Andrew males book bullion captures the memories of the 125 year history of the port. Nyrstar port pirie smelter shuts down again business. Port pirie photos featured pictures of port pirie, south. History the bhp companys lead smeltery smelters picnic first began in 1903 and provided a days pleasure for the workers of the plant and their families. Port pirie smelters photograph state library of south. Proceeds of the books support port pirie history research projects by local students. Jul 18, 2012 lead poisoning of port pirie children. Port pirie s economy is driven by the huge silver, lead and zinc smelters which process the raw ore brought from broken hill and the large port which provides transportation for both the metal and rural industries which dominate the town. The bhp smelter was built in 1889 alongside an existing one built by the british broken hill blocks mining company. Technical changes at the port pirie smelters, housing facilities in port pirie for smelter workers, and smelter union developments are treated. Port pirie is one of south australias bestkept secrets. The nyrstar lead smelter has been producing and exporting lead, zinc, silver and gold from site on the upper spencer gulf for over 120 years. A new sa government agreement with nyrstar will lead to job security and reduction of lead emissions at port pirie smelter, premier jay weatherill says.
Jun 23, 2015 this year the smelter in port pirie is celebrating 125 years of operation. Positively repositioning the image of the port pirie. A history of the origins, formation and development of the. Nyrstar extends stoppage at port pirie smelter until late. This is a local history of port pirie, its community and families. Probably it was pirie s connection with the south australia company which led to his name being so much honored in this state. The settlement was founded in 1845 and at june 2018 had an estimated urban population of 14,188. Port pirie australia situated on the spencer gulf 223km north of adelaide, port pirie has a population of some16, 000 souls. The settlement was founded in 1845 and is the site of the worlds largest lead smelter, operated by nyrstar. In part two the formation and development of the broken hill associated smelters are examined. Iron industry and trade port pirie, south australia history. The broken hill associated smelters at port pirie had its origins in the smelters established by the british broken hill proprietary company limited and the refinery established by the broken hill proprietary company limited at port pirie in 1889. The effects of the war and the threat from other broken hill companies to establish a rival smelter led in 1915 to the establishment of broken hill associated smelters, jointly owned by bhp, broken. The port pirie smelter has a long history and connection to the community of port pirie.
The main industry in the town is the large lead smelter. Share this ship with your friends and followers online. June 7, 2019 nyrstar is in another tricky situation, and has allegedly halted production at its port pirie lead smelter and declared force majeure. Pb isotopes show that the port pirie smelter is the main source of pb. Sir john died in 1870, a few years before port pirie came into existence, and the title became extinct. In recent years the smelter, in partnership with the community, has been working to capture the rich and diverse history of the 126 year old port pirie smelter and the unique relationships its had with the community, region and the state. A lead smelter has been operating in port pirie since the 1880s, and high blood. History of australian mining broken hill and port pirie.
Broken hill associated smelters was established in 1889 when the port pirie smelter was expanded following purchase by broken hill proprietary to supplant the barrier fields own smelters. Port pirie junction railway station was located in the city of port pirie history. About port pirie smelter history book the sinter century port pirie smelters pioneering sinter plant has been celebrated in the form of a new book the sint. Unexpected port pirie smelter shutdown lifts world lead price indaily. Just after this photograph was taken the zinc corporation limited zc registered in melbourne began treating zinc bearing tailings at broken hill. One of the existing shafts had broken through and, after being removed from the plant, the assembly was then sent to heavymech. As the port pirie smelter undergoes a major redevelopment which will deliver a sustainable future, the citys history reveals stories of visionary leaders, crossroads of chance and a hardwon unique spirit across a committed workforce and closeknit community alike. Read this article lead poisoning of port pirie children. Nyrstar smelter back online under new ownership as govt. It truly was a city of friendly people as presented in the byline for the town. Children continue to be exposed to contaminated air in. The number of children with harmful levels of lead in their blood in the south australian regional city of port pirie has more than doubled since 2017. Port pirie is home to the worlds largest lead smelting works, operated by nyrstar. Heavymech was involved with the repairs and modifications of the conditioning drum driveshaft from nyrstars port pirie smelters.
