Mining in Australia - Wikipedia Mining in Australia This article 's lead section does not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. Please discuss this issue on the article 's talk page. ( September 2010 ) Super Pit gold mine on Kalgoorlie 's Golden Mile in Western Australia, Australia 's largest open - pit mine Adults employed in the mining industry as a percentage of the adult population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 census Mining in Australia is a significant primary industry and contributor to the Australian economy. Historically, mining booms have also encouraged immigration to Australia. Many different ores and minerals are mined throughout the country. Contents 1 History 1.1 Gold rushes 2 Location 3 Minerals and resources 4 Statistical chart of Australia 's major mineral resources 4.1 Coal mining 4.2 Uranium mining 4.3 Natural gas 5 Entrepreneurs and magnates 6 Economics 7 Technology and services 8 Mines 9 Environment and politics 10 Mining disasters 10.1 New Australian Gold Mine 10.2 Mount Kembla 10.3 Balmain Colliery 10.4 North Mount Lyell 10.5 Mount Mulligan 10.6 Moura 10.7 Bronzewing 10.8 Beaconsfield 10.9 Bulli 10.10 Box Flat Mine 11 Australian mining in literature, art and film 12 See also 13 References 14 External links History Mining contributed significantly to preventing potential bankruptcy for the early colonies in Australia. Silver and later copper were discovered in South Australia in the 1840s, leading to the export of ore and the immigration of skilled miners and smelters. The first economic minerals in Australia were silver and lead in February 1841 at Glen Osmond, now a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. Mines including Wheal Gawler and Wheal Watkins opened soon after. The value of these mines was soon overshadowed by the discovery of copper at Kapunda ( 1842 ), Burra ( 1845 ) and in the Copper Triangle ( Moonta, Kadina and Wallaroo ) area at the top of Yorke Peninsula ( 1861 ). Broken Hill, NSW, one of Australia 's iconic mining towns, backed by the man - made mullock heaps from the Line of Lode Gold rushes Australia mined gold production, 1960 -- 2012 Main article : Australian gold rushes In 1851, gold was found near Ophir, New South Wales. Weeks later, gold was found in the newly established colony of Victoria. Australian gold rushes, in particular the Victorian Gold Rush, had a major lasting impact on Victoria, and on Australia as a whole. The influx of wealth that gold brought soon made Victoria Australia 's richest colony by far, and Melbourne the island 's largest city. By the middle of the 1850s, 40 % of the world 's gold was produced in Australia. Australia 's population changed dramatically as a result of the gold rushes : in 1851 the population was 437,655 and a decade later it was 1,151,957 ; the rapid growth was predominantly a result of the new chums ( recent immigrants from the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states ) who contributed the ' rush '. Although most Victorian goldfields were exhausted by the end of the 19th century, and although much of the profit was sent back to the UK, sufficient wealth remained to fund substantial development of industry and infrastructure. Location Drilling rig at the Area C iron ore mine, 95 km ( 59 mi ) WNW of Newman, Western Australia. Australia has mining activity in all of its states and territories. The Minerals Council of Australia estimates that 0.02 % of Australia 's land surface is directly impacted by mining. Particularly significant areas today include the Goldfields, Peel and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, the Hunter Region in New South Wales, the Bowen Basin in Queensland and Latrobe Valley in Victoria and various parts of the outback. Places such as Kalgoorlie, Mount Isa, Mount Morgan, Broken Hill and Coober Pedy are known as mining towns. Major active mines in Australia include : Olympic Dam in South Australia, a copper, silver and uranium mine believed to have the world 's largest uranium resource. Super Pit gold mine, which has replaced a number of underground mines near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia For a more comprehensive list of mines in Australia, see Mines in Australia Minerals and resources Australian metal ore and mineral quarterly exports ( $ A millions ) since 1969. Large quantities of minerals and resources : Iron ore -- Australia was the world 's second largest supplier in 2015 after China, supplying 824 million metric tonnes, 25 % of the world 's output. Nickel -- Australia was the world 's fourth largest producer in 2015, producing 9 % of world output. Aluminium -- Australia was the world 's largest producer of bauxite in 2015 ( 29 % of world production ), and the second largest producer of alumina after China. Copper -- Australia was the world 's 5th largest producer in 2015 Gold -- Australia is the second largest producer after China, producing 287.3 metric tonnes in 2016, 9.2 % of the world 's output. Silver -- In 2015 Australia was the fourth largest