Maralinga Protest
By Maritime Union of Australia
Now that the controversy around atomic weapons testing at Maralinga
and the Monte Bello Islands has been raised again, I feel I should
record the role past members played in protesting these events.
At that time the WA Government owned and controlled the WA State
Shipping Service - a fleet of at least six ships carrying both
passengers and cargo to all North West ports and Darwin. These
ships were crewed by seafarers many of whom had been involved
in WWII as both merchant and naval ratings and had seen first
hand the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
When it was announced that testing was to take place in Monte
Bello, seafarers requested the Government provide protective clothing
in the event of the ships entering the danger areas. All requests
were refused and a campaign of denigration was run by the Government,
the press and others against the audacity of the crews seeking
protection from radiation.
Their arguments that the wind would blow it away, there was no
need to look at it, and that it was but a 'commie' plot cut no
ice with the seamen. Only after threatening to delay the ships
sailing were plastic hats, coats and face masks supplied. It was
pretty flimsy stuff, but at least more than was issued to the
servicemen, Aborigines or civilians at the bomb sites.
I write this only to point out that many Australian workers saw
the dangers 50 years ago, seafarers and wharfies among them. I
also believe that the facts surrounding Monte Bello's are still
radioactive.
Gerry Gerhard
Retired member
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