Comalco weipa history books

Comalcos development of queensland bauxite, 19551975. Gorman drew attention to some of the books highlights including. The project will be bookended at the front by an overview of the reasoning and logic around the commencement of the comalco weipa apprenticeship program the how, why, when, who was responsible, etc, etc, followed by yearly chapters. Title page comalco s crossing of the rubicon weipa rubicon, roo buh kahn is a stream near rimini, italy, that julius caesar made famous when he was governor of gaul. Strike spreads over comalco writs at weipa green left. It is actually still on the mining lease and doesnt belong to the cook shire as most of the rest of the peninsula. Aboriginal affairs arrived asked bamaga birds boat born burnt called carry cattle church close comalco coming commonwealth conference cooktown council creek customs daughter department didnt elders everything families father feel fish five frank don gelam girl give given go back government ground hair hands happened happy harry toeboy head.

While the comalco regulation expired in september 2005, this does not affect the operation of the comalco agreement or undo the. Queensland history which had been missing from the texts which i had studied in secondary school. Comalco realises the need to strategically plan for future mining activities and still minimise the impact of operations on the natural resources of the region. The township of weipa is located just over 800km north of cairns and is situated on the traditional lands of the alngith people. The town built on bauxite has plenty of challenges. To its north lies duyfken point, the area of first contact of europeans with the australian continent, according to recorded history. The missions original location was at spring creek, 32 km inland, but it was moved to jessica point on the embley river in 1932. The mining sector and indigenous tourism development in. Formerly known as weipa south, napranum was established in 1898 by moravian missionaries on behalf of the presbyterian church. Comalco mines bauxite from one of the worlds largest deposits at weipa on cape york peninsula, far north queensland. However, when comalco denied any further financial obligation to provide for the welfare of weipa s residents and the government eventually locked the church out of the mining negotiations, church resistance to mining leases on. The yupanguthi language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the landscape within the local government boundaries of the shire of cook and weipa region. Local history of the mapoon aboriginal community, in queenslands cape york. The comalco weipa apprenticeship history project, is gathering a history of this unique training program, with the goal of creating a book that covers 30 years.

It is an unusual local government area as it is not governed and managed by a council elected by residents but rather by the company comalco which operates a bauxite mine in the area through a governing body called the weipa town authority. Comalco weipa photograph albums, version details trove. Weipa town is a local government area in far north queensland, australia. Finally, the book will close with details on ttc staff. Mapoon aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples. The aboriginal and islander community of weipa south comalco limited stockpile of bauxite. The comalco weipa apprentice project comalco weipa.

It was the worlds eighth largest aluminium company. Group of aboriginal rail construction worker at comalco s bauxite mine, weipa, north queensland, 1971. History of rio tinto alcan in weipa comalco began mining activities at weipa, on the western cape york peninsula, in the late 1950s following the discovery of the vast bauxite resource by geologist harry evans in 1955 and the entry into a state agreement, endorsed by the then premier of the state of queensland and comalco. Due to the need to contain the spread of coronavirus covid19 the library building and reading rooms are closed to visitors until further notice. Deed of grant in land in trust, register book volume 78, folio 149, 5. Comalco did eventually concede to a paltry oneoff payment of. Presented at the 24th international conference on learning 2017. Comalco and have subsequently made their homes there. It became a presbyterian mission in 1898 and in 1967 it was a town, built by the bauxite mining company comalco, which has, over the years, grown to a population of over 3,500.

Aboriginal peoples and the extractive industry in australia and canada. It covers the town of weipa on the western coast of the cape york peninsula. The weipa apprentice program commenced in 1967, at the comalco bauxite mine in weipa, far north queensland. Brief history population 921 approx traditional owners alngith people local government authority napranum aboriginal shire council po box 538, napranum via weipa weipa qld 4874 telephone. Weipa history the town itself was established about 50 years ago when its bauxite deposit was found worth mining, and was built by the mining company comalco at the time. Comalco senior management wanted to provide their weipa workforce with. Boat carrying bauxite samples for comalco to weipa, cape york, northern queensland 1957 picture wolf. This paper outlines the aims, objectives and means by which a life of mine land use plan was established for comalco s bauxite mine at weipa. During the late 1970s, comalco senior management wanted to provide their weipa workforce with information about the peninsula region as part of a plan to attract and retain longterm residents. The cape york collection is a remarkable assembly of archives, books, ephemera. Official position of comalco on its mining activities. In her 1997 book, the way we civilise, written on the basis of access to.

