Not Impressed By Uranium Find

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 11

Not Impressed By Uranium Find

(N.Z. Press Association-Copyright)

ADELAIDE, September 2

“So I’m a millionaire—l’ve still got a home to run you know,” Mrs Gwen Stevens, of Adelaide, told reporters today.

“Maybe my hospital training has helped me keep hold of myself, but everybody else seems to have blown their cool, as the saying goes,” the former matron added. Mrs Stevens holds the rights to the gigantic s6Bom Nabarlek uranium strike announced yesterday by Queensland Mines, Ltd, an exploration company. Mrs Stevens said that she had divided her holding into eight units and had given one each to her two daughters. If the interest they receive on the find is as low as 1 per

cent, the three women will obtain at least s6m. Mrs Stevens said that the family had not “really celebrated" the uranium find yet —“but we may do something about that soon.” She added that she was still “unimpressed” that the world’s richest uranium strike has been made on her Northern Territory lease.

“I suppose it will get to me sometime. Initially 1 wished we had never found It—l was most distressed by the enormity of the find. “However. I realise that it will be of benefit to both the Northern Territory and its people, and Australia as a whole.”

She first began studying geology maps several years ago as an interest, “rather than playing the stock exchange 1 would rather find the deposits ” “Personally uranium scares j me,” Mrs Stevens said. “I have had samples from Nabarlek at home, but soon got !rid of them. “It isn’t really dangerous, i but its radioactive potential just scares me.” Her interest in geology continues. “As a matter of fact I have another area in South Australia which may come up with something. “I always go where no-one else is for a look-see.” (Uranium flind, P. 14.)