page_title: Fitzroy Iron Works
section_title: Daniel Flood (1904–1910)
hierarchical_section_title: Fitzroy Iron Works / History / Mittagong Land Company and the final years (1883–1910) / Daniel Flood (1904–1910)
caption_attribution_description: English: Fitzroy Iron works - 'Top works' or blast furnace area (c.1901). The tall round structure is the blast furnace.
context_page_description: The Fitzroy Iron Works at Mittagong, New South Wales, was the first commercial iron smelting works in Australia. It first operated in 1848.
  From 1848 to around 1910, various owners and lessees attempted to achieve profitable operation but ultimately none succeeded. More than once, new managers repeated more or less the same mistakes made by earlier ones. Over the second half of the 19th century, the name 'Fitzroy Iron Works' became almost synonymous with lost opportunities, repeated failure, lost capital, misplaced trust, and general misfortune.
  The Fitzroy Iron Works was—several times—a commercial failure, but it played a part in laying the foundations of the later success of the Australian iron and steel industry, and it was important in the growth of the township of Mittagong.
  Relics of the old iron-works were discovered during excavations for redevelopment of its site, during 2004, have been preserved and are on display. There are also some remnants and a commemorative cairn at the adjacent site of its former blast furnace.
context_section_description: In the very last attempt to revive the works, a Sydney company, 'Flood and Co.', bought the machinery and buildings in 1904. It was reported that they “before dismantling are endeavouring to form a company to start the works”. The man behind these developments, Daniel Flood, seems to have been a shady character, with an argumentative personality. Old equipment was being removed in November 1904 and Flood was seriously injured during the demolition work.
  Reports state that new equipment was erected at the plant by early August 1910, with an expectation that “the raw material will be converted into pig iron by a new process, and other foundry work carried on.” Flood said that his "patent" had been a success and that he was awaiting more new equipment to arrive in December 1910 to start production, but these plans apparently came to nothing. In the meantime, Australia's first modern blast furnace had commenced operation at the Lithgow in May 1907.
caption: Fitzroy Iron Works - 'Top works' or blast furnace area (in or earlier than 1901), before the partial demolition work of 1904. Reproduced from 'The Iron Ore Deposits of NSW' by J.B.Jacquet, published in 1901.[221] Photograph is credited to 'L.F.H. Photo' (Unknown Photographer).
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