| Iron Knob South Australia | |||||||||||||||
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  Iron Knob | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°44′01″S137°08′57″E / 32.733502°S 137.149293°E /-32.733502; 137.149293[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 110 (SAL2021)[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 11 February 1915 (town) 29 July 2004 (locality)[3][4] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5611[5] | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 66 m (217 ft)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Pastoral Unincorporated Area[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Far North[1] | ||||||||||||||
| County | Manchester[1] | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Giles[6] | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Grey[7] | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities[1] | ||||||||||||||
Iron Knob is a town in theAustralian state ofSouth Australia on theEyre Peninsula immediately south of theEyre Highway. At the2006 census, Iron Knob and the surrounding area had a population of 199.[9] The town obtained its name from its proximity to large deposits ofiron ore, most notably Iron Monarch which outcropped prominently from the relatively flat, surrounding landscape.
The name Iron Knob first appeared on pastoral lease maps of 1854. The first mineral claim in the area was pegged byBHP in 1897. Mining commenced in 1900. Iron ore was first transported bybullock wagon toPort Augusta, where it was loaded on to 200-ton barges. From 1903, it was transported by rail toWhyalla and ship toPort Pirie where it was used as aflux in the lead smelter there.[10][11] In 1901 theBHP Whyalla Tramway from Iron Knob to Hummock Hill (later renamedWhyalla) was completed, followed by wharves in 1903. These allowed the direct loading of ships which could transport the ore acrossSpencer Gulf to Port Pirie.[10]
Iron Knob's iron ore proved to be of such high quality (upwards of 60% purity) that it led to the development of the Australian steel industry. It supplied iron to theNewcastle Steelworks andPort Kembla in the 1910s and 1920s and Whyalla in the 1930s. The iron ore was transported by the BHP Whyalla Tramway toWhyalla[12] where it was eithersmelted or dispatched by sea.
21% of the steel required for the construction of theSydney Harbour Bridge[13] was quarried at Iron Knob and smelted atPort Kembla, New South Wales. The remaining 79% was imported from Britain.[13]
In the 1920s, iron ore from Iron Knob was exported to theNetherlands and theUnited States of America.[14] In the 1930s, customers includedGermany and theUnited Kingdom.[15][16]
Prior to World War II, iron ore from Iron Knob was also exported toJapan.[17][18][19][20] In the financial year 1935–36, 291,961 tonnes of ore from Iron Knob was shipped there via the seaport of Whyalla.[21] This became a controversial matter in the late 1930s due in part to Australia's known reserves at the time being limited to Iron Knob andYampi Sound in Western Australia. Japan was also considered an 'aggressor' nation following acts of war againstChina in 1937.[22][23] Waterfront workers and seamen protested against the export of iron ore to Japan, leading to strikes and arrests.
In 1937, output from theMiddleback Range, mostly from Iron Monarch was estimated at 2 mtpa.[24] In 1939, it was referred to in England as the highest grade deposit of iron ore known in the world.[25] In 1943, the iron Knob deposit was still delivering an average ore grade of 64 percent metallic content.[26] In 1949, 99% of Australian demand for iron ore was met by supply from Iron Knob and associated mines in South Australia,[27] having risen from 95% in 1943.[26]
Additional deposits of iron ore were developed by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company further south along the Middleback Range. These include Iron Baron,Iron Prince and Iron Queen (discovered in 1920) and Iron Knight, Iron Duchess andIron Duke (discovered in 1934).[10]
Quarrying for iron at Iron Knob and Iron Monarch ended in 1998.[28] When the quarrying stopped, the town population declined to 200[29] and Iron Knob was under threat of becoming aghost town. However, due to rising prices of housing elsewhere, the town has attracted new residents seeking low cost residences. A home could be purchased for approximately A$35,000–70,000 and vacant land could be purchased for less than A$15,000.
In 2010, Onesteel (laterArrium) announced that it would return to Iron Knob to reopen the Iron Monarch mine.[28] The Iron Monarch mine was prepared for reopening by Arrium in 2013.[30] As of 2015, both Iron Monarch and Iron Duke continue to produce iron ore for export and for smelting at theWhyalla Steelworks.[needs update]
In the early days of mining at Iron Knob, ironstone was carted by oxen to Hummock Hill (renamed Whyalla in 1914). Approximately 300 long tons (336 short tons) was delivered in a good week. Construction of a private railway greatly increased transportation rates and by 1939, 9000 long tons (10,080 short tons) of ore were delivered daily to Whyalla by rail; trains carried loads of 2000 long tons (2240 short tons).[citation needed]
Ships operated by theBHP Shipping were named withIron as their prefix; some were built by the company at theWhyalla Steelworks.[citation needed]
Highway 1 regularly closes due to controlled explosions.[citation needed]
assign the names Tarcoola, Woomera, Pimba and Iron Knob, to those areas Out of Councils and shown numbered 1 to 4 on Rack Plan 857 (Sheet 1).
