Timeline
|
Year |
Event |
|---|---|
1606 |
Dutch explorer Captain Willem Jansz in his vessel the Duyfken, made the first recorded European sighting of Australia on the west-coast of Cape York Peninsula near Weipa at a location now known as Duyfken Point. |
1802 |
English explorer Captain Matthew Flinders noted the distinctive "reddish cliffs" near Weipa in his journal while sailing The Investigator down the western side of Cape York in northern Queensland. |
1902 |
C F V Jackson, Assistant Queensland Government Geologist, saw the reddish earth in the Weipa area but incorrectly identified it as "pisolitic iron ore". |
1947 |
Dr F W Whitehouse collected samples of bauxite at the mouth of the Archer River to the south of Weipa. As a result, a geological survey was considered but abandoned when samples taken from the three mission stations in the area were found to be of low grade. |
1955 |
It was only in 1955, when Harry Evans, a geologist with Consolidated Zinc Pty Ltd, was searching for oil on Cape York Peninsula, that the significance of Weipa's red cliffs was realised. Evans identified the red earth as bauxite - good grade and easily extractable. Evans' expeditions were guided by local Aboriginal people George Wilson and Old Matthew, whose traditional language name was Wak-matha (Stormbird). |
1956 |
Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty Ltd was formed to develop the bauxite deposits at Weipa. This marked the beginning of Australia's integrated aluminium industry. |
1957 |
The Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty Ltd entered into a partnership with the British Aluminium Company Ltd, and soon afterwards the company became known as Comalco. In December of that year, Comalco signed an 84 year lease agreement with the Queensland Government enabling the company to develop the bauxite deposit. |
1960 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium purchased the Bell Bay smelter in Tasmania. Exploration work to establish the quality of the Weipa bauxite deposit was completed and work began on a pilot washing plant and loading facility. The British Aluminium Company Ltd withdrew from the company and a new partnership - Comalco Industries Pty Limited - was formed between Consolidated Zinc Corporation Limited (50 per cent) and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation (50 per cent). |
1961 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium purchased aluminium extruding and rolling fabrication businesses in Yennora and Enfield, New South Wales. In April 1961 the first trial shipment of bauxite was made to Japan. |
1962 |
Bauxite processing and shipping facilities were built at Weipa, and the first contracts for bauxite sales to Japan were signed. Weipa Wharf Facilities |
1963 |
The bauxite beneficiation plant and wharf facilities were completed at Weipa and the first commercial shipments of bauxite were made. Comalco became a participant in the Queensland Alumina Limited refinery in Gladstone which would process the Weipa bauxite. |
1967 |
The Queensland Alumina Limited refinery began production. The Weipa mine, port and township were officially opened by the Hon G F R Nicklin, Premier of Queensland. |
1968 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium commissioned an aluminium powder and paste plant at Bell Bay in Tasmania. Rio Tinto Aluminium became a participant in construction of the Eurallumina SpA refinery in Sardinia, Italy. |
1969 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium began producing aluminium beverage cans at plants in Sydney and Melbourne. |
1970 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium became a publicly traded company on the Australian Stock Exchange. A bauxite calcination plant was commissioned at Weipa. |
1971 |
The New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited plant at Tiwai Point was officially opened by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake. |
1972 |
Construction of the Eurallumina SpA refinery in Sardinia was completed. |
1975 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium established a central research and development laboratory at Thomastown in Victoria to undertake chemical analysis and metal testing. |
1978 |
Extensive fieldwork began into the feasibility of mining kaolin, a paper-coating mineral found beneath the bauxite layer at Weipa. |
1979 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium and its joint-venturers, Kaiser Aluminium & Chemical Corporation, Sumitomo Light Metals Industries Limited, Kobe Steel Limited, Mitsubishi Corporation, Yoshida Kogyo KK and Sumitomo Aluminium Smelting Co. Limited, began construction of the Boyne Island aluminium smelter, near Gladstone. |
1982 |
