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Operation Blowdown (1963)

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clip Monitoring devices in place education content clip 1

Original classification rating: not rated. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

International observers arrive and inspect the Operation Blowdown test site. Instrumentation and photographic equipment to monitor the effects of the explosion are secured in place.

Curator’s notes

by Adrienne Parr

Special observers from Australia, Great Britain, the US, Canada and New Zealand were present at Operation Blowdown from Tuesday 16 July through to Friday 19 July 1963. On the Tuesday they inspected the area in detail as monitoring and photographic equipment was being installed. Some 17,000 trees in the area had been catalogued, with individual species tested to establish mechanical strength. Four lanes of instrumentation were placed at right angles, intersecting at the site of the tower. A 60 metre wide lane was cleared of all vegetation except for a few large trees at varying distances from Ground Zero. Military structures, equipment and simulated troops were placed to replicate operational conditions. On Wednesday, while final test site preparations were completed, the observers took part in meetings and discussions.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

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