Pilbara historical timeline

This timeline is a selected list of events and locations of the development of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Date Event Location Notes
1818Captain Phillip Parker King surveyed the coastline, naming the Intercourse Islands and Nickol BayDampier
1861Francis Thomas Gregory and his party explore the Nickol Bay area, naming Port Walcott, the Hardey River, the De Grey River and the Fortescue River
April 1863Captain Peter Hedland discovers Mangrove Harbour (Port Hedland)Port Hedland
April/May 1863Charles Nairn, at the behest of his brother-in-law, pastoralist and entrepreneur Walter Padbury, establishes the first sheep station in the region.De Grey River.
May 1863Tien Tsin Harbor  [sic] (known later as Cossack) is establishedTien Tsin Harbor  [sic]
September 1863Sherlock Station selected by John WellardSherlock Station
1864Mount Welcome Station established by the WithnellsMount Welcome Station
1864Cooya Pooya Station established by Thomas LockyerCooya Pooya
1865Pyramid Station established by the Richardson Brothers for the Portland Squatting CompanyPyramid Station
1865 (November)The first permanent government office in the region is established, headed by R. J. Sholl, Government Resident for the North District. Sholl has been relocated from the short-lived settlement at Camden Harbor  [sic] (on the north coast of the Kimberley).Mount Welcome/Harding River
1866On the recommendation of surveyor Charles Wedge and R.J. Sholl, the region's first townsite, named Roebourne, is gazetted, adjoining the government camp, Mt Welcome and the Harding River.Roebourne
1869Pardoo Station established as an outstation of De Grey StationPardoo Station
1872Copper discovered west of Whim CreekWhim Creek
1872Mundabullangana Station established by the MacKaysMundabullangana
1872Chirritta Station established by the Donald Norman McLeod.Chirritta
1878Minderoo Station established by the Forrest brothers and Septimus BurtMinderoo
1878Yarraloola Station established by the WoolhousesYarraloola
1879Croydon Station established by the RobinsonsCroydon Station
1886Yarrie Station established by Christopher CoppinYarrie Station
1887Gold discovered at Mallina, east of Whim CreekMallina Station
1887First tramway opened, 2’ gauge and horse drawn, between Cossack and RoebourneRoebourne
1890Gold discovered, in Coongan River bedMarble Bar
1891Emu Creek Station establishedEmu Creek Station
1893Marble Bar town site gazetted
1893Marronah Station established by J. H. MansfieldMaroonah
1894Cyclone kills 45 people at seaPort Hedland
1896Townsite of Port Hedland gazettedPort Hedland
1896Warrawagine Station established.Warrawagine
1898Cyclone causes £30,000 worth of damage to Cossack
1899Townsite of Nullagine gazettedNullagine
1905Mining starts at Wodgina mine site south of Port Hedland
1906Alfred Canning commences surveying Canning Stock Route
1909Townsite of Point Samson gazettedPoint Samson
1910Canning Stock route completed droving of first cattle commences
July 1911Railway opened connecting Port Hedland with Marble BarMarble Bar Railway
1937Asbestos mined at Yampire Gorge, near WittenoomWittenoom
1938Government surveyors, Finucane and Telford, surveyed Mount Goldsworthy and reported the iron content of the ore at 65.66% with estimated reserves of more than 6,000,000 tons
1950Townsite of Wittenoom gazettedWittenoom
November 1952Lang Hancock flies over the Pilbara region
December 1960Australian Government changes restrictions on iron ore exportsAustralia wide
March 1961Western Australian government announces that iron ore exploration permits will be allowedWestern Australia
September 1962CRA geologists identify Mount Tom Price depositsMount Tom Price
1964Oil was discovered in commercial quantities by West Australian Petroleum Pty LtdBarrow Island
January 1965Dampier and Mount Tom Price - construction commences at locations
February 1965Construction commences on the town of GoldsworthyGoldsworthy
June 1965Dampier - Tom Price railway works commenceHamersley Iron
1966Asbestos mine closed at Wittenoom GorgeWittenoom
1966Rio Tinto opens its first iron ore mine in the PilbaraMount Tom Price mine
July 1966Tom Price to Dampier - first fully loaded ore train
August 1966Dampier - first shipment of ore loaded
1967Iron ore discovered at Mount WhalebackNewman
May 1967Hamersley Holdings Limited shares on the ASX
1968BHP Billiton establishs an iron ore mine near NewmanMount Whaleback
August 1969Development of community at Karratha begins
July 1970East Intercourse Island connected by causeway
1971Townsite of Wickham gazettedWickham
1972Cape Lambert port openedCape Lambert
1972Townsite of Newman gazettedNewman
1972Townsite of Paraburdoo gazettedParaburdoo
1972Townsite of Pannawonica gazettedPannawonica
1972Dampier Salt commences operationsDampier
1974North West Coastal Highway from Geraldton, Western Australia to Port Hedland completely sealed
December 1975Cyclone Joan - flooding in Pilbara and damages Hamersley Rail
October 1977Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Dampier and Karratha combined population passes 15,000
1978Meektharra to Newman section of Great Northern Highway upgraded.Great Northern Highway
1981WAPET discovers gas off the Pilbara coast with the drilling of the Gorgon 1 wellGorgon gas project
1984North Rankin A Gas Platform commissionedNorth West Shelf
1989Newman to Port Hedland section of Great Northern Highway upgraded.Great Northern Highway
1989BHP Billiton opens iron ore mine near NewmanJimblebar mine
January 1990Rio Tinto Group opens iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeChannar mine
1992Rio Tinto opens another iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeBrockman 2 mine
December 1993BHP Billiton opens another iron ore mine near Shay GapYarrie mine
1994Rio Tinto opens another iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeMarandoo mine
1995Goodwyn A gas platform commissionedNorth West Shelf
2004Rio Tinto opens another iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeEastern Range mine
2006Indee Gold Mine opens at Mallina, east of Whim Creek and is closed in 2008Mallina
2007Rio Tinto opens another iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeHope Downs mine
March 2007Wittenoom townsite officially abolished by gazettalWittenoom
October 2007Fortescue Metals Group begins mining iron ore in the Chichester RangeCloud Break mine
April 2008First train runs on Fortescue railwayFortescue railway
June 2009Fortescue Metals Group opens new iron ore mine in the Chichester RangeChristmas Creek mine
September 2010Rio Tinto opens another iron ore mine in Hamersley RangeBrockman 4 mine

See also

References

  • Hamersley Iron (1985) Diary titled Hamersley Iron. The Pilbara Flora Collection 1984. The 18th Year of Hamersley Iron Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd Perth, WA.
  • Oakley, Glenda.(1992) More dates! : a Western Australian chronology 1930 to 1989 Northbridge, W.A. Friends of Battye Library occasional paper; no. 3 ISBN 0-646-10780-1
  • Trengrove, Alan (1976) Adventure in iron / Hamersley's First Decade Melbourne, Stockwell Press. ISBN 0-909316-03-1 (Hamersley Chronology on end-pages)
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