The Boyne Smelters Limited smelter near Gladstone was officially opened by the Premier of Queensland, Hon. J Bjelke-Petersen. Kaiser Aluminium & Chemical Corporation sold its 45 per cent shareholding in Rio Tinto Aluminium, with CRA Limited (now Rio Tinto) increasing its stake to 67 per cent. |
1983 |
The third potline at the Tiwai Point smelter in New Zealand was commissioned. |
1984 |
Construction of a 100,000 tonne per annum paper-coating kaolin processing plant began at Weipa |
1985 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium acquired an eight per cent interest in Halco (Mining) Inc, which owns 51 per cent of the bauxite mine in Boké in Guinea, West Africa. |
1986 |
The kaolin processing plant was officially opened by the Premier of Queensland, Hon. J. Bjelke-Petersen. |
1988 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium began construction of an aluminium wheel plant at Bell Bay in Tasmania, in conjunction with partners Australian Industry Development Corporation, Enshu Keigokin KK and Mitsubishi Corporation. Rio Tinto Aluminium restructured its New Zealand interests and formed Rio Tinto Aluminium New Zealand Limited. |
1992 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium sold its aluminium window fabricating business. |
1995 |
A Rio Tinto Aluminium-led consortium bought the Gladstone Power Station from the Queensland Electricity Commission, thereby underpinning an expansion of the Boyne Island smelter. Work began on the upgrade of the Tiwai Point smelter. Rio Tinto Aluminium sold 4 per cent of its shareholding in Halco (Mining) Inc. |
1996 |
The Tiwai Point smelter upgrade was completed. The kaolin plant at Weipa was put on care and maintenance. |
1997 |
The Boyne Island smelter expansion was officially opened by the Premier of Queensland, Hon. Rob Borbidge. Rio Tinto Aluminium's corporate office was relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane. Rio Tinto Aluminium increased its shareholding in Eurallumina SpA from 26.9 per cent to 56.2 per cent. Rio Tinto Aluminium sold its powder and paste assets and closed its wheel plant in Tasmania. |
1998 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium and Alcan South Pacific Pty Ltd signed an agreement in relation to the Alcan-owned Ely bauxite reserve adjacent to Rio Tinto Aluminium's Weipa mine on the Cape York Peninsula. |
2001 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium purchases Kaiser Aluminum's stake in Queensland Alumina Limited, increasing its ownership to 38.6 per cent. In October 2001, Rio Tinto Aluminium announced the commencement of construction of stage one of the $1.5 billion Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refinery at Gladstone Queensland. The refinery has a capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per annum in the first stage. During March 2001, the Western Cape Communities Co-existence Agreement (WCCCA) was signed by 11 Traditional Owner groups, the councils of Aurukun, Mapoon, Napranum and New Mapoon, the Cape York Land Council, the Queensland Government and Comalco. The Agreement recognises Native title rights and supports future mining activity on Western Cape York. |
2002 |
The Community Fund is launched to benefit the Gladstone region. Rio Tinto Aluminium increases its stake in Boyne Smelters Limited to 59.39 per cent after purchasing Kobe's 9.5 per cent stake. |
2003 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium announces an agreement to supply the Norwegian industrial conglomerate Norsk Hydro with up to 500,000 tonnes of alumina per year for more than 20 years - one of the biggest alumina agreements in history. Rio Tinto Aluminium opens Beijing office. Rio Tinto Aluminium announces $230 million upgrade of Weipa bauxite mine to better utilise its operation and to accommodate additional production required by Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refinery. |
2004 |
The first shipment of bauxite from Weipa was received by the Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refinery. Rio Tinto Aluminium divests its 4 per cent ownership in the Boke bauxite mine. |
2005 |
Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun officially opened on the fourth of March. Both Rio Tinto Aluminium Weipa and Rio Tinto Aluminium Bell Bay celebrated milestones in September. For Rio Tinto Aluminium Weipa, 50 years have passed since bauxite was discovered for commercial mining. Rio Tinto Aluminium Bell Bay celebrated 50 years since the pouring of the first ingot. |
2006 |
Rio Tinto sold its 56.2 per cent share in Eurallumina effective from 31 October 2006. Rio Tinto Aluminium announced the closure of the bauxite calcination plant at Weipa after more than 40 years of supply to the gas, oil and exploration industries. Calcination bauxite sales represented about one per cent of Rio Tinto Aluminium's bauxite sales. In November, Comalco formally adopted its parent company name and became Rio Tinto Aluminium. |
