Did you know that the University of Melbourne was involved in the testing of atomic bombs in South Australia?  

University academics were enlisted to ensure the safety nuclear blasts at Maralinga and Emu Field. But how good of a job did they really do? 

Interviewees:

• Karina Lester - Senior Aboriginal Language Worker at The University of Adelaide
• Dr James Waghorne - Senior Research Fellow and University Historian at The University of Melbourne
• Elizabeth Tynan - co-ordinator of the professional development program at the James Cook University Graduate Research School and researcher of the history of British atomic weapons testing in Australia 

Note:  This episode has been updated to reflect further details of Leslie Martin's role in atomic testing. 

Music

Gold Hands – Holly Sweeney

Piano Study – Joel Keith

 

SFX:

Kangaroovindaloo – Camping with the Warlpiri day atmos

Kangaroovindaloo – Spinifex wind 1 no eq

Kangaroovindaloo – Ethel creek dawn chorus

Noahbangs – Earthquake

Melbourneatmospheres – Australian birds in rural nature reserve yarra ranges Victoria

Clip from Operation Totem – Imperial War Museum (still trying to nail this down)

Edufigueres – Australia outback birds

Mrcalum – heat duct

Nox sound – footsteps mountain boots wet sand sequence mono

Kyster – cows in a barn 2011 12 7

 

Special mention to the following sources:

Yami: The Autobiography of Yami Lester

Tim Sherrat

The McClelland Royal Commission

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