producer, producing 1,700 metric tonnes, 6 % of the world 's output. Uranium -- Australia is responsible for 11 % of the world 's production and was the world 's third largest producer in 2010 after Kazakhstan and Canada. Diamond -- Australia has the third largest commercially viable deposits after Russia and Botswana. Australia also boasts the richest diamantiferous pipe with production reaching peak levels of 42 metric tons ( 41 LT / 46 ST ) per year in the 1990s. Opal -- Australia is the world 's largest producer of opal, being responsible for 95 % of production. Zinc -- Australia was second only to China in zinc production in 2015, producing 1.58 million tonnes, 12 % of world production. Coal -- Australia is the world 's largest exporter of coal and fourth largest producer of coal behind China, USA and India. Oil shale -- Australia has the sixth largest defined oil shale resources. Petroleum -- Australia is the twenty - ninth largest producer of petroleum. Natural gas -- Australia is world 's third largest producer of LNG and forecast to be world leader by 2020. Silica Rare earth elements -- In 2015 Australia was the second largest producer after China, with 8 % of the world 's output. Much of the raw material mined in Australia is exported overseas to countries such as China for processing into refined product. Energy and minerals constitute two - thirds of Australia 's total exports to China, and more than half of Australia 's iron ore exports are to China. Statistical chart of Australia 's major mineral resources Australia ranks among the top 4 in economic resources for 21 primary industrial minerals, more than any other nation. Statistics are for December 2016. Units of measurement : t = tonne ; kt = kilotonne ( 1,000 t ) ; Mt = million tonne ( 1,000,000 t ) ; Mc = million carat ( 1,000,000 c ) Mineral Unit of Measurement Demonstrated Economic Resources World Ranking of Resources % of World Resources Production ( 2016 ) World Ranking of Production % of World Production Years of Resources at Current Production Rate Antimony kt content 139 9 5.5 25 Bauxite Mt ore 6,005 22 82.15 31 73 Coal, Black Mt 64,045 10 566.3 7 113 Coal, Brown ( lignite ) Mt 66,439 24 63.3 5 6 1,050 Cobalt kt content 1164 14 5.47 5 213 Copper Mt content 87.78 12. 95 5 5 92 Diamond ( industrial ) Mc 115.84 18 13.96 24 8 Gold t content 9,800 17 288 9 34 Iron ore Mt ore 49,588 29 858 38 58 Lead Mt content 24.09 40. 45 9 54 Lithium kt content 2,730 18 14 41 195 Manganese Mt ore 219 13 3.2 9 68 Nickel Mt content 18.5 24. 204 5 9 91 Rare Earth Elements Mt ore 3.43 6. 014 11 245 Silver kt content 89.29 16 1.42 5 5 63 Tin kt content 486 10 6.64 7 73 Titanium ( Ilmenite & Rutile ) Mt ore 276.1 17 1.7 10 162 Tungsten kt content 391 12. 11 12. 40 1,151 Uranium kt content 1,212 29 6.31 10 192 Vanadium kt content 2,111 11 0 0 NA NA Zinc Mt content 63.5 28. 884 7 75 Zircon Mt ore 72.1 67. 60 31 120 Coal mining Australian coal, coke and briquette quarterly exports ( $ A millions ) since 1969. Main article : Coal in Australia Coal is mined in every state of Australia except South Australia. It is used to generate electricity and is exported. 54 % of the coal mined in Australia is exported, mostly to eastern Asia. In 2000 / 01, 258.5 million tonnes of coal was mined, and 193.6 million tonnes exported, rising to 261 million tonnes of exports in 2008 -- 09. Coal also provides about 85 % of Australia 's electricity production. Australia is the world 's leading coal exporter. Uranium mining Main article : Uranium mining in Australia Uranium mining in Australia began in the early 20th century in South Australia. At 2016 Australia contained 29 % of the world 's defined uranium resources. The three largest uranium mines in the country are Olympic Dam, Ranger Uranium Mine and Beverley Uranium Mine. Future production is expected from Honeymoon Uranium Mine and the planned Four Mile uranium mine. Natural gas Based on 2008 CSIRO report, Australia estimated to have stranded gas reserves with about 140 trillion cubic feet or enough to fulfil the needs of a city with one million people for 2,800 years. Mining Employment by Sector in 1000 's Entrepreneurs and Magnates Main article : Australian mining entrepreneurs At various stages in the history of the mining industry in Australia, individual mining managers, directors and investors have gained significant wealth and the subsequent publicity. In most cases the individuals are designated Mining Magnates or Australian mining entrepreneurs. Economics Total employment in metal ore mining ( thousands of people ) since 1984 Total employment in coal mining ( thousands of people ) since 1984 Total employment in oil and gas extraction ( thousands of people ) since 1984 A number of large multinational mining companies including BHP Billiton, Newcrest, Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Chalco, Shenhua ( a Chinese mining company ), Alcan and Xstrata operate in Australia. There are also a lot of small mining and mineral exploration companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange ( ASX ). Overall, the resources sector represents almost 20 % of the ASX market by capitalisation, and almost one third of the companies listed. Mining contributes about 5.6 % of Australia 's Gross Domestic Product. This is up from only 2.6 % in 1950, but down from over 10 % at the time of federation in 1901. In contrast, mineral exports contribute around 35 % of Australia 's exports. Australia is the world 's largest exporter of coal ( 35 % of international trade ), iron ore, lead, diamonds, rutile, zinc and zirconium, second largest of gold and uranium, and third largest of aluminium. Japan was the major purchaser of Australian mineral exports in the mid-1990s. Of the developed countries, perhaps only Canada and Norway have mining as such a significant part of the economy ; for comparison, in Canada mining represents about 3.6 % of the Canadian economy and 32 % of exports, and in Norway mining, dominated by petroleum, represents about 19 % of GDP and 46 % of exports. By comparison, in the United States mining represents only about 1.6 % of GDP. Despite its export importance, the mining sector employs only a small proportion of the workforce -- roughly 129,000 Australians, representing only about 2.2 % of the total labour force. Technology and services This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2016 ) Australia 's high labour costs and first - world safety regulations, distinctive geology, and the importance placed on mining research by successive governments and businesses has meant that the Australian mining sector is quite technologically advanced. A large proportion of mines worldwide make use of Australian - developed computer software, such as specialised Geological Database and Resource Estimation Modelling software by Micromine and geology / mine planning software by RungePincockMinarco and Maptek Pty Ltd. Australia is also home to other tech companies that offer mine planning software, such as Paradyn. Mines in Australia are leading the market globally deploying mine production data management software such as Corvus developed by Intov8 Pty Ltd, which displays real - time production data from multiple source systems on dashboards, and includes comprehensive dynamic analysis and reporting, driving process and cost efficiencies at the shift level. Caterpillar 's proprietary end - to - end mine management and information management system, MineStar, is also developed in its Brisbane office. Australia 's mining services, equipment, and technology exports are over $2 billion annually. The world first large scale remote operations centre for operation of the Rio Tinto mines in the Pilbara is located in the airport precinct in Perth -- operating mines sites, ports, rail and logistics from a central remote location. Mines Many mines in remote areas have a traditional company town ( for example Roxby Downs or Leigh Creek ), or support towns that used to be company towns such as Broken Hill and Mount Isa. The town of Mount Isa is surrounded by vast mineral deposits. Most mines in remote areas are operated on a fly - in - fly - out basis where the miners ' `` home '' and family remains in a major city, and the miners fly out to their mine for two weeks of 12 hours a day solid work, then fly home for one week of rest. The rosters vary from company to company and from site to site. Every site has people on different rosters, mainly due to the fact that many aspects of a whole mine operation are carried out by contracting companies and they may / will offer different working conditions. 3 weeks on / 1 week off rosters are not uncommon and the working away period can be, but seldom is, for much longer than 2 or 3 weeks. However, in recognition of the stresses and strains that `` fly in fly out '' rosters can often put upon the miners ' social and family life, and in an attempt to retain staff for the medium to long term, rosters of 9 days work followed by 5 days off ( `` 9 & 5 '' ) and 8 days work with 6 off ( `` 8 & 6 '' ) are becoming more widespread. A fly - in - fly - out roster is normal on offshore oil platforms, ( not least because people can not live there permanently, unlike many onshore mining towns ) as well as minesites located inland of Australia, such as Century, Challenger, Bronzewing and Yandicoogina minesites. Free meals and motel style accommodation are provided as is any work related transport, including air fares. