|
Government Geologist, Harvey Page speaking
of iron ore in the Pilbara said:
'Iron occurs in immense lodes, there is
enough to supply the whole world should present supplies run out ... but as iron
ores are of no value it is useless to trouble about them.'
Despite this pessimistic statement, the story of the Pilbara from the mid 1950s onwards is also
the story of iron.
Although Francis Gregory reported deposits of iron ore in the area during his
expedition in 1888, nothing was done about mining the ore until the 1950s.
The credit for the development of the iron ore mines generally goes to two men –
Stan Hilditch
(see Newman for more on his story) and
Lang Hancock.
Today exports exceed 87 million tonnes with an annual value of
well over $2,000,000,000. As China's economy booms the north west of W.A. will
expand even further but it is to be hoped that progress doesn't come at the
expense of a unique environment.
Reserves are estimated to last for the next 1000 years. Most of the ore is
located in the Pilbara and comes from mines at Tom Price,
Mt. Newman,
Paraburdoo and
Pannawonica.
The first overseas shipment of iron ore was not, as you might expect, from one
of the north west ports, but from Geraldton in March
1966.
|
