Atomic Weapons Tests—Buffalo 1, 2, 3 and 4 (continued)

In May 1957 a National Radiation Advisory Council (NRAC) was also formed with Sir Macfarlane Burnet as chairman and with Prof L. H. Martin and W. A. S. Butement as members with the general responsibility of examining the effect of all types of nuclear radiation on the Australian community. The AWTSC submitted proposed acceptable dose levels to the NRAC for their consideration. I recall that much later, when I had succeeded Len Dwyer as a member of the AWTSC, Ernest Titterton still believed that low levels of nuclear radiation were not harmful to humans.

With a new AWTSC and improved facilities at Maralinga for meteorological support for weapons tests there were three further explosions of atomic weapons in 1957. Antler 1, having a yield of 0.93 kilotons was exploded on the top of a 100 foot tower on 14 September. Antler 2 with a yield of 6 kilotons was exploded on the top of another 100 foot tower on 25 September. Antler 3 with a yield of 26.6 kilotons was exploded on 9 October when hanging from a balloon at a height of 1000 feet. Local fallout was much less in the case of Antler 3 than in the other two Antler tests. The Antler series were the last of the atomic bombs to be exploded in Australia.

Bureau of Meteorology