Broken Hill Proprietary Company Lim Ited

BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY COMPANY LIM ITED. This company was formed in Aug., 1885, to develop seven mining leases at Broken Hill, New South Wales, on the now famous Barrier Range. On account of the great size of the lode it was soon found that the ordinary system of mining was inadequate, and, consequently, the "square set" system of timbering was adopted. This was, as work progressed, supple mented at a later date by the "open cut," which was applied to the whole length of the mine for about 2 5of t. in depth. Open stoping with filling was carried out in the hard sulphide ore.

The development of the lode was phenomenal, the width of the oxidized ore, in places, being no less than 3oof t. The extraor dinary variety of the ores from the mine, many of these be ing refractory ores, raised many unusual problems. At first, direct smelting in a reduction plant, situated at Broken Hill on the property, was adopted. Later, when silicious ores came into view, chloridizing plants as well as an amalgamating plant were installed to deal with them.

With the advent of sulphide ores the method of treatment was considerably modified and water concentration took place by tables and jigs. The flotation of zinc concentrates was success fully accomplished at this mine for the first time in the world. As time went on the process has been varied, and with the in vention, by the company's officers, of differential flotation (Brad ford process), separate concentrates were made of the zinc and lead contents.

Smelting.

The first reduction plant was constructed at Broken Hill in 1886. Additions to the plant were made, until it included 15 furnaces of 8o ton capacity each. At this time, the products of the mine were shipped to Europe as silver-lead bul lion. In 1889, however, the company decided to establish its own refinery, and this was brought into being at Port Pirie in South Australia. The resultant lead was sold in the markets of England, Europe, and the East, as well as supplying the require ments of the Australian States, and nearly the whole of the silver was sold to China and India. Part of the output of zinc concentrates went for production of spelter, the balance being shipped overseas. In 1898, it was decided to close down the smelters at Broken Hill and to concentrate smelting operations at Port Pirie. In 1915, the works at Port Pirie were sold. The total amount of mineral produced at this mine, to May 1927, was: Iron and Steel Works.—The leases of the company having developed large quantities of iron ore, the question of its utili zation for the production of iron and steel was seriously consid ered, and after exhaustive enquiries a decision was arrived at to embark on this new enterprise. As a result of this decision, an iron and steel works was built at Newcastle, N.S.W., close to coal supplies, and about loom. N. of Sydney. Operations here are conducted on the most modern lines. The ore is quar ried in South Australia, from the side of the mountain, hauled 35 miles, loaded by belt-conveyors into the company's own ships and conveyed to Newcastle.

The plant in 1927 comprised 224 by-product coke ovens; four blast furnaces of a total capacity of 10,000 tons per week; nine basic open hearth furnaces capable of producing 10,00o tons of steel per week, a 35in. blooming mill, 28in. rail mill, i8in., I2in. and Bin. merchant mills, and a continuous rod mill. Associated with these are a large electric power station, a steel foundry, and a direct metal foundry and large machine shop.

The production figures from the inception of the steel works to May 31, 1927, were:— The works supply a large proportion of the railway material re quired by the various governments of Australia, as well as meeting the demands of engineering workshops throughout Aus tralia. The population of the district immediately surrounding the works has increased since their inception by no less than 44,000 inhabitants. The wages bill amounts, under normal con ditions, to £1,750,000 per year. The original capital in 1885 was 1304,000. The authorized capital in 1927 was £3,000,000, of which £2,687,708 had been paid up; the debentures outstanding stood at £1,518,600, the reserve fund at (L. C. M.)