Len Beadell - Survey Exploration

Survey Exploration

At the end of World War II, Len Beadell was required to serve a further 12 months in the Australian Army Survey Corps. In 1946 the British and Australian governments decided to build a rocket testing range in outback Australia, and Beadell was appointed to locate a suitable site. He chose the site which became known as Woomera in March 1947. Further work was required to select and survey launching pads, the centreline of fire for rockets, an airfield, and a village. His discharge from the Army became effective in December 1948. In November 1949 he was asked to rejoin the project, and began further surveying for the Long Range Weapons Establishment in August 1950. A site for the secret testing of a British atomic bomb was selected by Beadell in 1952, and a road from Mabel Creek to the test site Emu Field was built by him in March 1953, his first road.