Iron Knob (Iron Knob)
Iron Knob is a town in the Australian state of South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula immediately south of the Eyre Highway. At the 2006 census, Iron Knob and the surrounding area had a population of 199. The town obtained its name from its proximity to large deposits of iron ore, most notably Iron Monarch which outcropped prominently from the relatively flat, surrounding landscape.
The name Iron Knob first appeared on pastoral lease maps of 1854. The first mineral claim in the area was pegged by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company in 1897. Mining commenced in 1900. Iron ore was first transported by bullock wagon to Port Augusta, where it was loaded on to 200-ton barges. From 1903, it was transported by rail to Whyalla and ship to Port Pirie where it was used as a flux in the lead smelter there. In 1901 the BHP Whyalla Tramway from Iron Knob to Hummock Hill (later renamed Whyalla) was completed, followed by wharves in 1903. These allowed the direct loading of ships which could transport the ore across Spencer Gulf to Port Pirie.
Iron Knob's iron ore proved to be of such high quality (upwards of 60% purity) that it led to the development of the Australian steel industry. It supplied iron to Newcastle for steel works established at Newcastle and Port Kembla in the 1910s and 1920s and Whyalla in the 1930s. The iron ore was transported by the BHP Whyalla Tramway to Whyalla where it was either smelted or dispatched by sea.
21% of the steel required for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was quarried at Iron Knob and smelted at Port Kembla, New South Wales. The remaining 79% was imported from Britain.
In the 1920s, iron ore from Iron Knob was exported to the Netherlands and the United States of America. In the 1930s, customers included Germany and the United Kingdom.
Prior to World War II, iron ore from Iron Knob was also exported to Japan. In the financial year 1935–36, 291,961 tonnes of ore from Iron Knob was shipped there via the seaport of Whyalla. This became a controversial matter in the late 1930s due in part to Australia's known reserves at the time being limited to Iron Knob and Yampi Sound in Western Australia. Japan was also considered an 'aggressor' nation following acts of war against China in 1937. Waterfront workers and seamen protested against the export of iron ore to Japan, leading to strikes and arrests.
In 1937, output from the Middleback Range, mostly from Iron Monarch was estimated at 2 mtpa. In 1939, it was referred to in England as the highest grade deposit of iron ore known in the world. In 1943, the iron Knob deposit was still delivering an average ore grade of 64 percent metallic content. In 1949, 99% of Australian demand for iron ore was met by supply from Iron Knob and associated mines in South Australia, having risen from 95% in 1943.
Additional deposits of iron ore were developed by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company further south along the Middleback Range. These include Iron Baron, Iron Prince and Iron Queen (discovered in 1920) and Iron Knight, Iron Duchess and Iron Duke (discovered in 1934).
The name Iron Knob first appeared on pastoral lease maps of 1854. The first mineral claim in the area was pegged by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company in 1897. Mining commenced in 1900. Iron ore was first transported by bullock wagon to Port Augusta, where it was loaded on to 200-ton barges. From 1903, it was transported by rail to Whyalla and ship to Port Pirie where it was used as a flux in the lead smelter there. In 1901 the BHP Whyalla Tramway from Iron Knob to Hummock Hill (later renamed Whyalla) was completed, followed by wharves in 1903. These allowed the direct loading of ships which could transport the ore across Spencer Gulf to Port Pirie.
Iron Knob's iron ore proved to be of such high quality (upwards of 60% purity) that it led to the development of the Australian steel industry. It supplied iron to Newcastle for steel works established at Newcastle and Port Kembla in the 1910s and 1920s and Whyalla in the 1930s. The iron ore was transported by the BHP Whyalla Tramway to Whyalla where it was either smelted or dispatched by sea.
21% of the steel required for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was quarried at Iron Knob and smelted at Port Kembla, New South Wales. The remaining 79% was imported from Britain.
In the 1920s, iron ore from Iron Knob was exported to the Netherlands and the United States of America. In the 1930s, customers included Germany and the United Kingdom.
Prior to World War II, iron ore from Iron Knob was also exported to Japan. In the financial year 1935–36, 291,961 tonnes of ore from Iron Knob was shipped there via the seaport of Whyalla. This became a controversial matter in the late 1930s due in part to Australia's known reserves at the time being limited to Iron Knob and Yampi Sound in Western Australia. Japan was also considered an 'aggressor' nation following acts of war against China in 1937. Waterfront workers and seamen protested against the export of iron ore to Japan, leading to strikes and arrests.
In 1937, output from the Middleback Range, mostly from Iron Monarch was estimated at 2 mtpa. In 1939, it was referred to in England as the highest grade deposit of iron ore known in the world. In 1943, the iron Knob deposit was still delivering an average ore grade of 64 percent metallic content. In 1949, 99% of Australian demand for iron ore was met by supply from Iron Knob and associated mines in South Australia, having risen from 95% in 1943.
Additional deposits of iron ore were developed by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company further south along the Middleback Range. These include Iron Baron, Iron Prince and Iron Queen (discovered in 1920) and Iron Knight, Iron Duchess and Iron Duke (discovered in 1934).
Map - Iron Knob (Iron Knob)
Map
Country - Australia
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| Flag of Australia | |
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |