Nuclear Nation: a contemporary archaeology of Australia's atomic heritage

This project aims to identify and audit the cultural heritage of Australia’s engagement with nuclear technologies: from radium and uranium mining to nuclear tests, reactor construction, carbon dating, medical isotopes and waste. Partnering with the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) and ANSTO, the project applies innovative methodologies from contemporary archaeology to contextualise these institutions’ significant atomic heritage collections. Its significance lies in revealing Australia's largely forgotten history of research, exploration and exploitation in nuclear science, often involving British and/or American cooperation, that propelled scientific innovation but also environmental transformation and Indigenous relocation. Expected outcomes and benefits will be the systematic assessment and analysis of the substantial – though disparate and geographically distant –cultural legacies and material heritage spread across the country.