Employee assessing the rail network at Karratha Rail

Australia

Our Australian story

Rio Tinto’s origins in Australia date back almost 120 years. Our story begins in 1905 with a small, speculative zinc operation in the fabled Broken Hill resources province in the far west of New South Wales. Today, Rio Tinto is in 35 countries, but our roots in Australia run as deep as ever.

Rio Tinto in Australia
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Our Australian operations

From Weipa, at the northern tip of Queensland, to Brisbane, from Tasmania’s Bell Bay to Gove in the Northern Territory, and from Perth to the vast landscapes of the Pilbara and the Kimberley, Australia is home to almost half our global business and employees.

More than 23,000 people work with us each day to produce iron ore, salt, bauxite, alumina and aluminium, to responsibly close and rehabilitate mine sites, to bring copper and scandium projects to life, and to explore the country for materials the world needs for a low carbon future.

Pilbara

Iron Ore Western Australia

In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, we own an integrated portfolio of world-class iron ore assets
Weipa port, Australia

Weipa

Our Weipa operations in Far North Queensland includes three bauxite mines, processing facilities, shiploaders, an export wharf, two ports, power stations, a rail network and ferry terminals
Yarwun Alumina Refinery from the air

Yarwun Alumina Refinery

Yarwun shipped its first alumina in late 2004 and today produces more than three million tonnes of alumina per year
Dampier Salt

Dampier Salt

Dampier Salt Limited, located in Western Australia and comprising three solar salt operations – Dampier, Port Hedland and Lake MacLeod – is the world’s largest exporter of solar salt
Gove aerial shot

Gove

Our Gove site in Australia’s Northern Territory has been supplying the global aluminium industry with bauxite for more than 40 years
Bell Bay from the air

Bell Bay Aluminium

Operating since 1955, Bell Bay holds a unique place in Tasmanian and Australian history as the first aluminium smelter in the Southern Hemisphere
Export wharf at BSL

Boyne Smelters Limited

Boyne Smelters Limited has been operating since 1982 and is Australia’s second largest aluminium smelter
Argyle, the Kimberley, Western Australia

Argyle

Ceasing mining in 2020, Argyle was one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and the largest supplier of natural coloured diamonds
Energy Resources of Australia from the air

Energy Resources of Australia Ltd

Energy Resources of Australia Ltd is one of Australia’s largest producers of uranium
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Our commitment to Australia

Five ways we're committed to playing our part in a stronger Australia.
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Communities

We know our operations can have far-reaching impacts on society.
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Projects

Our projects across the world.