensheppard6678]

You need to pay attention to facts as the site representative with a presence on site every day I can assure you that the statement that what was buried from Thiess is not in the least what was told to you no scrapers no generators no vehicles and definitely no dozer squashing them the only things from them were 2 road sweepers and a tipper body. I have the photographic evidence. It is unfortunate that yet again the truth of what happened is totally misrepresented by the facts. This video while having some good parts should be fact checked. Steve Sheppard DPIE Site Representative 1995 - 2004

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Thank you Stephen. I can only show you what was told to us by by Robin Matthews on site during a tour we paid for in 2015. Maybe you should take it up with him. Cheers, Laurie.

[@stephensheppard6678]

@@lauriekibblewhite Look I understand you can only accept what is and how you have been informed I have taken it up with the Department head in Canberra. I am doing work on the presentation I have been asked to prepare and thought it would be good to see what is currently being offered. I've watched 5 KZbin vids with Robin and really questioned the fact checking and how the Commonwealth can allow so much misinformation on what can still be for some people a very sensitive issue quite happy to answer any questions you may have with references. Robin no longer does them due to ill-health Steve

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@@stephensheppard6678 Thanks Stephen. I would be more than happy to set the record straight if supplied with the facts by the authorities. Unfortunately, I believe that the British authorities are still being totally uncooperative in releasing information as to what they actually did do there and what contaminants they have left behind. Cheers, Laurie.

[@tullioscarsi6949]

I served in maralinga as an me1 Ran, in 1962_3 T sScarsi

[@tucky142]

wow so much misinformation. I hope its all been fixed up

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Misinformation? Please explain if what we were told is not correct. Cheers Laurie.

[@tucky142]

@@lauriekibblewhiteThe vehicles mentioned were never buried. The only vehicles that were buried were two vacuum trucks that were deemed to old and contaminated to be removed. I have pics of these going in the pit. The value of all theiss's machinery was greater than the whole projects value. Also alot of these "buried machines" came back in 2000 to bury extra debri from the outer pits. This is why there was a massive decontamination shed. Having worked there for two years and listening to the DPIE rep on sites accounts and seeing photo's of the pits the burial of millions of $$ of vehicles is just absurd. Some photo's being used of the ISV by Maralinga tours are mine . how they got access to them is a question id like answered. The fact that the sign says 1 month to melt a pit ( longest melt was 18 days) and 1 month to cool down ( try 1 year plus) perhaps talk to some of the people that actually worked there and listen to what they encountered. I am far from an authority on the place but even these simple things I know are incorrect.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Thank you Tucky. Will we ever get the complete and correct story. Whatever, it is a shameful piece of our history. @@tucky142 Cheers, Laurie.

[@James-kv6kb]

​@@lauriekibblewhiteok it wasn't ideal but certainly not shameful why do you say that ?

[@lauriekibblewhite]

@@James-kv6kb In a nutshell, it should never have happened. There are a few books on the subject that explain the whole shabby deal. "Maralinga, The Chilling Expose of Our Secret Nuclear Shame and Betrayal of Our Troops and Country by Frank Walker and Atomic Thunder by Elizabeth Tynan." are just two. To my (limited) knowledge, they haven't been refuted.