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are consumed and collected from the mess hall at the mining camp. Living quarters provided at camp sites range from 2 by 4 - metre portable homes to permanent 6 by 8 - metre rooms with ensuites. Fridges, single beds, television, electricity and water are also provided with rooms. Every camp has a bar facility and a gym, most have swimming pools and some have outdoor sports courts / fields too. Environment and politics The mountains near Queenstown, Tasmania, completely denuded of vegetation through effects of mining Mining has created major economic benefits for the country, but has also had a substantial environmental impact in some areas of Australia. Historically, the Victorian gold rush was the start of the economic growth of the country, leading to major increases in population. However, it also resulted in deforestation, consequent erosion, and pollution in the areas that were mined. The effects on the landscape near Bendigo and Ballarat can still be seen today. Queenstown, Tasmania 's mountains were also completely denuded through a combination of logging and pollution from a mine smelter, and remain bare today. It is estimated that 10 million hectares of land have been affected throughout the history of mining in Australia. Because Australia 's mines are distributed across varying climates the knowledge gained from one mine 's restoration does not easily extrapolate to other sites. Uranium mining has been controversial, partly for its alleged environmental impact but more so because of its end uses in nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The Australian Labor Party, one of Australia 's two major parties, maintains a policy of `` no new uranium mines ''. As of 2006, the increased world demand for uranium has seen some pressure, both internally and externally on the ALP, for a policy change. Australia is a participant in international anti-proliferation efforts designed to ensure that no exported uranium is used in nuclear weapons. Mining disasters Memorial for the workers who lost their lives at Mount Kembla, 1902 New Australian gold mine Creswick in the Victorian goldfields was the site of The New Australasian No. 2 Deep Lead Gold Mine. At 4 : 45 am, Tuesday 12 December 1882, 29 miners became trapped underground by flood waters that came from the flooded parallel - sunk No. 1 mine shaft, only five men survived and made it to the surface. Despite two days of frantic pumping the waters filled the mine shaft. The trapped men scrawled last notes to their loved ones on billy cans before they drowned. Some of these have been kept and still bear the messages. The men that perished left 17 widows and 75 dependent children. Mount Kembla In 1883 a coal mine was opened near Mount Kembla in the Illawarra District of New South Wales. In 1902 there was an explosion in the mine and 96 men and boys lost their lives, either while at work or in the course of trying to save the lives of others. Every family in the village lost a relative. A service of commemoration is held annually on 31 July at the Mount Kembla Soldiers ' and Miners ' Memorial Church. This is the worst mining disaster in Australia 's history. Balmain Colliery Balmain Colliery was located in Birchgrove, New South Wales and produced coal from 1897 until 1931 and natural gas until 1945. During this period, 10 miners lost their lives in three separate incidents : 1900 On 17 March 1900, six miners were being lowered down the Birthday shaft. At 1,424 feet the bucket they were travelling in caught on a projection, tipped over and five of the six men fell to their death in the shaft. As a result of this accident, the Mining Act was amended to provide guide rails in shafts to prevent bucket swinging or overturning. 1932 In 1932, a year after the mine closed, a six - inch bore was sunk below the Birthday shaft to pipe Natural Gas to the surface. During the sinking of the bore, two men were killed when the gas ignited and exploded. 1945 During the sealing of the Birthday shaft on 20 April 1945, a rudimentary test was being undertaken which ignited escaping gas and caused an explosion below the seal. The company manager and two men were killed in the accident and another two men injured. North Mount Lyell On 12 October 1912, the North Mount Lyell Fire caused the death of 42 miners, and required breathing apparatus to be transported from Victorian mines at great speed, to rescue trapped miners. The subsequent royal commission was inconclusive as to the cause Mount Mulligan The 1921 Mount Mulligan mine disaster occurred in Far North Queensland. The coal dust explosion killed seventy - five men. Mount Mulligan in Far North Queensland Moura Four serious accidents have occurred at mines in the Central Queensland town of Moura. The first accident took the lives of 13 men in September 1975. In July 1986 there was an explosion at Moura Number 4 Mine. 12 coal miners lost their lives in this disaster that sparked controversy after experts claimed the accident was avoidable. Another explosion killed two men in January 1994 and just eight months later another explosion deep underground took the lives of 11 men. Bronzewing On 26 June 2000, at the Bronzewing Gold Mine in Western Australia ( 400 kilometres from Kalgoorlie ), 18,000 cubic metres of sand - slurry, sludge, mud and rock broke through a storage wall. Two men ( Timothy Lee Bell, 21, Shane Hamill, 45 ) were killed and eight escaped the ' accident '. It took over a month to retrieve the men from the site. Beaconsfield Main article : Beaconsfield mine collapse Headworks over a shaft at Beaconsfield gold mine in Tasmania. On 25 April 2006, part