The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, OCTOBER 1952. NEWS OF PREPARATIONS FOR THE ATOMIC TEST WAS ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS IN AUSTRALIAN PEACETIME HISTORY. THOUGH THERE WAS INTENSE ACTIVITY IN AND AROUND ONSLOW FOR MANY MONTHS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE MONTE BELLOS WOULD BE THE TEST SITE, NO WORD OF THIS ACTIVITY GOT EVEN AS FAR AS PERTH. IT WAS ONLY WHEN BRITISH WARSHIPS BEGAN ARRIVING AT FREMANTLE THAT WEST AUSTRALIANS GENERALLY KNEW THAT THE EXPLOSION WOULD BE HELD IN THEIR STATE. AFTER THE TEST REAR-ADMIRAL TORLESSE, THE LEADER OF THE ATOMIC FLEET, CONGRATULATED ONSLOW RESIDENTS FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THEY KEPT THE SECRET OF THE PREPARATIONS. AS SOON AS PERTH NEWSPAPERS REALISED THAT THE MONTE BELLOS MIGHT BE THE SITE, AN EXPEDITION WAS SENT BY ROAD TO ONSLOW WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO GET TO THE MON
MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, SITE OF BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS IN OCTOBER 1952. THIS PICTURE OF THE MONTE BELLOS INDICATES THE NATURE OF THE ISLAND GROUP. THOUGH THE ISLANDS HAVE BEEN USED BY FISHERMEN AND PEARLER
ONSLOW, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 1952. BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON THE MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, IN OCTOBER 1952. ONE OF THE SUNDERLAND FLYING BOATS WHICH VISITED ONSLOW AND THE MONTE BELLOS. IT IS BELIEVED THES
NEAR ROUGH RANGE, WA. 1952. BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON THE MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, IN OCTOBER 1952. A HILL ONE MILE WEST OF THE BILLABONG CAMP OF THE PRESS EXPEDITION FROM PERTH MONITORING THE ATOMIC TE
NEAR ROUGH RANGE, WA. 1952. BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON THE MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, IN OCTOBER 1952. A HILL ONE MILE WEST OF THE BILLABONG CAMP OF THE PRESS EXPEDITION FROM PERTH MONITORING THE ATOMIC TE
NEAR ROUGH RANGE, WA. 1952 BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON THE MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, IN OCTOBER 1952. A HILL ONE MILE WEST OF THE BILLABONG CAMP OF THE PRESS EXPEDITION FROM PERTH MONITORING THE ATOMIC TES
NEAR ROUGH RANGE, WA. 1952. BRITISH ATOMIC TESTS ON THE MONTE BELLO ISLANDS, WA, IN OCTOBER 1952. A HILL ONE MILE WEST OF THE BILLABONG CAMP OF THE PRESS EXPEDITION FROM PERTH MONITORING THE ATOMIC TE
