Top Plate From Catwalk

Provenance

Camera: NIKON D850
Lens: 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8
Settings: 14mm · f/7.1 · 0.6s · ISO 64
Paper: Ilford Galerie Smooth Cotton Rag 310 gsm

A corroded top plate rests on the catwalk at the ANSTO HIFAR reactor. This component once formed part of Australia's first nuclear reactor, operational from 1958 until its decommissioning in 2007.

Edition

Open edition

Open edition
Printed to order, no fixed quantity. Each print is hand-signed by the photographer.

Limited edition
A fixed number of prints exist. Once sold, the edition closes permanently. Each print is individually numbered and signed.

$100.00 AUD

Colour

Signed, numbered, with COA. Made to order in 10 to 20 business days (framed). Shipped in protective packaging with edition certificate, paper-stock reference and a printed care guide.

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In situ

01 PROVENANCE

Print datasheet

Title: Top Plate From Catwalk
Series: ANSTO HIFAR
Catalogue: AHF-032
Process: Giclée
Captured: 7 October 2022
Camera: NIKON D850
Lens: 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter: 0.6s s
ISO: 64
Focal length: 14 mm
Paper: Ilford Galerie Smooth Cotton Rag 310 gsm
Paper size: 290 × 200 mm
Location: Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
Authenticity: C2PA verified provenance →
Recognised by: Highly Commended in Multimedia at the 2016 National Trust of Australia (NSW) Heritage Awards

02 LOCATION

Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia

Map · Mapbox · OpenStreetMap

03 THE STORY

About this print

Looking down at the top plate of the HIFAR reactor from the catwalk above. The plate caps the reactor block at the working floor level, with the access plugs for the fuel-element positions visible in the central ring. The polar crane rails run overhead at the high-level perimeter. The surfaces of the plate carry the markings of years of fuel handling, the access plugs in their last-commanded positions.

The HIFAR reactor block was a right irregular decagonal prism, 6.7 metres across the flats, with the top plate forming the working surface for fuel handling and experimental access. The plate held a maximum of 25 fuel elements, six cadmium coarse control arms, one fine control rod, and two safety rods. The reactor was permanently shut down at 10:25 am on 30 January 2007, after 49 years and 4 days of operation.

04 FROM THE FIELD NOTES

The reactor hall at HIFAR drops away below the catwalk. Concrete walls curve in a tight cylinder, rising several storeys. Yellow overhead cranes and jib arms crowd the upper level. The top plate sits at centre, its red-painted flange bolted tight, surrounded by steel gantry platforms and service equipment. Protective sheeting hangs from rails. Tools, drums, cabling. The light is flat and industrial. Everything is dense with purpose.

Brett Patman

The series

ANSTO HIFAR

2022 · 49 photographs

At 11:15 pm on Sunday 26 January 1958, Australia Day, the High Flux Australian Reactor went critical for the first time with 11 of 25 fuel elements loaded. The men in the control room had come from Oak Ridge, Chalk River and Harwell. HIFAR was Australia's first nuclear reactor.

View all in this series →

05 SIZE GUIDE

Print sizes

The anatomy view shows what this finish is as a physical object: paper margin, mat band, frame depth, acrylic profile. The comparison strip shows how each size sits relative to the others at true scale. Click a size or a finish to update both.