The protector of aborigines at the time, archibald meston, protested against the establishment of the mission on the grounds that the people were healthy and could adequately sustain themselves. History yupanguthi yuputhimri, jupangati, yupangathi, nggerikudi, yupungati, jupangati is an australian aboriginal language spoken on yupanguthi country. Lynch, paul, baird, stuart, and rea, joe 2017 comalco weipa. Aerial view of comalco rail construction at weipa, north queensland, 1971 picture. The history of weipa port, north queensland, australia. The development of amrun, our newest mine, completed in 2018, will extend the life of our weipa bauxite operations by decades to come, significantly building on our 55year history on the western cape, and providing jobs and supporting business growth in the region. Fellow, department of economic history, institute of advanced studies at the australian. Weipa is the largest town just south of the northern tip of cape york peninsula, queensland, australia. The weipa town area is governed by rta weipa pty ltd rtaw by virtue of the commonwealth aluminium corporation pty limited agreement act 1957 qld comalco act and the comalco aluminium corporation pty ltd agreement comalco agreement, within the limitations set out by those instruments. The port of weipa is mainly involved in exports of bauxite. Landscapes and regolith of weipa, northern australia. The company is a supplier of bauxite, alumina and aluminium products to both domestic and overseas markets.

The bell bay aluminium smelter holds a unique place in tasmanian and australian history, becoming the first aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere when it began production on 23 september, 1955. We have commenced the data gathering phase of the comalco weipa apprenticeship project between the years 1967 and 1997 inclusive 659 apprentices and we are seeking your individual assistance. Around the same time, elders of the mapoon and napranum communities asked comalco to trace archival papers, books and photographs relating to their. The format will be along the lines of a yearly based narrative around a typical weipa year for the weipa apprenticeship group. The governor, lord rowallan, at the comalco plant in 1960 aot, ph30569 the first aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere was built at bell bay near george town and commenced production in 1955.

Comalco bauxite mining at weipa, cape york, queensland. The fundamentals, or real story, refer to an intensive 17 year effort by cra to. Historically it started life as the traditional home of the alngith aboriginal people. The rubicon was part of the boundary between roman italy and the roman providence of gisalpine gaul the po valley. Seventyfive award workers at weipa have been on strike for three weeks over wage rises for award workers. Weipa township is located on the western side of the cape york peninsula approximately 804 km northwest by road from. Our worldclass weipa bauxite operation exports over 30 million tonnes of bauxite annually. Weipa apprentice history project faq the comalco weipa.

Moreover, the royalty rate imposed by the queensland government was actually almost the lowest in the world, at five cents a tonne compared with jamaicas twelve cents. Classic books such as robert logan jacks northmost australia a history of. This article examines the development of comalco, the company which mined australias largest bauxite deposits in queensland and was an essential part of australias entry into the world. Books, images, historic newspapers, maps, archives and more. I have spent the last four days enjoying the company of former comalco weipa apprentices and technical training centre staff at their 2016 reunion in cairns australia on the great barrier reef. Weipa project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. It is on the descent into weipa from cairns that offers the first sign of what makes this far north queensland town such a unique place.

The history of weipa port, north queensland, australia weipa is the largest town just south of the northern tip of cape york peninsula, queensland, australia. Comalco, bauxite bulkloader at weipa, north queensland 4 picture wolfgang sievers. Following the discovery of economic bauxite deposits near weipa in 1955, a small exploration camp top camp was established at munding in mid1956. This paper summarises the history of research and outlines the geological setting of the weipa bauxite, and provides some evidence for alternative genetic scenarios. The study area incorporates the mining town of weipa, which had a population of 2830 in the 2006 census of which approximately 17 percent was indigenous and napranum aboriginal community population approx. The town built on bauxite has plenty of challenges ahead. This means that currently, rtaw governs the weipa town area by virtue of the comalco act and agreement, within the limitations set out by those instruments, as if it were the local authority for the weipa town area.

It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. It mines and manufactures bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium rio tinto aluminium is a wholly owned subsidiary of rio tinto group and provides about 20% of australias total production of bauxite, 8% of its alumina and 24% of. By bill mason brisbane national strike action looms in the mining industry as comalco took out legal writs against striking workers at the companys weipa bauxite operation on november 11. A regeneration program has been in operation at the mine since 1966. At the 2011 census, weipa had a population of 3,334. Conzinc formed comalco for the weipa project and formed a joint venture with the english rio tinto zinc conzinc riotinto of australia cra in 1962. In 1970 comalco industries ltd changed its name to become comalco ltd. View of the comalco bauxite processing plant, gladstone, queensland picture wolfgang sievers. The impetus was the need for a secure supply of aluminium for defence purposes.