When the work was completed, it was necessary to link the old bomb testing field and the new one by road, so Beadell carried out a survey north to Emu in early August 1955, naming Observatory Hill on the way.

Once back at Maralinga, he assembled a team with a bulldozer and grader and they began building a road to Emu, beginning on 19 August 1955.

[6] The team was later dubbed the Gunbarrel Road Construction Party by Beadell as a joke, but the name stuck and passed into folklore.

He had bulldozed a track from the centreline of the firing range to intercept the Mabel Creek to Emu road in late 1953.

[4] The builder of the 39 km (24 mi) section from Watson siding to Maralinga is not documented in references used, and is additional to the length built by Beadell.