Most of the original 16mm films used to produce this video were saved from the tip. Heavy metal contamination of soils around a lead smelter at. The town is named after john pirie the captain of the first vessel to sail through the area. Port pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the mid north region of south australia. Children continue to be exposed to contaminated air in port pirie. Steel industry and trade port pirie, south australia history. Part of the nyrstar pty ltd group, the smelter is one of the largest integrated zinc and lead producers in the world. Port pirie south australia best holiday information. Nyrstar says port piri lead smelter is about to restart. The third exhibition in a trilogy built around the shared history of port pirie and its main industry. Port pirie tourism guide port pirie travel deals save upto 65. By this date there were also 62 boarding houses to cater for the labour demands at the smelter and on the increasingly busy waterfront.
There are many links in the article to other sources of information. The belgiumbased company now expects both the tsl and the blast furnace to restart by the end of july. Response document prepared as part of a process of seeking approvals from the australian and south australian governments to undertake a major development of the smelter in port pirie, south australia. The smelter has been operating for 125 years, under various different managements, and consistently contributing to port pirie. The multi awardwinning port pirie regional tourism and arts centre is a must for all visitors. Looking back at 125 years of the smelter in port pirie abc. Port pirie junction station opened on 23 july 1937 when the commonwealth railways standard gauge transaustralian railway was extended south from port augusta, and the south australian railways line broad gauge north from redhill to a new break of gauge station in the port pirie suburb of solomontown. Metals and mining company nyrstar was in focus on thursday after reports claimed its port pirie smelter in south australia was at risk of breaching its licence to operate. Rsvp to the gallery on 8633 0681 if you would like to attend.
Port pirie was declared south australias first provincial city in 1953, and today it is south australias second largest port. The port pirie smelter is located on the eastern shore of the spencer. Now, what of epas actions in commissioning professor taylor. Port pirie lead smelter destiny having lived in port pirie for nearly six years 197884, i know some of the story of this interesting town. Port pirie is located 223 kilometres north of adelaide at the top of upper spencer gulf and has a population of 16,000 people. This historical video features broken hill mines and concentrate processing nsw broken hill to port pirie rail wardang island mining port pirie smelter south australia 125 years in operation port pirie community and shipping.
Port pirie lead smelter calls for emergency shutdown works. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, historical legacy leadsmelter dustemissions. Request this item to view in the librarys reading rooms using your library card. Nyrstars port pirie smelter has resumed full production for the first time since an unplanned outage shut it down two months ago, as the state government approved the plants new ownership after demanding compulsory repayments of a. The treatment plant was operated by the state government from 1954 to 1962 for the recovery of uranium and rare earths. Check out tripadvisor members 719 candid photos and videos of landmarks, hotels, and attractions in port pirie.
The area was known a tarparrie possibly meaning muddy creek by the local nuguna aborigines. Exploring the rich history of the smelter and the port pirie community. Emd gm43 was originally built for the commonwealth railways in 1967 by clyde engineering, and is still in use today. It contains a wooden fishing boat, displays of our lady or martyrs and blessing of the fleet, and an interactive history of the early italian fishing migrants and their lifestyle in port pirie. By 1921 the towns population had grown to 9801 living in 2308 occupied dwellings.
Port pirie, city, second most important seaport of south australia after port adelaide enfield, located on the eastern shore and near the head of spencer gulf. It is one of the worlds primary lead smelters, and has the capability to process a wide range of lead rich concentrates and smelting industry byproducts. Port pirie nyrstar port pirie nyrstar the port pirie smelter has been in constant operation for more than 127 years. Lead and zinc smelting may be big business in port pirie, but its making the kids who live there sick. Port pirie smelter history exploring the rich history of. The day the infant was christened pirie was given a baronetcy in honor of the event. Looking back at 125 years of the smelter in port pirie. Just a short detour from national highway one, the town is nestled at the base of the picturesque southern flinders ranges. Lead level in kids rises near smelter the australian. Why sht towns of australia constantly targets port pirie. Port pirie children still exposed to contaminated air. Seagrass soil archives reveal centennialscale metal smelter. There is also a large port facility servicing the lead smelting industry and the rural hinterland.
The community and the port pirie smelter are intrinsically linked. The old railway station 1902 contains a scale model of port piries smelters. Prevalence of childhood lead poisoning and respiratory. Port pirie smelter could reopen old highpolluting sinter plant after. The smelter in port pirie, which sht towns of australia poked fun at. Port pirie is the seventh most populous city in south australia after adelaide, mount gambier, gawler, mount barker, whyalla, murray bridge.
