Banjawarn station
Encyclopedia
Banjawarn Station is a remote sheep station
in Western Australia
. It is situated 220 miles (354.1 km) north of Kalgoorlie and 500 miles (804.7 km) north east of Perth
, on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert
.
It covers an area of 500,000 acres (780 square miles), about the size of West Yorkshire
and a little smaller than the Australian Capital Territory
.
In the 1990’s Banjawarn was owned by the Aum Shinrikyo
and following the Tokyo subway attack
was the subject of an Australian Federal Police
(AFP) investigation.
was a Japan
ese doomsday cult
responsible for a range of criminal and terrorist acts.
In April 1993 they purchased Banjawarn and built a facility there. "The Chairwoman for the aboriginal community living near the sheep station, Phyllis Thomas, said that she and other Aborigines saw about five people wearing full-length suits and helmets on the remote site in late August 1993. The suited sect members were standing by a twin engine airplane and others were in the plane."
In September 1993 a team of Aum scientists arrived in Australia with mislabeled hydrochloric acid
among other chemicals.
New chemicals were purchased in Australia, and research facility of unknown purpose was established at the site. When raided by the Australian government in 1995, it contained computers and laboratory equipment.
The Australian government, finding that the well
s in the region were not operating properly, demanded that a manager be hired to take care of the sheep. The Aum team complied. In early 1994 the research equipment was removed and replaced with sheep farms. The Aum team demanded that they would be the only ones to shear the sheep. 2000 sheep were shorn and sold to a slaughterhouse. "The manager did not witness any experiments or mineral exploration."
The site was sold in October 1994. On 20 March 1995, the Aum released toxic sarin
gas into part of the Tokyo
subway
system, killing 12 people and injuring over 1000. In the subsequent investigation, it was revealed that they had purchased the Banjawarn Station, and so the AFP examined the site.
The site also contained the corpses of a number of sheep that showed signs of exposure to sarin. The soil in the area contained traces of methylphosphonic acid
, a residue of sarin use. The conclusion was that Banjawarn had been used as a test site for chemical weapons use.
The explosive event sent shock waves through hundreds of miles of desert but was witnessed only by a few long-distance truck drivers and gold prospectors. They reported seeing a bright flash in the sky and hearing the rumble of an explosion. The cause of the event remained a mystery, however.
A meteor strike would have left a large crater, perhaps 300 yards (274.3 m) across, none of which was found. A mine explosion was also unlikely, as it was 170 times more powerful than the largest explosion known in Australia up to that time. The Urban Geoscience Division of the Australian Geological Survey Organisation determined that the seismic traces of the event "showed similar characteristics consistent with typical seismic activity for Western Australia," and that the event was most likely an earthquake.
Following the revelation that Banjawarn was owned by the Aum there was speculation that this event was the result of a test explosion of a nuclear device they had built. It was known that Aum were interested in developing nuclear as well as chemical weapons, as they had recruited two nuclear engineers from the former Soviet Union
and had been mining uranium
. This was reported in 1997 in the New York Times. However, the AFP investigation found no evidence of this or of any equipment that might indicate such research.
in his book In A Sunburned Country (named Down Under in the UK) as a metaphor and an example of the world's lack of interest in Australia and her affairs. He points out that in 1997 there were just 20 articles in the New York Times on Australia (compared to, for example, 50 on Albania
), and that this was a good year. He describes this as a shame, as Australia is "A country where interesting things happen,… all the time".
Bryson goes on to describe the seismic event at Banjawarn in detail, drawing on the NYT article, concluding that Australia is a country “so vast and empty that a band of amateur enthusiasts could conceivably set off the worlds first non-governmental atomic bomb on its mainland and almost four years (sic) would pass before anyone noticed”.
He concludes Australia is “clearly .. a place worth getting to know”.
Sheep station
A sheep station is a large property in Australia or New Zealand whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or south-west of the country. In New Zealand the Merinos are usually in the high country of the South...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is situated 220 miles (354.1 km) north of Kalgoorlie and 500 miles (804.7 km) north east of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert
Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is a barren and sparsely populated desert area of southern Australia.-Location and description:The Great Victoria is the biggest desert in Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grassland plains, areas with a closely packed surface of pebbles and salt lakes...
.
It covers an area of 500,000 acres (780 square miles), about the size of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
and a little smaller than the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
In the 1990’s Banjawarn was owned by the Aum Shinrikyo
Aum Shinrikyo
Aum Shinrikyo was a Japanese new religious movement. The group was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. The group gained international notoriety in 1995, when it carried out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway....
and following the Tokyo subway attack
Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway
The Sarin attack on the Tokyo subway, usually referred to in the Japanese media as the , was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated by members of Aum Shinrikyo on March 20, 1995....
was the subject of an Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
(AFP) investigation.
The Cult
Aum ShinrikyoAum Shinrikyo
Aum Shinrikyo was a Japanese new religious movement. The group was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. The group gained international notoriety in 1995, when it carried out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway....
was a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese doomsday cult
Doomsday cult
Doomsday cult is an expression used to describe groups who believe in Apocalypticism and Millenarianism, and can refer both to groups that prophesy catastrophe and destruction, and to those that attempt to bring it about...
responsible for a range of criminal and terrorist acts.
