Ravensthorpe, Western Australia

Ravensthorpe is a town 541 km south-east of Perth and 40 km inland from the south coast of Western Australia. It is the seat of government of the Shire of Ravensthorpe. At the 2006 census, Ravensthorpe had a population of 438.[1]

Ravensthorpe
Western Australia
Ravensthorpe Community Centre, formerly the Freemasons Hotel, built 1906
Ravensthorpe
Coordinates33°34′54″S 120°2′49″E
Population438 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s)6346
Elevation232 m (761 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Ravensthorpe
State electorate(s)Roe
Federal Division(s)O'Connor
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
22.7 °C
73 °F		 10.4 °C
51 °F		 425.3 mm
16.7 in

In 1848, the area was surveyed by Surveyor General John Septimus Roe who named many of the geographical features nearby, including the nearby Ravensthorpe Range that the later town was named after.

There was one of the Western Australian Government Railways isolated branch lines between Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe. This line opened in 1909.[2][3]

Alluvial gold was discovered at the Phillips River in 1892. At the goldfield a de facto town emerged, known as Phillips River. The government completed construction of a copper and gold smelter about 2 km south east of the town in 1906, used to cast copper and gold ingots.

History
Ravensthorpe grain receival facility

A temporary pastoral lease ("Free Run") was registered by James Dunn senior in 1868. His five sons and daughter started sheep farming at the property, Cocanarup (20 km west of the present town), in 1871, after George and John Dunn drove a herd from Albany. In 1873 the family was granted a permanent lease of 4,049 hectares (10,010 acres).[4][5]

The region is infamous for the Ravensthorpe Massacre, also called the Cocanarup Massacre, where many Noongar people were massacred in revenge for the fatal spearing of John Dunn in 1880. Dunn had allegedly raped a 13 year old Noongar girl.[6][7][8]

By 1901, the population had climbed to over 1,000 and the government gazetted the town, renaming it Ravensthorpe.[9][10] The area continued to prosper and the population grew accordingly, by 1909 the population was over 3000. The prosperity was short-lived; World War I took its toll on the town and by 1918 the local copper smelter had closed and many of the copper and gold mines had closed. The population of the town in 1968 was approximately 800 people.[11]

Agriculture

After the war Ravensthorpe survived servicing the farming in the district. Agriculture in the area began to grow following the Great Depression and pastoral land releases occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. The surrounding areas produce wheat and other cereal crops. The town is a receival site for Cooperative Bulk Handling.[12] A bulk wheat bin was constructed in the town in 1947 capable of holding over 30,000 bushels.[13]

Mining

Nickel
Ravensthorpe Nickel mine
Main article: Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine

BHP Billiton commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant[14] 35 km East of the town[15] The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5000 tonnes being produced by December 2007.[16] The plant was officially opened in 2008.[17]

In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine indefinitely, due to the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis. The decision cut 1,800 jobs and had a major impact on the local economy.[18]

On 9 December 2009, BHP sold its Raventhorpe mine, on which it had spent A$2.4 billion to build, to Toronto-based First Quantum for US$340 million. First Quantum was one of three bidders for the mine and actually produced the lowest offer. The Canadian company planned to have the mine back in production in mid-2011.[19] In 2017 the mine was put into care and maintenance "due to persistently low nickel prices", but was due to reopen in 2020.[20]

Lithium

The Mt Cattlin mine is a spodumene-tantalite mine 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) north of the town. It was operated by Galaxy Resources between 2009 and 2012 before being placed on care-and-maintenance in 2013. Mine production restarted on 31 March 2016. In January 2017 the first shipment of 10,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate was consigned from Esperance to Lianyungang, China.[21][22][23]

Copper

The Ravensthorpe Copper Mine operated in the area in the 1960s. In 1967 the mine produced 3,276 metric tons (3,224 long tons) of copper concentrate averaging about 23% Copper. The concentrate was trucked to the port of Esperance for shipment to Japan.[11]

Climate

Ravensthorpe has a semi-arid climate (BSk) with a Mediterranean rainfall pattern.

