| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
The BHP Administration Precinct is within the traditional land and sea Country of the Awabakal people (AIATSIS). This area is also associated with the Worimi people whose lands lie across the Coquun (Hunter River). Located on the southern bank of the Coquun, the BHP site was originally swampland with interspersed mangroves, providing aquatic and terrestrial resources. Evidence of habitation in the area is documented, with reports from the BHP Survey Department in 1925 noting 'near the Administration Offices of the steelworks, a deposit of much disintegrated shells with black earth' (Cooksey, D. F., 1925). Cooksey went on to collect stone artefacts from the Mayfield area, including from within the BHP Administration Precinct (UON, undated).
The 19th century industrialisation of Newcastle was a continuation of tradition, with the Awabakal noted as proficient manufacturers (Maynard, J. 2001). The early colonists had a devastating impact on the Awabakal population through persecution and the spread of disease, resulting in population decline. However, the establishment of industry provided employment opportunities, attracting Aboriginal workers to the area. As a result of the opportunities provided at BHP, noted to offer equal wages to Aboriginal workers, and at other industrial sites, the Aboriginal population in the Newcastle area expanded and Newcastle became known as a place of less overt racism, with industrial employment in Newcastle a more attractive alternative to life in missions (Maynard, J. 2001).
History
INDUSTRIAL NEWCASTLE
Newcastle was the birthplace of industry and mining in NSW, with the discovery of easily accessible coal around Nobbys Head in 1797. By 1799 the first coal ship left, with Australia's first commodity export onboard. Prior to this, the Awabakal are known to have used coal (nikkin) in fires, with coal also featuring in Awabakal dreaming stories (Sherwin, M. 2013). Through the 19th and 20th centuries, Newcastle expanded as a mining city. By the turn of the 20th century the population of Newcastle had reached 50,000, however by 1906 an economic downturn hit and with it the population declined, as miners followed work to places like Cessnock and Kurri Kurri. With the decline came the need to consider alternative industries (NBRS, 2021).
THE BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY COMPANY (BHP)
BHP began mining lead and silver in Broken Hill. The BHP silver mines in Broken Hill were established following the identification of silver chloride seams in weathered rock by Aboriginal man Harry Campbell, part of the early BHP workforce (BHP, 1985). In 1896, BHP purchased 10 hectares of land from the Waratah Coal Company, who had operated to the north of the current subject site. The plan to develop the Newcastle site into a new iron and steelworks was developed in 1911, when then General Manager Guillaume Delprat noted the reserves of ore at Broken Hill were depleting. Delprat was an internationally recognised metallurgist, who moved to Australia in 1898 after being appointed as Assistant General Manager of BHP by Chairman Edward Wigg. By April 1899, he was appointed as General Manager. While holding this position, Delprat developed the flotation process of ore separation which 'revolutionised the treatment of certain types of ore' (The Advertiser, 1937). In 1911, Delprat toured Europe and America seeking advice and ideas on establishing a steelwork site in Newcastle. Impressed by the North American technical and managerial approach to the business, Delprat recruited Pennsylvania Steel Company engineer, David Baker, who drew up plans for the site in 1912 including a building for administrative staff.
NEWCASTLE STEELWORKS
The Steelworks opened in 1915, 2 years after construction commenced (BHP, 1928). It was a major contributor to the economy of NSW, along with providing materials for war efforts and for major construction projects. By 1928, they employed 4,700 men directly, with a weekly wage bill of 27,000 pounds, producing 335,000 tons of product annually (BHP, 1928). Despite a minor dip in production during the Depression, the steelworks would supply 10,500 tons of steel for the Harbour Bridge in 1932, and during World War II would be a major supplier of pig iron, steel ingots and alloy steel (NBRS, 2021).
The construction of the administrative office was not an initial priority. However, by 1921 an administrative building designed by Sydney Architects Ross and Rowe was constructed, overlooking the steelworks. The building comprised a central northwest facing core with two wings. In 1927 a bike shed was constructed at the request of the Safety Department (BHP, 1928). A 1928 plan shows the administration offices standing alone in what is now the administration precinct of the steelworks (BHP, 1928). In 1930 a bike shed is shown to the north of Crebert Street. Historical imagery demonstrates that the extant bike shed was constructed between 1966-1974 (Historical Aerial Imagery Viewer).
By the early 1930s the administration building was no longer adequate to support the expanding steelworks and extensions were required. The extensions and a major upgrade were commenced in 1935 and completed in 1939, designed by local architects Pitt and Merewether. The additions included extensions to the east and west wings with a new southern wing enclosing the internal courtyard, all in a modified Italian renaissance finish with brick and cement dressing. Constructed by Baker and Lamb (locals), the extension doubled the size and provided executive offices along with a new staff dining room and kitchen (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate, 23 November 1935).
EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS
In 1954, the administrative building stood alone at the south of the steelworks, but by 1961 this would change. The introduction of innovative Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) required the expansion of facilities. The central control laboratory, also known as the quality control laboratory, designed by Stephenson and Turner, was constructed to the west of the administration building. The roll shop was also opened in the same year. In 1962, the administration building was extended with more advanced computing facilities installed. By 1964, the Steelworks was at peak capacity employing 11,558 workers and Newcastle was colloquially known as 'Steel City'. The workforce was diverse, with World War II migrants being placed at the steelworks for employment, a policy that was initially controversial (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 1949). General offices were constructed to support the expanded operation in 1966, and in 1970 a new IT building was constructed to house the two Control Data Corporation CDC 3300 computers (NBRS, 2021). BHP were early adopters of computer technology, at the cutting edge of the digital transformation.
WIND DOWN AND CLOSURE
By 1982, imported steel flooded the market and operations were scaled down at the site. Increased reliance on computers saw the expansion of the IT building in 1984 to allow for the installation of IBM computers. By the end of the 1990s, the closure of the steelworks loomed. In 1997 the front end operations were closed, and workers were advised that the whole operation would close in 1999. There was significant anxiety amongst the workforce as to what their future employment prospects would hold, as well as concern amongst workers and residents of Newcastle generally as to how Newcastle would be defined without the Steelworks. The Workers Cultural Action Committee (WCAC) was contracted by BHP to be involved in various projects intended to celebrate the culture of the Steelworks and its impact on the community of Newcastle as part of an eight day event. The Muster Point monument was one of the WCAC projects, and artist in residence Julie Squires spent eighteen months working alongside BHP employees to create the piece, designed to reflect a range of aspects of working life in the steelworks (Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association). The Muster Point monument was installed in 1999, and in September of the same year the Steelworks closed. While demolition and remediation of much of the industrial portion of the site was undertaken, the Administration Precinct remained and was transferred to Government ownership in 2000.
In 2011 the Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association, following a fundraising appeal, issued a request for expressions of interest for artists in the design, development and installation of a memorial to steelworkers who had lost their lives within the Newcastle steelworks industry between 1915 and 1999. Will Maguire was commissioned in 2014 to create his design, and the memorial was subsequently opened in 2015 along with a time capsule. Remediation works were undertaken on the non-administrative portion of the former steelworks site and during this, the roll shop was utilised by Daracon Group. The administration building has hosted several small business offices and a men's shed (NBRS, 2021). The buildings are all currently disused. |