Why did Robert Menzies, Australian PM, allow the British to do nuclear testing at Montebello Island in 1952?
1. Unlike former PM John Curtin, Menzies was an ardent royalist and admired the UK. After all, he had been in the war room with Churchill during WW2. 2. Atomic weapons were, then, the weapon of choice for the future. It was “natural” that Australia should take part in such research and benefit from it. 3. Australian service personnel were made available and many have since died horrible, lingering deaths from radiation-related illnesses which Aust governments denied for years. 4. Aboriginal land rights didn’t exist, so it was easy to clear off traditional owners/ 5. Australia wanted to have a few atomic bombs on hand “just in case”. The F-111 purchase was to provide a potential delivery system. Also, at this time, Australia still had two aircraft carriers. 6. The UK lacked anything remote and vacant enough to use for such tests.
