| 1895 |
Sulphide Corporation
chooses Cockle Creek site for electrolytic zinc plant |
| March
1897 |
Plant operations commence |
| July 1897 |
Electrolytic process
abandoned – decision taken to convert plant to an orthodox
lead smelter |
| 1902 |
First of five zinc
distillation plants commissioned |
| 1911 |
Establishment of Sulphide
Employees’ Union |
| 1912 |
State-of-the-art Dwight
and Lloyd sintering machines installed |
| 1913 |
Sulphuric Acid and
Superphosphate Plants commissioned |
| 1917 |
Full-scale lead refinery
constructed and commissioned |
| 1922 |
Smelting section of the
plant closed due to low metal prices |
| 1923 |
Expansion of acid and fertilizer production |
| 1923 |
Six Barrier Roasters erected to roast zinc
concentrates – gases converted into acid in Chamber units,
calcines shipped to EZ in Tasmania |
| 1925 |
Sulphide Corporation entered its cement
production phase |
| 1931 |
Company directors and salaried staff agree
to 20 % wages cut to minimize costs in the wake of the Great
Depression |
| 1942 |
*censored*le Creek works declared a “protected
industry” freeing the Corporation from wartime restrictions |
| 1947 |
Industrial unrest in coalmining, transport
and power industries leads Corporation to seek permission to
begin coalmining on its own property |
| Sept 1949 |
$3 million upgrade announced to double
sulphuric acid production and to enable zinc production by
the ISF (Imperial Smelting Furnace) process |
| 1950 |
Sulphide Corporation Limited enters
voluntary liquidation, and a new company is formed -
Sulphide Corporation Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Consolidated Zinc Corporation Ltd. |
| 1957 |
Plans announced for an $8 million upgrade to
re-establish zinc smelting operations, and expand sulphuric
acid and superphosphate plants |
| Aug 1961 |
New zinc-lead smelter commissioned at Cokle
Creek, ushering in new era of employment, export revenue for
both the company and the Port, and 40 % boost in Australia’s
zinc-lead smelting capacity |
| 1962 |
Conzinc Riotinto takes 75% control of
Sulphide Corporation |
| 1964 |
Corporation founds a subsidiary, Greenleaf
Fertilisers Ltd, to manage fertilizer production at the
plant |
| 1965 |
Greenleaf begins construction of a $16
million high-analysis fertilizer plant at Kooragang Island (
the first manufacturing plant on Kooragang) |
| 1968 |
Refinery added to zinc smelter, adding four
new products to plant output |
| 1970 |
Sulphide sells its interest in Greenleaf to
Australian Fertilisers Ltd, ending 56 years of involvement
in the industry |
| 1972 |
Employee blood testing implemented |
| 1972 |
Corporation announces plans for a $3.5
million upgrade of capital plant and $3 million
environmental program |
| 1973 |
Systematic noise reduction program begun,
along with regular monitoring of effluents and emissions |
| 1974 |
Corporation celebrates the production of one
million tonnes of zinc and lead – the first ISF in the world
to achieve this |
| 1975 |
Sludge treatment plant commissioned to help
remove heavy metals from liquid effluent |
| 1978 |
$3.25 million investment announced in Lead
Dross Leaching Plant – the only one of its type in the world |
| 1980 |
The Sulphide Corporation Employees’ Union is
amalgamated with the Federated Ironworkers Association |
| 1985 |
Corporation spends $3.1 million on improved
technology to increase blast furnace zinc output and place a
continuous tapper on the furnace |
| 1988 |
Pasminco formed with merger of lead and zinc
assets of North Broken Hill Holdings Lt and CRA Ltd. $50
capital investment program announced for the *censored*le
Creek site including $12 million of new environmental
measures |
| 1991 |
Community health survey reveals widespread
soil and dust contamination and elevated blood lead levels |
| 1992 |
Company announces plans to develop a buffer
zone around the plant to ensure the site could meet current
and future lead-in-air goals |
| 1993 |
NSW Government grants development consent
for the company’s expansion and improvement program but sets
operating conditions among the toughest in the world |
| 1993 |
Capacity of ISF increased to 90,000 tonnes
of zinc per year, automatic zinc slab stacking and strapping
introduced, along with improved gas cleaning in the acid
plant |
| 1997 |
$8 million Tail Gas Scrubber constructed,
significantly reducing sulphur dioxide emissions |
| 2001 |
Business Improvement process (BOOM)
introduced to Pasminco smelting sites as part of a company
wide effort to deliver $100 million in cash savings in a 12
month period |
| 2002 |
Despite significant improvements, Pasminco
announces closure of the site between 2006 and 2008 due to
long-standing marginal performance |
| 2003 |
Closure is brought forward to September 2003
because of the negative movement in key external factors
since the original announcement |
