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Information about Emu Field

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Obelisk at the Totem One test site


Emu Field was located in the desert of South Australia, at approximately . Variously known as Emu Field, Emu Junction or Emu, it was the site of the Operation Totem series of nuclear tests, conducted by the British government in 1953 . The site was located and surveyed by Len Beadell in 1952 . A village and airstrip were constructed for the subsequent testing program.

Two atomic tests were conducted at the site. Totem 1 was detonated on October 15, 1953, and Totem 2 was detonated on October 27, 1953. The devices were both sited on towers, and yielded 10 kilotons and 8 kilotons respectively.

It was later found that the radioactive cloud from the first detonation did not disperse as expected, and travelled north-east over the Australian continent. The site at Emu Field was considered too remote for future use, and the search for a more convenient location led to the survey of Maralinga, where a further series of atomic tests was conducted in 1956 .

There are now stone monuments at the ground-zero points, which can be visited by tourists, however it is still extremely remote (see Anne Beadell Highway). Evidence of the explosions may still be seen at ground-zero, in the form of vitrified sand and concentric blast rings.
South Australia

Flag Coat of Arms
Slogan or Nickname: Festival State

Other Australian states and territories
Capital Adelaide
Government Constitutional monarchy
Governor Kevin Scarce
Premier Mike Rann (ALP)
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Nuclear tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have staged tests of them.
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Len Beadell OAM BEM FIEMS (b. West Pennant Hills, New South Wales 1923 - May 12, 1995) was a surveyor, roadbuilder (some 6500km), bushman, and author, responsible for opening up the last remaining isolated desert areas (some 2.
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October 15 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1920s  1930s  1940s  - 1950s -  1960s  1970s  1980s
1950 1951 1952 - 1953 - 1954 1955 1956

Year 1953 (MCMLIII
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October 27th is the feast day of the following Roman Catholic Saints:
  • Abban of Magheranoidhe
  • Abban of New Ross
  • St.
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    • 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
    1920s  1930s  1940s  - 1950s -  1960s  1970s  1980s
    1950 1951 1952 - 1953 - 1954 1955 1956

    Year 1953 (MCMLIII
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    ton:
    1. long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United Kingdom which formerly used the Imperial system of weights and measures) is a weight ton or gross ton, and is 2,240 lb (exactly 1,016.0469088 kg).

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    Radioactive contamination is the uncontrolled distribution of radioactive material in a given environment. The amount of radioactive material released in an accident is called the source term.
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    Maralinga, South Australia in the remote western areas of South Australia was the home of the Maralinga Tjarutja, a southern Pitjantjatjara Indigenous Australian people. Maralinga was the site of British nuclear tests in the 1950s.
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    Anne Beadell Highway is an outback unsealed track linking Coober Pedy, South Australia, and Laverton, Western Australia. The track was surveyed and built by Len Beadell, Australian surveyor, who named it after his wife.
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