of an underground gold mine at Beaconsfield in Tasmania collapsed. One miner, Larry Knight, was killed by the rock fall, and two others, Brant Webb and Todd Russel, were trapped, leading to a rescue mission that took two weeks to get them out alive. Bulli 1887 At 2.30 pm on 23 March 1887, an explosion at the mine in Bulli in New South Wales killed 81 people. A special commission was set up to investigate the explosion and concluded :... that the explosion was caused by marsh gas or carbonic hydrate that had accumulated at the face. That the immediate cause was probably the flame from an overcharged shot fired by a miner in the coal in No. 2 Heading. This gas explosion propagated a coal dust explosion and travelled towards the fresh air at the surface. The commission was also of the opinion that the Deputy, Overman and to a lesser extent the Manager, were all guilty of contributing negligence. 1965 On 9 November 1965, a pocket of gas ignited in a panel several hundred yards from the main shaft and killed four miners. Ten mining rescue teams and the Southern Mines Rescue Station worked all night to extinguish the fire. Box Flat mine At the Box Flat Mine in Swanbank, South East Queensland, 17 miners were lost after an underground gas explosion occurred on 31 July 1972. Another man died later from injuries sustained in the explosion. The mine tunnel mouths were sealed and the mine closed shortly after. Australian mining in literature, art and film Henry Lawson, His Father 's Mate from While The Billy Boils, 1896 ( short story ) Nickel Queen, based on the Western Australian nickel boom of the late 1960s Colin Thiele, The Fire in the Stone ( book which became a film ) Wendy Richardson, Windy Gully 1989 Currency Press ( play ) Conal Fitzpatrick, Kembla - The Book of Voices 2002 Kemblawarra Press ( poetry ) ISBN 0 - 9581287 - 0 - 7 Henry Handel Richardson, The Fortunes of Richard Mahony : Australia Felix Takes place in the chaos of the early Ballarat goldrush. Richard Lowenstein, Strikebound ( 1984 film ). Tim Burstall, The Last of the Knucklemen ( 1979 film, based on the play by John Power, who also wrote a novelisation of the film ). Kriv Stenders, Red Dog ( 2011 film, based on the true story ). See also Australia portal Mining portal Economy of Australia Mining in the Northern Territory Mining in Western Australia NSW Minerals Council Uranium mining controversy in Kakadu National Park References Jump up ^ `` The Glen Osmond Mines ''. South Australian History. Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 5 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` Kapunda ''. South Australian History. Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 6 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` Burra ''. South Australian History. Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 6 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` The Moonta Mine ''. South Australian History. Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 6 June 2006. ^ Jump up to : Sharieff, Afzal ; Masood Ali Khan ; A Balakishan ( 2007 ). Encyclopedia of World Geography : Volume 23, Australia and its Geography. New Delhi : Sarup & Sons. pp. 13 -- 14. ISBN 81 - 7625 - 773 - 7. Jump up ^ Caldwell, J.C. ( 1987 ). `` Chapter 2 : Population ''. In Wray Vamplew ( ed. ). Australians : Historical Statistics. Broadway, New South Wales, Australia : Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates. pp. 23 and 26. ISBN 0 - 949288 - 29 - 2. CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list ( link ) ^ Jump up to : Grant, Carl ( 2013 ). `` State - and - Transition Models for Mining Restoration in Australia ''. In Suding, Katharine N. ; Hobbs, Richard J. New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration. Peter Society for Ecological Restoration International. p. 280. ISBN 9781610911382. Retrieved 19 September 2017. Jump up ^ Tuck, Christopher A. ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016 '' ( pdf ). Reston, VA : U.S. Geological Survey. pp. 90 -- 91. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ Kuck, Peter H. ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries -- Nickel '' ( PDF ). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 28 January 2017. Jump up ^ Bray, E. Lee ( January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries -- Bauxite and Alumina '' ( PDF ). United States Geological Survey. pp. 32 -- 33. Retrieved 28 January 2017. Jump up ^ Brininstool, Mark ( January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries -- Copper '' ( PDF ). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 28 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Gold Mining Map and Gold Production in 2016 -- World Gold Council ''. gold.org. Retrieved 5 July 2017. Jump up ^ George, Micheal W. ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016 '' ( pdf ). Reston, VA : U.S. Geological Survey. pp. 152 -- 153. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` World Uranium Mining ''. World Nuclear Association. September 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Minerals : Opal ''. Primary Industries and Resources South Australia. