Uranium Exploration in Australia

Following requests from the British and United States governments, systematic exploration for uranium began in 1944. In 1948 the Commonwealth government offered tax-free rewards for the discovery of uranium orebodies. As a result several significant discoveries were made 1949-56 by prospectors in northern Australia. These were mined primarily for weapons programs at that time.

The development of civil nuclear power stimulated a second wave of exploration activity in the late 1960s, and most of Australia's major orebodies were discovered as a result. This phase was marked by the involvement of major companies with large budgets and using advanced exploration techniques and equipment.

Exploration expenditure decreased during the period of the Labor Government 1972-75 due to particular government policies, (though that government supported uranium development and took equity in both Mary Kathleen and Ranger).

Stimulated by buoyant prices, expenditure increased again after 1975 until the advent of a further Labor government in 1983. Labor policy by then had become inimical to new uranium development,
and exploration expenditure generally declined to the mid 1990s largely as a result of low uranium prices.