Operation Hurricane, Pilbara-Style: “Montebello Mushroom (Cloud) Broth”
Prep time: Decades of Empire energy
Cook time: One very loud morning, 3 Oct 1952
Serves: Every history class in WA (with caution)
Ingredients
- 1 decommissioned frigate, HMS Plym, anchored off Trimouille Island
- A dash of secret physics (approx. 25 kilotons)
- 3 locals: Maree (fisher, deadpan), Bluey (note-taker, ginger stubble), Uncle Jundaru (elder, voice of Country)
- 12 British boffins in khaki, optional gas masks to taste
- 1 Dragonfly-style helicopter, 2 pinnace boats
- Bright Pilbara sun, turquoise water, low scrub
- Later garnish: sea turtles, coral gardens, and long-tail studies of sediment
Method
- Lay the table: On a sandy beach at Montebello, pin a map to a crate. Brief your guests that “today’s special” involves putting the “boom” in bouillabaisse.
- Countdown simmer: At 07:59, let tension bubble. Maree opens the tin esky; Bluey writes “yield??”; Uncle Jundaru says, “Listen first.”
- Bring to the boil: Detonate inside the ship. Watch the calm lagoon whip into a muddy cauliflower cloud. Do not stir; it stirs itself.
- Season and sample: Add scientists. Bottle water samples like home brew; helicopter provides gentle aeration. Record that the ocean remembers.
- Rest the dish: Over years, allow Country to breathe. Declare a marine park; count turtles; study the silt because atoms don’t read closing time.
- Serve: With respect—tell the story straight, laugh only at our own hubris, then pack out everything you brought in.
Chef’s notes
- Pair with spring reef etiquette: no anchoring on coral, respect zones, follow park guidance.
- Best enjoyed alongside proper sources (ARPANSA/ECU studies, park info), a cuppa, and the promise to do better next course.
* as depicted by AI - may not factually be correct
Respect note: This is a tongue-in-cheek format about a serious historical event on sea and Country. We keep the humour pointed at bureaucracy and bravado—not at people harmed or the place itself.