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010. Jump up ^ Tolcin, Amy C. ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016 '' ( pdf ). Reston, VA : U.S. Geological Survey. pp. 192 -- 193. Retrieved 22 February 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The Australian Coal Industry -- Coal Exports ''. Australian Coal Association. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Oil shale in the world ''. Enefit. Amman, Jordan. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ Gambogi, Joseph ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Mineral Commodity Summaries 2016 '' ( pdf ). Reston, VA : U.S. Geological Survey. pp. 134 -- 135. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ The Hon De-Anne Kelly MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade ( 3 May 2006 ). `` Speech at the Australia China Business Council, Queensland Branch Business Dinner ''. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ Britt, A., Summerfield, D., Senior, A., Kay, P., Huston, D., Hitchman, A., Hughes, A., Champion, D., Simpson, R., Sexton, M. and Schofield, A. ( 2017 ). `` Australia 's Identified Mineral Resources 2017 '' ( pdf ). Canberra : Geoscience Australia : 10. ISSN 1327 - 1466. Retrieved 19 March 2018. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ `` The Importance of Coal in the Modern World -- Australia ''. Gladstone Centre for Clean Coal. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007. Jump up ^ International Energy Agency. ( 31 August 2008 ) Coal Information 2008. Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development. ISBN 92 - 64 - 04241 - 5 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` ASX and Australian mining ''. Australian Stock Exchange. Archived from the original on 22 April 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` 1301.0 -- Year Book Australia, 2005 ''. 21 January 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ The Hon Peter Costello, MP, Treasurer of Australia ( 5 June 2002 ). `` Address to the Minerals Council of Australia, 2002 Minerals Industry Dinner ''. speech. Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2006. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Natural Resources Canada. `` Canadian Minerals Yearbook, 2004 ''. government of Canada. Archived from the original on 16 June 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2006. Jump up ^ Statistics Norway. `` Statistical Yearbook 2005 ''. Government of Norway. Retrieved 19 June 2006... Jump up ^ Bureau of Economic Analysis. `` Gross - Domestic - Product - by - Industry Accounts ''. United States government. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` 6291.0. 55.003 Table 04 : Employed persons by Industry -- Trend, Seasonally adjusted, Original ''. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 16 March 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` Mining Capability Overview ''. Austrade. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` Deforestation -- Gold ''. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 19 June 2006. Jump up ^ Patrick Walters & Joseph Kerr ( 4 April 2006 ). `` PM threatens ALP on China uranium deal ''. The Australian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2006. Jump up ^ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( 2005 ). `` Weapons of Mass Destruction : Australia 's Role in Fighting Proliferation ''. Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 26 May 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2006. Jump up ^ Gold - Net Australia Online -- May 1999 Jump up ^ Stuart Piggin and Henry Lee, The Mount Kembla Disaster, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1992 ^ Jump up to : Peter Reynolds, Balmain Places 2 -- The Coal Mine Under The Harbour, Architectural History Research Unit, University of New South Wales, 1996, ISBN 0 - 908502 - 54 - 0 Jump up ^ Barwick, John ( 1999 ). Australia 's worst disasters : mining disasters. Port Melbourne, Victoria : Heinemann Library. pp. 24 -- 25. ISBN 1 - 86391 - 886 - 8. Jump up ^ Wollongong City Library, Bulli -- History Archived 19 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine... Retrieved 2 / 11 / 06. Jump up ^ Illawarra Coal, Bulli Colliery Gas Explosion - 1887. Retrieved 2 / 11 / 06. Jump up ^ Illawarra Coal, Bulli Colliery Underground Fire -- 1965. Retrieved 2 / 11 / 06. ^ Jump up to : Craig Wallace ( 4 June 2009 ). `` Q150 bridge naming kicks off with Box Flat Bridge ''. Ministerial Media Statement. Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 25 October 2010. External links `` Australian Atlas of Mineral Resources, Mines & Processing Centres ''. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 6 June 2006. Minerals Council of Australia WA 's mining boom : where does it leave the environment ? 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Question: australia is the world's major producer of
Answer: Opal