The friendly staff are only too happy to accomodate visitors and answer any or all enquiries about the region. Port pirie is a city and seaport on the east coast of the spencer gulf in south australia, 223 km. Nyrstar has shut down its port pirie smelter again, just days after restarting operations following a twomonth unplanned shutdown earlier this year. The arts on display are worth a look and they have varios exhibitions also. In 1931 the softener furnace brought into service the new continuous refinery. Port pirie former uranium and rare earth treatment plant annual licence report radiation and environment monitoring work in progress, november 2017 site assessment the remedial actions for port pirie will be based on a series of phases to identify site history, site characterisation, and risk to determine the optimal strategy for. Please get in touch if you have a story you would like to add.
This morning port pirie regional art gallery hosted a wonderful talk by andrew male, author of bullion, a book about the history of port pirie and the smelter. As the port pirie smelter in south australia undergoes a major redevelopment which will deliver a sustainable future, the citys history reveals stories of visionary leaders, crossroads of chance and a hardwon unique spirit across a committed workforce and closeknit community alike. It also produces refined silver, zinc, copper and gold. Beginning of the big strike at broken hill, may 20, and discontinuance of ore supplies for port pirie. According to reuters, the european zinc smelter stopped output at port pirie, located in south australia, in late may, due to an unplanned outage at its blast furnace. In 1846, port pirie creek was named by governor robe after the john pirie, the first vessel to navigate the creek when transporting sheep from bowmans run near crystal brook. Port pirie s trade was still based on the economy of the adjacent interior, but this was to change shortly. Further light was thrown ob the early history of port pirie writes our local correspondent by a letter from mr. Prevalence of childhood lead poisoning and respiratory disease. Established in 1889 the port pirie smelter was expanded following purchase by broken hill proprietary to supplant the barrier fields own smelters. Lead time from placement of fabrication order to despatch from fabricators yard was eight months. Port pirie is a city and seaport on the east coast of the spencer gulf in south australia, 223 km 9 mi north of the state capital, adelaide.
The port pirie smelter is located at the north of the town. Lead and so2 smelter emissions continue to pollute port pirie, australia. Port piries nystar smelter has shut down after an unexpected outage at its blast furnace, sending world lead prices to a monthly high. It is a significant milestone that is very worthy of support.
We welcome you to visit our current exhibition transportation and transformation, stories of an industry and a community. Port pirie was established in 1845 and is the site of the worlds largest lead smelter. Port pirie smelter history june 17, 2019 port pirie smelters pioneering sinter plant has been celebrated in the form of a new book published by andrew male. The first smelting operations commenced at port pirie in 1889 and a long history of smelting has followed. Nyrstar in focus after lead in air report financial times.
The exhibition will run from saturday 2nd september to sunday 15th october, 2017 at the port pirie regional art gallery. Australian nationals gm43 heads an unidentified 600 class loco on the daily ore train from broken hill, new south wales, hauling lead and zinc ores to the smelter at port pirie, south australia. Where is it port pirie is located on the east coast of the spencer gulf, 224 km north of adelaide. The outotec ausmelt tsl furnace shell and its associated parts were delivered to the smelter site in port pirie in september 2015. This film may even contain shots of a great grandfather for some people. Nyrstar port pirie smelter transformation proposal response document full description.
Bullion will be launched at the gallery on wednesday 24 june at 6pm. The effects of the war and the threat from other broken hill companies to establish a rival smelter led in 1915 to the establishment of broken hill associated smelters, jointly owned by bhp, broken hill south. Lead and so 2 smelter emissions continue to pollute port pirie, australia 47% of children under 5 had a blood lead 5. The smelter has been a marginal business for a number of years with very limited profitability and also an uncertain future. Little development occurred on site and by the late. The average bloodlead level for children tested at two years old in the leadsmelting city of port pirie has increased in findings health authorities in south australia say are disappointing. Tours of the nyrstar port pirie smelter are available on monday, wednesday and friday through the port pirie tourism and art centre. Ellen street railway station was the second of six stations that operated successively between 1876 and the early 2010s to serve the rural maritime town later city of port pirie, 216 km 4 mi by rail north of adelaide, south australia. July 9 reuters metals and mining company nyrstar said on tuesday that it was extending force majeure at its port pirie lead and zinc smelter in australia until the last week of july.
