Telfer, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Telfer is a minesite in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, within the Great Sandy Desert
. Telfer was previously the state's most isolated town, located 1300 kilometres (808 mi) north-east of the state capital Perth
. gold and copper mine
is run by Newcrest Mining
, and is the second-largest gold mine in Australia.
. This location leaves the community vulnerable to tropical cyclone
s. For example, Cyclone Graham
affected the area in early 2003, delivering 163mm of rain. Severe Tropical Cyclone Laurence
also passed over the mine site in December 2009.
to this date.
The town of Telfer, non-existent until then, was built by Newmont in 1976 and named after A.H. Telfer, a former under secretary for mines in Western Australia. The town grew to a peak of almost 1,000 inhabitants in the early 1990s, with services like a supermarket, a police station, a bank, a community hall, a library and a number of sporting facilities being available.Mining towns of Western Australia, page: 33-34
The mine opened in 1977 as a joint venture between BHP Billiton
and Newmont Mining. In 1990, a merger between Newmont Australia Limited and BHP Gold Limited resulted in the creation of Newcrest Mining
, with ownership of the Telfer Mine now laying with Newcrest.
Telfer's demographic characteristics were typical of a northern Western Australian mining town. It had a male to female ratio of 2.4 to 1 and almost 40 percent of its population was born overseas. Half its population was below the age of 35 and the town experienced an annual population turnover of almost 20 percent.
In 1996, the towns fortunes took a sudden dive, with the decision to move the Telfer mine from residential to a fly-in fly-out work force. Many of the commercial services were withdrawn, only the recreational facilities were maintained. The existing housing was now used for the accommodation of the mine's mobile work force. One of the main reasons for the town's closure was that fly-in fly-out rosters gave the mine access to a larger skilled work force and to people that would otherwise have been unwilling to relocated to a remote location like Telfer.
Open cut mining was suspended in August 2000 due to high operating costs.High production costs were primarily caused by the presence of cyanide soluble copper in the open pit ore.
In 2002, Newcrest Mining announced a new redevelopment project worth $1 billion, after discovering new mineral areas and a reserve base of some 19 million troy ounces of gold and 640000 tonne of copper. The mine reopened in November 2004, after commissioning of the processing plant and, initially as an open cut mine, from March 2006 also with an underground operation.
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...
, within the Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is a desert located in the North West of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of...
. Telfer was previously the state's most isolated town, located 1300 kilometres (808 mi) north-east of the state capital Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. gold and copper mine
Telfer Mine
The Telfer Mine is a copper and gold mine located at Telfer, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. It is owned by Newcrest Mining, Australia's largest gold producer....
is run by Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining Limited engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and gold-copper concentrate. Newcrest is an Australian based Company which initially incorporated in Victoria in 1980. Today it has become Australia’s leading gold mining company...
, and is the second-largest gold mine in Australia.
Climate
Telfer receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 300mm, despite the fact that it lies relatively close to the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. This location leaves the community vulnerable to tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s. For example, Cyclone Graham
Cyclone Graham
Cyclone Graham of the 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season was a weak tropical storm that affected Australia during late February and early March 2003. Graham originated from an area of convection the emerged onto water after sitting over Australia on 23 February...
affected the area in early 2003, delivering 163mm of rain. Severe Tropical Cyclone Laurence
Cyclone Laurence
Severe Tropical Cyclone Laurence was the first Category 5 cyclone to make landfall in Australia since Cyclone George in 2007.-Meteorological history:...
also passed over the mine site in December 2009.
History
Newmont Mining first made a claim to the deposit in 1972; however, this is disputed by Jean-Paul TurcaudJean-Paul Turcaud
Jean-Paul Turcaud is a French mining pioneer, and one of many claimants to the discovery of the Telfer Mine in Western Australia, for a time Australia's largest gold mine. The discovery of this prospect is officially attributed to David Tyrwhitt for Newmont Mining in 1972.-Early life:Jean-Paul...
to this date.
The town of Telfer, non-existent until then, was built by Newmont in 1976 and named after A.H. Telfer, a former under secretary for mines in Western Australia. The town grew to a peak of almost 1,000 inhabitants in the early 1990s, with services like a supermarket, a police station, a bank, a community hall, a library and a number of sporting facilities being available.Mining towns of Western Australia, page: 33-34
The mine opened in 1977 as a joint venture between BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
and Newmont Mining. In 1990, a merger between Newmont Australia Limited and BHP Gold Limited resulted in the creation of Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining Limited engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and gold-copper concentrate. Newcrest is an Australian based Company which initially incorporated in Victoria in 1980. Today it has become Australia’s leading gold mining company...
, with ownership of the Telfer Mine now laying with Newcrest.
Telfer's demographic characteristics were typical of a northern Western Australian mining town. It had a male to female ratio of 2.4 to 1 and almost 40 percent of its population was born overseas. Half its population was below the age of 35 and the town experienced an annual population turnover of almost 20 percent.
In 1996, the towns fortunes took a sudden dive, with the decision to move the Telfer mine from residential to a fly-in fly-out work force. Many of the commercial services were withdrawn, only the recreational facilities were maintained. The existing housing was now used for the accommodation of the mine's mobile work force. One of the main reasons for the town's closure was that fly-in fly-out rosters gave the mine access to a larger skilled work force and to people that would otherwise have been unwilling to relocated to a remote location like Telfer.
Open cut mining was suspended in August 2000 due to high operating costs.High production costs were primarily caused by the presence of cyanide soluble copper in the open pit ore.
In 2002, Newcrest Mining announced a new redevelopment project worth $1 billion, after discovering new mineral areas and a reserve base of some 19 million troy ounces of gold and 640000 tonne of copper. The mine reopened in November 2004, after commissioning of the processing plant and, initially as an open cut mine, from March 2006 also with an underground operation.
Further reading
- Garrick Moore: Mining towns of Western Australia, published: 1997, ISBN 1875449345