Pannawonica, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
The town of Pannawonica is an iron-ore mining town located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, near the Robe River, about 200 km south-west from Karratha. At the 2006 census
, Pannawonica had a population of 686.
In 2006, it reportedly had the highest median weekly income of any town in Australia, due to the high income of its mine workers.
The township’s name was derived from nearby Pannawonica Hill, named by a surveyor in 1885 after the corresponding Aboriginal placename which is said to mean "the hill that came from the sea". The traditional legend is that two local Aboriginal tribes were arguing over the ownership of the hill which was located by the sea. The sea spirit decided to resolve the dispute by moving the hill inland. As the hill was dragged over the land it left a deep indentation which became the Robe River
.
Pannawonica is one of a number of remote-area iron-ore-mining towns built throughout the Pilbara to house workers operating open-cut mines and the loading of ore trains. It is a 'closed town', having limited facilities for visitors, the company's accommodation being reserved for its staff and visiting contractors. Some visitor accommodation is available at the Pannawonica Tavern.
Pannawonica is home to more than 800 people, comprising Robe and Pilbara Iron employee families, staff on fly-in fly-out
(‘fifo’) roster from Perth, and those involved in support services. It is accessible by road, rail and light aircraft.
The annual Pannawonica Robe River Rodeo, in September, attracts an average of 1500 people from all over Australia. Funds raised are distributed to many organisations including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, local school and other volunteer-based groups.
and Mesa A mines
, the later having opened in 2010. Mesa is a Spanish word that means ‘table’, which describes the appearance of the flat-topped iron-ore plateaus standing high above the surrounding ground, remnants of terrain carved by an ancient river system.
The Mesa J operation produces two pisolite
(spheroidal crystalline) iron-ore products called Robe River Fines and Robe River Lump. The blasted high-grade ore is hauled directly to a train load-out. The sub-grade ore is washed and screened prior to loading on to trains that can stretch for three kilometres. Mesa J transports about 32 million tonnes of iron ore per year via the company’s private 200-kilometre-long rail line to its processing and port facilities at Cape Lambert
, near the township of Wickham
.
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...
, near the Robe River, about 200 km south-west from Karratha. 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,...
, Pannawonica had a population of 686.
In 2006, it reportedly had the highest median weekly income of any town in Australia, due to the high income of its mine workers.
History
Pannawonica was built in 1970 by Cleveland-Cliffs Robe River Iron (predecessor of the present Robe River Iron Associates) and was gazetted as a townsite in 1972.The township’s name was derived from nearby Pannawonica Hill, named by a surveyor in 1885 after the corresponding Aboriginal placename which is said to mean "the hill that came from the sea". The traditional legend is that two local Aboriginal tribes were arguing over the ownership of the hill which was located by the sea. The sea spirit decided to resolve the dispute by moving the hill inland. As the hill was dragged over the land it left a deep indentation which became the Robe River
Robe River
Robe River is a river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the Hamersley Range near Marana Spring then flow in a north westerly direction past the Robe River-Deepdale mine, crossing the North West Coastal Highway near the Pannawonica turnoff then...
.
Pannawonica is one of a number of remote-area iron-ore-mining towns built throughout the Pilbara to house workers operating open-cut mines and the loading of ore trains. It is a 'closed town', having limited facilities for visitors, the company's accommodation being reserved for its staff and visiting contractors. Some visitor accommodation is available at the Pannawonica Tavern.
Pannawonica is home to more than 800 people, comprising Robe and Pilbara Iron employee families, staff on fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This is common in large mining states in Australia...
(‘fifo’) roster from Perth, and those involved in support services. It is accessible by road, rail and light aircraft.
Climate
Pannawonica’s weather is recorded by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology station number 005069, which was opened in 1971. Between 1971 and 2005, the mean maximum temperature at Pannawonica ranged from 26.7°C in July to 40.9°C in January. Pannawonica experiences a wet season that can stretch from December to March, and cyclonic storm events.Resident facilities
The town’s facilities include a post office, supermarket, milk-bar, pub, a public swimming pool, sports fields, police station, petrol station, and a free drive-in cinema that shows movies on Friday and Sunday nights. Police officers based at Pannawonica supervise an area of approximately 33,800 square kilometres.The annual Pannawonica Robe River Rodeo, in September, attracts an average of 1500 people from all over Australia. Funds raised are distributed to many organisations including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, local school and other volunteer-based groups.
Mining and loading
The Pannawonica residents work at the nearby Mesa JMesa J mine
The Mesa J mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 16 kilometres south-west of Pannawonica.The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
and Mesa A mines
Mesa A mine
The Mesa A mine, sometimes also referred to as Waramboo mine, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 50 kilometres west of Pannawonica....
, the later having opened in 2010. Mesa is a Spanish word that means ‘table’, which describes the appearance of the flat-topped iron-ore plateaus standing high above the surrounding ground, remnants of terrain carved by an ancient river system.
The Mesa J operation produces two pisolite
Pisolite
A pisolite is a sedimentary rock made of pisoids, which are concretionary grains - often of calcium carbonate, but sometimes of rarer minerals - which resemble ooids but are always more than 2 mm in diameter. These grains are approximately spherical and have concentric layers reaching...
(spheroidal crystalline) iron-ore products called Robe River Fines and Robe River Lump. The blasted high-grade ore is hauled directly to a train load-out. The sub-grade ore is washed and screened prior to loading on to trains that can stretch for three kilometres. Mesa J transports about 32 million tonnes of iron ore per year via the company’s private 200-kilometre-long rail line to its processing and port facilities at Cape Lambert
Cape Lambert
Cape Lambert is a port facility operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is located 40 kilometres north of Karratha.-Overview:...
, near the township of Wickham
Wickham, Western Australia
Wickham is a townsite located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.-History:...
.