In April 1993 they purchased Banjawarn and built a facility there. "The Chairwoman for the aboriginal community living near the sheep station, Phyllis Thomas, said that she and other Aborigines saw about five people wearing full-length suits and helmets on the remote site in late August 1993. The suited sect members were standing by a twin engine airplane and others were in the plane."
In September 1993 a team of Aum scientists arrived in Australia with mislabeled hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
among other chemicals.
- The Aum group traveled with chemicals and mining equipment on which they paid over $20,000 in excess baggage fees. According to the Australian Federal Police report, among the baggage was a mechanical ditch digger, picks, petrol generators, gas masks, respirators, and shovels. A Customs duty of over $15,000 was paid to import these items. Because of the large amount of excess baggage being brought in by the group, Australian Customs searched the entire group. This search revealed four liters of concentrated hydrochloric acid, including some in containers marked as hand soap. Among the other chemicals that Australian customs officials found were ammonium chlorideAmmonium chlorideAmmonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
, sodium sulphate, perchloric acidPerchloric acidPerchloric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula HClO4. Usually encountered as an aqueous solution, this colourless compound is a strong acid comparable in strength to sulfuric and nitric acids. It is a powerful oxidizer, but its aqueous solutions up to appr. 70% are remarkably inert,...
, and ammonium water. All of the chemicals and some of the laboratory equipment were seized by Australian authorities.
New chemicals were purchased in Australia, and research facility of unknown purpose was established at the site. When raided by the Australian government in 1995, it contained computers and laboratory equipment.
The Australian government, finding that the well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s in the region were not operating properly, demanded that a manager be hired to take care of the sheep. The Aum team complied. In early 1994 the research equipment was removed and replaced with sheep farms. The Aum team demanded that they would be the only ones to shear the sheep. 2000 sheep were shorn and sold to a slaughterhouse. "The manager did not witness any experiments or mineral exploration."
The site was sold in October 1994. On 20 March 1995, the Aum released toxic sarin
Sarin
Sarin, or GB, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula [2CHO]CH3PF. It is a colorless, odorless liquid, which is used as a chemical weapon. It has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687...
gas into part of the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system, killing 12 people and injuring over 1000. In the subsequent investigation, it was revealed that they had purchased the Banjawarn Station, and so the AFP examined the site.
The site also contained the corpses of a number of sheep that showed signs of exposure to sarin. The soil in the area contained traces of methylphosphonic acid
Dimethyl methylphosphonate
Dimethyl methylphosphonate, or methylphosphonic acid dimethyl ester , is a colorless liquid with chemical formula 393 or CH3PO2. It is combustible. It emits a distinct odor. It can be found in household radiators, especially those installed in the former Soviet Bloc. In contact with water it...
, a residue of sarin use. The conclusion was that Banjawarn had been used as a test site for chemical weapons use.
The seismic event
On the night of 28 May 1993 a mysterious seismic disturbance was detected in the Pacific region and found to have emanated from Banjawarn.The explosive event sent shock waves through hundreds of miles of desert but was witnessed only by a few long-distance truck drivers and gold prospectors. They reported seeing a bright flash in the sky and hearing the rumble of an explosion. The cause of the event remained a mystery, however.
A meteor strike would have left a large crater, perhaps 300 yards (274.3 m) across, none of which was found. A mine explosion was also unlikely, as it was 170 times more powerful than the largest explosion known in Australia up to that time. The Urban Geoscience Division of the Australian Geological Survey Organisation determined that the seismic traces of the event "showed similar characteristics consistent with typical seismic activity for Western Australia," and that the event was most likely an earthquake.
Following the revelation that Banjawarn was owned by the Aum there was speculation that this event was the result of a test explosion of a nuclear device they had built. It was known that Aum were interested in developing nuclear as well as chemical weapons, as they had recruited two nuclear engineers from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and had been mining uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. This was reported in 1997 in the New York Times. However, the AFP investigation found no evidence of this or of any equipment that might indicate such research.
The metaphor
The speculation on the seismic event was used by Bill BrysonBill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
in his book In A Sunburned Country (named Down Under in the UK) as a metaphor and an example of the world's lack of interest in Australia and her affairs. He points out that in 1997 there were just 20 articles in the New York Times on Australia (compared to, for example, 50 on Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
), and that this was a good year. He describes this as a shame, as Australia is "A country where interesting things happen,… all the time".
Bryson goes on to describe the seismic event at Banjawarn in detail, drawing on the NYT article, concluding that Australia is a country “so vast and empty that a band of amateur enthusiasts could conceivably set off the worlds first non-governmental atomic bomb on its mainland and almost four years (sic) would pass before anyone noticed”.
He concludes Australia is “clearly .. a place worth getting to know”.
Sources
- Bryson, Bill: Down Under(In the UK) In a Sunburned Country (In the US) (2000) ISBN 0385 40817X
External links
- Google Map: Banjawarn station
- New York Times article Seismic Mystery in Australia: Quake, Meteor or Nuclear Blast?