The island that almost powered Australia with nuclear energy

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the 1960s, French Island was slated to become the site of Australia's first nuclear power plant. While the project was ultimately abandoned, the island's history remains a complex tapestry of colonial land grabs, industrial booms, and a modern role as a sanctuary for endangered wildlife.

In 1967, the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) proposed constructing a nuclear power plant on French Island. The facility was speculated to have a generator capacity of 350-500MW and was intended for construction during the 1970s. The project was a significant point of contention; during the 1960s and 1970s, the SECV, along with BHP and Hooker Rex, paid inflated prices for land, inducing many local owners to sell their property and move off the island.

Two main elements hindered nuclear goals: Victoria's cheap brown coal and growing opposition from anti-nuclear activists. Instead of building a nuclear facility, the SECV chose to develop brown coal sites such as the Hazelwood Power Station, finished in 1971. This shift was further solidified in 1982 when the Cain Labor government legislated a ban on building nuclear power plants in the state. The land originally reserved for the plant was eventually transferred to the National Parks service in 1985.

Today, French Island serves a vastly different purpose. It is a primary sanctuary for the koala, hosting the world's densest and most disease-free population of the species. Because the invasive red fox is absent from the island, it has become a critical refuge for indigenous species devastated by predators elsewhere. While the island remains isolated—lacking water or electricity mains—it functions as a protected ecosystem where 70 percent of the land is now designated as a National Park.

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