Australian Atomic Energy Commission

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The Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) came into existence in November 1952 with the appointment of three commissioners – Mr J E S Stevens (chairman), Professor J P Baxter and Mr H M Murray. It attained a statutory basis on 15 April 1953 when the Atomic Energy Act (1953) came into effect. The AAEC replaced two committees that had previously advised the government on matters relating to the development of atomic energy in Australia – the Industrial Atomic Energy Policy Committee (CA 343), 1949–April 1952; and the Atomic Energy Policy Committee (CA 332), April–November 1952.

The publication Australian Atomic Energy Commission, The First Ten Years: 1953–1963 describes the three main responsibilities of the Commission, as follows:

  • "to promote the search for, and mining and treatment of, uranium in Australia with power to buy
  • and sell on behalf of the Australian Government;
  • to develop practical uses of atomic energy by carrying out and assisting research, constructing
  • plant and equipment and employing and training staff; and
  • to collect and distribute information on uranium and atomic energy" (p. 4).

The Commission was advised by a number of sub-committees, including the Business Advisory Committee, Scientific Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee on Uranium Mining. A Safety Review Committee was also established in 1962.

The AAEC’s most important and best known facility is the Lucas Heights Research Establishment, located in the southern Sydney suburb of Menai. Opened in 1958, Lucas Heights was the site for Australia’s first nuclear reactor, known as HIFAR (High Flux Australian Reactor).

The Australian Atomic Energy Commission (CA 278) was replaced in 1987 by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (CA 6329).

Record holdings

The National Archives holds a range of records from the AAEC’s Head Office in Coogee New South Wales, dating from 1953. Selected records, including correspondence, ministerial papers, committee records, and project reports and notes, are listed below.

A range of official records maintained by Mr Keith Alder, Director (1962–70) and later General Manager (1976–82) of the Lucas Heights establishment are also held by the Archives.

Administrative records
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Papers of Dr Dalton – Chief Scientist (1959–61) – Australian Atomic Energy Commission 1952–61 C2383
Australian Atomic Energy Commission – research material on the history of the organisation 1952–81 C3138
Minutes of meetings – Mining Advisory Committee 1953–60 C2378
Rum Jungle records 1953–76 C3137
General correspondence files – Australian Atomic Energy Commission 1953–82 C945
Commission decisions 1953–87 C2379
Notes of Commission meetings 1953–87 C2380
Monthly letter to Commissioners 1954 C2490
General correspondence files – Harwell Research Group, UK (see also CA 6772) 1955–57 C2384
Technical reports – Australian Atomic Energy Commission 1955–60 C3404
Confidential Management Committee minutes 1956–87 C2405
Commission memoranda 1958–87 C2381
Minutes of the Building Executive Committee 1958–87 C2491
Consultative Committee meeting minutes 1959–87 C2406
Ministerial papers and correspondence files 1960–81 C1072
Confidential correspondence files – Australian Atomic Energy Commission 1960–81 C97
General directives for the research programme 1962–87 C2493
Membership lists of the Commission and its committees 1962–87 C2494
Project files – Jervis Bay 1969–74 C99

Records maintained by Keith Alder
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Confidential printed reports 1953–84 C2387
Papers on Harwell Research Group, UK (see also CA 6772) 1954–58 C2388
Papers on Lucas Heights 1955–63 C2389
General papers 1956–61 C2386
Minutes and reports (Director’s copy) 1957–61 C2390

Further sources of information

Conduct keyword searches on the collection database, RecordSearch, to identify individual record items relating to the role of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. Keyword terms such as 'atomic energy', 'nuclear energy', 'atomic reactor', and 'lucas heights' will identify records of interest.