Climate data for Ravensthorpe
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 45.4
(113.7)		 45.9
(114.6)		 41.6
(106.9)		 38.2
(100.8)		 33.9
(93.0)		 26.0
(78.8)		 26.1
(79.0)		 29.5
(85.1)		 33.0
(91.4)		 38.1
(100.6)		 42.1
(107.8)		 43.3
(109.9)		 45.9
(114.6)
Average high °C (°F) 29.0
(84.2)		 28.4
(83.1)		 26.6
(79.9)		 23.7
(74.7)		 20.0
(68.0)		 17.2
(63.0)		 16.3
(61.3)		 17.3
(63.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 22.5
(72.5)		 25.1
(77.2)		 27.2
(81.0)		 22.7
(72.9)
Average low °C (°F) 14.1
(57.4)		 14.6
(58.3)		 13.6
(56.5)		 11.8
(53.2)		 9.6
(49.3)		 7.9
(46.2)		 6.8
(44.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 7.4
(45.3)		 9.1
(48.4)		 11.1
(52.0)		 12.8
(55.0)		 10.5
(50.9)
Record low °C (°F) 5.9
(42.6)		 5.6
(42.1)		 3.3
(37.9)		 3.3
(37.9)		 1.3
(34.3)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 0.0
(32.0)		 1.2
(34.2)		 2.1
(35.8)		 4.3
(39.7)		 −1.0
(30.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 25.0
(0.98)		 24.6
(0.97)		 33.0
(1.30)		 33.0
(1.30)		 44.2
(1.74)		 43.7
(1.72)		 47.3
(1.86)		 44.9
(1.77)		 42.1
(1.66)		 38.2
(1.50)		 30.7
(1.21)		 24.2
(0.95)		 427.3
(16.82)
Average precipitation days 5.8 5.8 7.7 8.4 10.9 12.3 13.3 12.9 11.4 10.0 7.5 6.0 112.0
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 47 48 49 51 56 60 58 56 51 48 47 45 51
Source: [24]

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Ravensthorpe". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  2. Alex Gibson and D. H. S. du Plessis (December 1947). "Report to the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the management, workings and control of the Western Australian Government Railways" (PDF). Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. Ravensthorpe Historical Society (Prepared for Publication by) (Other) (2018), The History of the Hopetoun Ravensthorpe Railway, Ravensthorpe Historical Society, ISBN 978-0-9805327-5-3
  4. "Welcome to the Shire of Ravensthorpe". 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  5. "The Age – Ravensthorpe". Melbourne. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  6. "The Cocanarup Massacre". theaustralianlegend. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2017
  7. Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar : 1880 Ravensthorpe massacre. Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge. South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council. Retrieved 31 August 2017
  8. Kim Scott and Hazel Brown. (2005). "Kayang & Me". Fremantle Press, Fremantle. p. 65
  9. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – R". Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  10. Western Australian Government Gazette, file 6158/00, 9 January 1901, p.195.
  11. "Government Members Mining and National Development Committees Fact Finding Tour July 21st-28th 1968" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. 1968. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  12. "CBH receival sites" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  13. "Ravensthorpe bulk wheat bin". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1947. p. 14. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  14. "BHP Sustainability Report – Relationship building". 2005. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  15. "Project Sheet Ravensthorpe Nickel Project, WA" (PDF). 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  16. "BHP Billiton – Nickel West". 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  17. "Sydney Morning Herald – BHP ready for laterite challenge". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  18. Tasker, Sarah-Jane (21 January 2009). "Mining job losses escalate as BHP Billiton cuts 6000". The Australian. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  19. Canada's First Quantum wins bid to revive Ravensthorpe nickel mine The Australian, published: 10 December 2009, accessed: 10 December 2009
  20. "First Quantum Minerals Ltd. - Our Operations". First Quantum. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  21. "Galaxy Resources waves off first lithium shipment from Mt Cattlin mine". ABC Rural. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  22. "First Lithium concentrate shipment from recommissioned Mt Cattlin Operations" (pdf). ASX. Galaxy Resources Limited. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  23. "Lithium concentrate production commences at Mt Cattlin" (pdf). ASX. Galaxy Resources Limited. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  24. "Climate statistics for Ravensthorpe". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
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