History of iron ore in Western Australia

Iron ore was first mined in Western Australia around 1900 from small deposits.  

Deposits of iron ore were first found on Koolan and Cockatoo islands in 1880. It was not until 1907, however, that the first lease was taken up on Koolan Island and small-scale mining began.

Iron ore was first mined on Koolan Island to feed a small charcoal-iron plant established by the State Government at Wundowie in 1945. The nature and scale of ore extraction increased dramatically during the 1950s and 1960s with the first significant shipment of ore in 1951.

In 1966 BHP was granted further leases including Koolyanobbing in the State's south-east, as part of an overall agreement to establish a steel rolling mill at Kwinana.

The existence of vast deposits of iron ore in the Pilbara had been described by the Government Geologist as early as 1890. The Goldsworthy deposit was identified in 1938 and extensively surveyed in the 1950s by the then Mines Department.

In 1960 the State Government successfully lobbied the Commonwealth to remove an embargo on exporting iron ore to Japan. In calling for tenders to develop the Goldsworthy deposit, the Government also invited further exploration for iron ore, which was immediately successful.

Significant deposits of iron ore were found and production
soon began at:
Goldsworthy (1969)
Tom Price (1969)
Newman (1969)
Pannawonica (1972) and
Paraburdoo (1973)

The Commonwealth lifted restrictions on the export of iron ore in 1960 due to growth in world demand.  The increased demand saw a mining boom of then unparalleled dimension occur in the Pilbara. The population of the Pilbara region increased ten fold in ten years and led to the establishment of nine new towns in the region by 1970.

The mines established at Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Pannawonica, Goldsworthy and Newman required the construction of railways stretching hundreds of kilometres to link them to the ports of Dampier, Cape Lambert and Port Hedland.

In the mid-west region of Western Australia, iron ore mining first commenced in 1966 at Koolanooka. Soon after, however, the size and grade of the Pilbara deposits overshadowed the region and mining ceased in 1972.

Kingstream Steel Limited recommenced mining in the mid-west in 2002 but was unsuccessful due to the high cost of establishing infrastructure and the downturn in the Asian economy.

By 2005 there was a new group of iron ore aspirants in the mid-west. They were better positioned to progress their projects into production due to a collaborative approach to infrastructure management.

The five companies highlighted in the Mid-West Iron Ore Book formed the Geraldton Iron Ore Alliance .

The alliance aims to determine infrastructure requirements that are optimal for the region as a whole and implement plans for infrastructure to be developed on a common access basis.

The mid-west’s emergence as a significant iron ore region is critically dependent on the construction of rail and port infrastructure in a timely manner to accommodate several second stage projects.

View Regional map indicating Iron Ore deposits in the mid-west.