See more of port pirie smelter history on facebook. The development of lead and zinc smelting at port pirie dates from the discovery in 1883 of the rich leadsilverzinc deposits at broken hill in new south wales, port pirie being the nearest seaport. Heavy metal contamination of soils around a lead smelter at port. These pages highlight some of the stories from the history of the smelter. In 1848, matthew smith and emanuel solomon bought 85acre and subdivided it as a township to be known as port pirie. Port pirie is the sixth biggest city in south australia with a population of about 15,000 residents. The national library of australias copies direct service lets you purchase higher quality, larger sized photocopies or electronic copies of newspapers pages clicking on the order now button below will open the ordering form in a new window which will. Port pirie has been a worldleading centre for lead and zinc smelting. As the member for frome said, the smelter has supported intergenerational employment, and that.
Port pirie is one of the worlds largest primary lead smelting facilities. The port pirie regional art gallery has worked with nyrstar, the operator of the smelter, to put together an exhibition. A nyrstar spokesperson said the port pirie site will further acknowledge and celebrate their history later this year with the launch of a history book. Nyrstar has confirmed that its lead smelter at port pirie, australia, will now resume operations in the second week of july, extending its previous estimates of a latejune restart, fastmarkets learned on friday june 28. The sinter century and andrews previous book bullion are available exclusively from megs bookshop, ellen street, port pirie. Nyrstar to restart port pirie tsl sinter plant after week outage. Producing and exporting lead, zinc, silver and gold from site on the upper spencer gulf, the smelter is part of the nyrstar pty ltd group, one of the largest integrated zinc and lead producers in the world. The building is a clever combination of the citys maritime history the front is designed. The port pirie community is extremely parochial about the smelter with generations of the same family often having worked at the facility. Aug 31, 2017 from the chronicle adelaide, 25 september 1926 the buildings at the works comprise the mixing plant just renewed, the dwight lloyd section, the blast furnace section, the refinery, three bag houses, the zinc roasting and acid plant section, the skinner roasting furnaces, the barrier roasting furnaces section, the acid plant, the powerhouse, the assay and general offices, the companys.
Central clinic is a group general practice located in port pirie, a rural industrial town approximately 200 kilometres north of adelaide. A team of 80 fulltime personnel led a major emergency shutdown at the local nyrstar lead smelter, including the dig out of the blast furnace and several pans laden with lead, along with extensive industrial cleaning using specialist hydro blasters and vactor units. Heavy metal contamination of soils around a lead smelter at port pirie, south australia. Founded in 1848, it is named after the john pirie, a vessel which had brought settlers there three years before. Port pirie aboriginal history the traditional owners of the country around port pirie are the nuguna aboriginal people. Article pdf available in australian journal of soil. The mines at broken hill needed an outlet for their ore. Nyrstar port pirie smelter shuts down again indaily. The smelter in port pirie is 125 years old and the community is celebrating through stories and memories. Port pirie traditionally an industrial settlement, port pirie is home to the nyrstar concentrate smelter, one of the largest smelters in the world. Port pirie smelter history exploring the rich history of the smelter. Lead smelting commenced in 1889, when a refinery was commissioned by the british broken hill pty ltd to refine bullion produced at broken hill. He worked closely with kirstie jamieson on the exhibition and says it has. The shark is definitely worth a look as is the adjoining library.
Located on the foreshore of the port pirie river, the port pirie molfettesi fishing boat museum celebrates the lives of the citys early italian migrants. Abc journalist richard willingham on covering coronavirus. Port pirie smelter s pioneering sinter plant has been celebrated in the form of a new book published by andrew male. Port pirie is the only major production facility for nyrstar.
It seems that the situation around port pirie could be much worse. Smelters, port pirie photograph state library of south. Port pirie smelter was built in 1889 to treat the broken hill ore. By this time port pirie had become the biggest lead smelter in the world. Minersmelter nyrstar has begun the final stages of a planned restart to its port pirie lead smelter in australia, with the first feed in its top. Dan van holst pellekaan mp port pirie smelter speech. Port pirie lead smelter destiny sustainable space des menz. The port pirie tourism and arts centre is a must stop for visitors and locals alike. Nyrstar has shut down its port pirie smelter again, just days after restarting operations following a. At june 2015 port pirie had an estimated urban population of 14,247. In 1897 the smelter in broken hill was closed down and all smelting operations were concentrated in port pirie. Research shows that many children in port pirie continue to have.