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WouldyoubelieveitwaswellbeforethecommercialproductionofbluemetalfromtwoofAustraliasnowfamousquarryingareassitesbeingKiamaontheNSWSouthCoastandProspectHillsituatedwestofSydneyAdmittedlyitsasneakyquestionastheclueisinthewordcommercial.Toproduceironandtheresultantslagyoumusthaveironoreforitsironcontentcoalcokeorcharcoalasafuelandlimestonefortheux.Inearlycolonialdaysmineralswereusuallydiscoveredbyaccidentratherthandeliberateprospecting.ForexampletheBrokenHillsilverandleaddepositwasdiscoveredbyaboundaryriderwhotrippedonarockinthe1800s.In1833just50yearsafterCaptainPhillipbroughttheFirstFleetintoSydneyFarmSurveyorJacquesdiscoveredironstoneinaroadcuttingbeingexcavatedforacreekcrossingnearthepresenttownofMittagongintheNSWSouthernHighlands.Thestonecontained48ironcoalandlimestonewhichwerefoundnearbyandaCatalanfurnacewasbuiltatMittagongin1848.Heretherstironandslagco-productwereproducedinAustraliaalthoughnotincommercialquantities.ThiscamehalfacenturylaterinLithgowNSW.HistoryhasshownthatthroughaseriesoftakeoversthiscompanyisnowknownasBluescopeSteel.TheoriginalnameoftheMittagongplantwasIronstoneBridgeandin1851theFitzRoyIronMiningCompanywasformed.Interestinglyitsnameoriginatedfromavisittothesitein1850bytheNSWGovernorSirCharlesAugustusFitzroy.UnfortunatelylikesomanyoftheearlyattemptstoproduceironandsteelinthenewcolonylocalcompaniescouldnotcompetewiththecheaperironpigsimportedfromEnglandasballastfortheclippershipswhichcametotransportwoolandwheatfromAustralia.Thiswasinparttheresultofalackofimporttariffsinstitutedbythecolonialgovernmentatthetime.VerylittleremainsoftheFitzRoyIronWorksandthesitehasrecentlybeendevelopedintoalargesatelliteshoppingcentre.NexttimeyoutraveltheoldhighwayjustacoupleofkilometressouthofMittagongvisittheelevatedshoppingcomplex.Ofnoteisthatthegroundlevelcontainstheundercovercarparkinsteadofbeingsituatedbelowgroundtoensureconservationoftheheritagesite.AtthenorthernendyouwillndanareaofcarefullyrestoredhistoricalfoundationsfortheoriginalIronWorksincludingviewingareaslightingandinformationpanelsallofwhichensuretheartefactsarefullyprotectedfromtheweather.ThesiteiswellworthavisitasareminderofjustwhereAustraliasironandsteelindustrybegansomethingwetakeforgrantedtoday.DougProsserwasinaugural1990ExecutiveDirectoroftheAustralasianironsteelSlagAssociation.DougcontinueshispassionandinterestforallthingsironandsteelslagsATRIVIAQUESTIONWhenandwherewasthefrstironslagproducedinAustraliaTHEEARLIESTDAYSOFSLAGINAUSTRALIAwww.asa-inc.org.au06connectionsNovember14