Fresh breath of life for neglected rural region

摘要

Rio Tinto Iron Ore is once again having an influence on the economic direction of Western Australia's Mid West. By 1974, after Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd had established its Tom Price and Paraburdoo mines, the now gone iconic mining house Western Mining had decided to leave the region to focus on greener pastures - presumably because it had essentially high graded its Koolanooka deposit. Western Mining - which was the first iron ore exporter from WA via the port of Geraldton in March 1966 - stayed in the Mid West for just eight years. Its departure was, no doubt, a pragmatic economic decision. After all, how could the lower grade WMC ore in the region continue to compete against the likes of that owned by Hamersley Iron and (then) BHP Ltd in the Pilbara? Furthermore, where was a viable alternative market?