The Secret of Emu Field

'This is an important and well written book. It brings back from the far edges of living memory the extraordinary story of Britain's atomic bomb tests in Australia. Emu Field was the site of the first two explosions on the Australian mainland in October 1953. Elizabeth Tynan uncovers much of the story which is still surrounded by walls of secrecy. She uncovers a saga of British recklessness and an indifference to the long-term consequences of the tests. The reader is left with a revealing glimpse of the Australian government's lazy complicity and deference to Britain. The difficulty we had then in dealing with our 'great and powerful friends' is still with us.' --Henry Reynolds 'The question 'why weren't we told?' is heard far too frequently in relation to Australian history, particularly in reference to Aboriginal histories. Tales of dispossession, death, destruction, and disadvantage are regularly greeted with a refrain of 'we didn't know'. In this meticulously researched book, the award-winning author of Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story, Elizabeth Tynan presents us with the shocking story of the two atomic tests and five minor trials performed at Emu Field, South Australia, in the 1950s. The black mist released from the cruelly named 'Operation Totem' can now be seen by all. Tynan's razor-sharp prose and forensic level historical research jolt the reader from any comfort or certainty and ensure that going forward Emu Field will be remembered alongside Maralinga as sites of treachery, suffering, and anxiety on the long road towards healing.' --Professor Lynette Russell AM, Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, Monash University