The History of Mining

Australia is primarily a pastoral and agricultural activity-based country that leads the world in the production of wool. However, it also has an international reputation as a producer of gold and various metals and mineral products[1]. In Australia, minerals have always been a part of the continent's culture and development since the first human habitation. They were used as a pigment in ancient rock art and body painting, an integral part of the Aborigines. Thus, mining in Australia also roots to the arrival of Aborigines some 40,000 years ago when they searched for stones suitable for making tools and weapons and dug for chromatic rocks for decorative uses.

Modern mining in Australia was followed by the arrival of European settlers on the eastern seaboard of the continent in 1788. It commenced with the activities such as: quarrying and shaping of Hawkesbury sandstone for early buildings at Sydney Cove. Within ten years of their arrival the discovery of coal was done near Newcastle in New South Wales and later, towards the south and west of the settlement. These areas served the fuel source for heating and cooking, and later steam locomotion in the young colony of New South Wales. It is notable that coal was first discovered by escaped convicts in 1791. Export of coal from Newcastle began in 1799 with a shipment to India.

Traces of metallic minerals like gold, were found in the early the 19th Century, mainly by shepherds and convicts. However, there was no concrete effort towards mining because an archaic English law demanded that all gold and silver found belongs to the Crown. Britain did not encourage young colonies to explore minerals.

The first mineral that was mined in Australia was Lead from the Glen Osmond hills on the outskirts of Adelaide in 1841. This was followed by the mining of copper at Kapunda in the same general area in 1842. Copper was also discovered at Burra in 1845. The Australian colony very quickly started exporting agricultural products but by 1850 exports of copper and lead from South Australia bought more revenue as compared to the exports of wool and wheat. However, the glory of these mines was overshadowed soon enough by the discovery of copper at Moonta and Kadina. This discovery lead to the emigration of skilled miners and their mining technology.

Many Australians began migrating to the United States in 1849 following reports of rich gold discoveries in California. The New South Wales Government realised that this migration shift needed to be contained, and for doing this the government started providing incentives for Australians to find gold within Australia. Also, rewards were offered for the discovery of "payable" gold.

The first ever payable gold was discovered in April 1851 at the junction of Lewis Ponds and Summer Hill Creeks, Ophir. However, recently-discovered evidence in letters from the Government acknowledged the existence of gold at Ophir in 1848.

By the time it was mid-19th Century, Australia was producing almost 40% of the world's gold. Let's look at the details bifurcated under time periods after the 1850s.

Post-1870 to 1900

The discovery of tin was made in 1871 at Mt. Bischoff in Tasmania, and then in New South Wales. And soon after that, Australia's great mines were established. Zinc, lead and silver were mined at Broken Hill in NSW, whereas gold was a majorly extracted from Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Iron ore was established in South Australia, and copper and gold at Mt. Morgan in Queensland.

The first half of the 20th Century

In 20th Century, there was a decline in the mining activity in Australia despite a continous rise in the value of mineral production. The only significant discoveries until the 1950s were—lead, zinc and copper deposits at Mt Isa but they were not mined up to their full abundance until after 1950s. However, the Pilbara iron ore region was developed in Western Australia, and new metals were discovered. These included bauxite (the source of aluminium), nickel, tungsten, rutile (the source of titanium), uranium, oil and natural gas.

The latter half

Until the early 1960s, many believed that Australia lacked sufficient reserves of iron ore for domestic use. Once the controls on the export of iron ore were lifted, the development of the Pilbara iron ore region in Western Australia commenced. Many new metals were discovered – bauxite, nickel, tungsten, rutile, uranium, oil and natural gas that led to a resurgence of interest in Australia's mineral resources. Australia emerged as a major raw materials exporter, especially to the Far East and Europe.

The 21st Century

Today, Australia is one of the world's major exporters of minerals like coal, alumina and iron ore exporter, black coal and is even the world's largest refiner of bauxite. It also has the world's largest resources of low-cost uranium.

It is the second-largest exporter of gold, the second-largest producer of zinc, the third-largest producer of iron ore and manganese ore, the fourth largest exporter of nickel and the fifth largest producer of copper and silver.

Apart from these, it is also the a world pioneer of producing gem and industrial diamonds, lead and tantalum, and the mineral sands, ilmenite, rutile and zircon.

Australia has the potential to remain one of the world's leading mineral nations. New deposits are being discovered and developed to meet the demand for mineral products. But the minerals industry must responsibly manage the environment in which it operates. The minerals industry is one of the significant contributors to the Australian export trade. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that Australia is one of the world's leading mineral resources nations.

[1] https://www.ausimmbulletin.com/feature/the-mining-industry-and-the-national-economy-of-australia/