HISTORIC LEGACIES AND A CATALYST
1. It was Australia’s first Uranium mine (1906)
2. In 1981 Radium Hill became the first Australian State Government Gazetted Radio-active waste Dump site. (S.A. Government Gazette 2nd. April 1981)
3. The Uranium Ore was named Davidite by Sir Douglas Mawson (Trans. Royal Soc. S.Aust., V.30 1906)
4. Sir Douglas proposed the name Radium Hill for the site on the 4th. September 1906 and it possibly became the only such town to be named by him. (As per Pt.3 above)
5. Sir Douglas Mawson also had a half share in one of the mines along the line of lode. (Letter from Sir Douglas to Sir Maurice Mawby in 1940).
6. Perhaps the longest lasting and most tangible relic of the Radium Hill ghost town will be the main shaft head frame ore bin constructed from re-inforced concrete and having a ore holding capacity of 100tons plus mullock of 40tons a total of 140tons, claimed to be the biggest such structure in the Southern hemisphere. (Peter Hill, former S.A. Dept. of Mines special projects engineer). A pair of peregrine falcons have been using this site to raise their young.
7. The 2000ton capacity crushed ore receiving bin constructed from re-inforced concrete and the concrete 2million gallon capacity fresh water tank on top of ‘Tank Hill’.
8. The Arthur J Smith Monument at Radium Hill paying tribute to the prospector who discovered the mineral deposit in 1906 near the site.
9. It was the first uranium mine in Australia to enter into an export agreement for selling its product overseas.(Norton Jackson)
10. In 1955 the Radium Hill Project was the first mining organization in Australia to take to court the matter of manning light air-leg mounted rock drills, to have one man to a machine. It was successful in the case and set a precedent for the Australian mining industry. (Judge Pellew-Moore).
11. It was the first time in the world that the boiling concentrated sulphuric acid technique was used to further process Davidite uranium bearing ore. (Norton Jackson)
12. At Radium Hill the heavy media milling process was used for separating hard rock ore for the first time in Australia.(Norton Jackson)
13. A Barite mine was established near Quorn to provide material for the processing of uranium concentrate at Pt. Pirie and later to be a source of dense aggregate for the Lucas Heights Project. (Norton Jackson)
14. A pyrite mine was opened near Nairne as a source of base materials for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, which was also used in the processing of uranium concentrates at the Pt. Pirie treatment plant.(‘Above and Below”, by B. O’Neil)
15. The S.A. and Federal Government together with the mining industry established the Australian Mineral Development Laboratories or AMDEL as it is known, to keep together the various research science specialists associated with the exploration, mining and milling requirements of Radium Hill and subsequently the broader Australian mining community as a whole.( Sir Ben S. Dickinson tape, Norton Jackson and “Above and Below”).
16. The pool of experts so gathered at AMDEL and the Mines Dept. prompted Sir Eric Rudd to help form The Australian Mineral Foundation in Adelaide which acts as a focus for the Australian mining industry. ( “Above and Below” by B. O’Neil and also Norton Jackson)
17. In 1953 it was envisioned that a nuclear reactor may be located on Spencer Gulf to generate electricity and desalinate water using Radium Hill uranium as its energy source. (“Above and Below” By B. O’Neil)
18. A survey of former Radium Hill miners revealed that by 1987, 54 had died of lung cancer. It indicated a significant increase in the risk of contacting lung cancer when compared to the general population. Many more have died since. The results of this survey by the Department of Community Medicine, Adelaide University and the S.A. Health Commission has led in part to the implementation of regulations for safer working conditions in the uranium mines of today. (“Above and Below” by B. O’Neil. SEARCH Vol.22, Num.4 June 1991. Cancer Causes and Control, Vol.2. 1991).
19. Sixty six house number and former occupant name plaques have been erected on former house and business premises around the old town site making this a rather unique way of recognizing our past cultural heritage.
20. The town layout was in keeping with Government “public service” tradition of the 1950’s where the housing of senior staff, staff, married daily paid and single daily paid men were built as separate clusters around a centrally located array of sporting venues and some shops. Building legacies of the town are still evident today.
21. Radium Hill was one of the few Government Projects that made a profit.
22. The Radium Hill Historical Association Inc. was formed by ex-Radium Hill Residents to establish and preserve the historic and cultural heritage of the former Radium Hill town, mine, RadiumHillPioneersCemetery and RadiumHillHeritageMuseum.
23. Perhaps part of the former approx. 2000 hectare uranium mining reserve could now be proclaimed a mining heritage reserve, in recognition of Sir Douglas Mawson’s involvement with Radium Hill and of its unique historical and cultural contribution to the Australian mining industry.
Kevin R. Kakoschke 27/11/05.