Ravensthorpe, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Ravensthorpe is a town 541 km south east of Perth
, 40 km inland from the south coast of Western Australia
. It is the seat of government of the Shire of Ravensthorpe
. At the 2006 census
, Ravensthorpe had a population of 438.
who named many of the geographical features nearby, including the nearby Ravensthorpe Range that the town is named after. The area was first settled by the Dunn brothers during 1868.
The Dunn brothers brought sheep farming to the area in 1871 when George and John Dunn drove a herd from Albany
to the area they had established earlier. They were awarded a land grant in 1873 of 4049 hectares (10,005.3 acre).
Another of the Dunn brothers, James Dunn discovered gold at Annabel Creek and was awarded a claim by the government. More profitable discoveries followed in 1900 that resulted in a boom. The population climbed to over 1000 and by 1901 the government gazetted the town of Ravensthorpe.
The government completed construction of a copper
and gold
smelter about 2km south east of the town in 1906, used to cast copper and gold ingot
s. At its peak of production the smelter employed over 120 men, the now disused smelter is still there and is surrounded by massive piles of tailings
waste.
The area continued to prosper and the population grew accordingly, by 1909 the population was over 3000. The prosperity was short-lived; World War I
took its toll on the town and by 1918 the local copper smelter had closed and many of the copper and gold mines had closed.
There was also one of the Western Australian Government Railways
isolated branch lines between Hopetoun
and Ravensthorpe. After the war Ravensthorpe survived servicing the farming in the district. Agriculture in the area began to grow following the great depression
and pastoral land releases occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.
commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel
and cobalt
mine and processing plant 35 km East of the town
The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. The plant was officially opened in 2008.
In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine indefinitely, due the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis
. The decision cut 1,800 jobs and is expected to have a major impact on the local economy.
On 9 December 2009, BHP sold its Raventhorpe mine, which it spent Aus $ 2.4 billion on to built, to Toronto
-based First Quantum for US $ 340 million. First Quantum was one of three bidders for the mine and actually produced the lowest offer. The Canadian company plans to have the mine back in production in mid-2011.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 40 km inland from the south coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is the seat of government of the Shire of Ravensthorpe
Shire of Ravensthorpe
The Shire of Ravensthorpe is a Local Government Area in the southern Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about halfway between the city of Albany and the town of Esperance and about southeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Ravensthorpe had a population of 438.
Overview
In 1848, the area was surveyed by Surveyor General John Septimus RoeJohn Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
who named many of the geographical features nearby, including the nearby Ravensthorpe Range that the town is named after. The area was first settled by the Dunn brothers during 1868.
The Dunn brothers brought sheep farming to the area in 1871 when George and John Dunn drove a herd from Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
to the area they had established earlier. They were awarded a land grant in 1873 of 4049 hectares (10,005.3 acre).
Another of the Dunn brothers, James Dunn discovered gold at Annabel Creek and was awarded a claim by the government. More profitable discoveries followed in 1900 that resulted in a boom. The population climbed to over 1000 and by 1901 the government gazetted the town of Ravensthorpe.
The government completed construction of a copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
smelter about 2km south east of the town in 1906, used to cast copper and gold ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s. At its peak of production the smelter employed over 120 men, the now disused smelter is still there and is surrounded by massive piles of tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
waste.
The area continued to prosper and the population grew accordingly, by 1909 the population was over 3000. The prosperity was short-lived; World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
took its toll on the town and by 1918 the local copper smelter had closed and many of the copper and gold mines had closed.
There was also one of the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
isolated branch lines between Hopetoun
Hopetoun, Western Australia
Hopetoun is a town on the south coast of Western Australia in the Shire of Ravensthorpe. Located on Mary Ann Haven, Hopetoun is some south-east from capital city Perth and west of Esperance.-History:...
and Ravensthorpe. After the war Ravensthorpe survived servicing the farming in the district. Agriculture in the area began to grow following the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and pastoral land releases occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.
Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
BHP BillitonBHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
mine and processing plant 35 km East of the town
The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. The plant was officially opened in 2008.
In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine indefinitely, due the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
. The decision cut 1,800 jobs and is expected to have a major impact on the local economy.
On 9 December 2009, BHP sold its Raventhorpe mine, which it spent Aus $ 2.4 billion on to built, to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based First Quantum for US $ 340 million. First Quantum was one of three bidders for the mine and actually produced the lowest offer. The Canadian company plans to have the mine back in production in mid-2011.