The town of Paraburdoo is located in the Pilbara region and on the edge of the desert and in the Hamersley Ranges. It is located 1528 km north of Perth, 1528 km via Newman and Tom Price and 24 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn. [1] The early Europeans in the area named the land lease "Pirraburdoo" after the local indigenous people, which is widely accepted as "white parrot". Some sources claim that "piri" means meat and "pardu" means feathers. This is sensible because the white cockatoos were a source of food for the local people.[2] Due to the special geological structure and rich mineral resources here, Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd developed the company’s mining town for nearby iron ore in the early 1970s and listed it as urban land in the Gazette in 1972.[3] Today, a population of around 2,000 since the 1970s works at the nearby Rio Tinto iron ore mine. Like most of the inland Pilbara, the town’s main attractions include water holes suitable for swimming, enjoying the isolated scenery and the opportunity to see wildlife, especially birds, in the surrounding countryside.[1]
Paraburdoo Western Australia | |||||||||
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![]() Welcome to Paraburdoo | |||||||||
Population | 2,000 | ||||||||
Established | 1970s | ||||||||
Postcode(s) | 6754 | ||||||||
Elevation | 391 m (1,283 ft) | ||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | Shire of Ashburton | ||||||||
State electorate(s) | Pilbara | ||||||||
Federal division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
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Climate
editClimate Characteristics
editParaburdoo is located at the border of Hamersley ranges, inland areas of Pilbara. The climate is characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and low and variable rainfall. From late spring to early autumn (November to April), whole Pilbara region(including Paraburdoo) is hot, with an average daily maximum temperature of 36-37 degrees Celsius (℃).[4] This is also the time when summer (wet season) rainfall associated with the Australian monsoon and occasional tropical cyclones (TC) occur in most regions. Although the timing and amount of rainfall vary, Pilbara is in Australia's most vulnerable area to hurricanes. Between 1980 and 2007, a total of 36 TCs crossed the Pilbara coast.[4]
Temperature
editIn Pilbara region, from south to north, the temperature generally shows an upward trend, but the relaxation of the ocean causes the temperature isotherm to generally move north-southwest to north-northeast. In summer and early autumn (December to March), the area's daily average temperature exceeds 30℃, and from October to March, the daily average maximum temperature exceeds 35℃. In winter (June to August), the average temperature in the area is about 20°C.[4] Based on data collected in 2020, Paraburdoo's highest recorded temperature is 48.9℃, and the lowest recorded temperature is 1.5℃.[5]
Rainfall
editAccording to statistics, the average annual rainfall in paraburdoo is 295 millimeters(mm) and the average annual rainfall in Plibara region is usually less than 350 mm,with high intra-annual and inter-annual variability.[5] Summer and autumn (December to May) have the highest rainfall, which is caused by tropical lows and occasional tropical cyclones, and is the least between August and November. Rainfall in the eastern region is mainly affected by tropical and monsoon driving factors, and is mainly active in summer and autumn. The autumn and winter in the western region of the Pilbara are also affected by driving factors in the southern mid-latitudes, such as the frontal system. The area with the most rainfall in summer extends from the northeast of Pilbara to the Hamersley Ranges. This rainfall is associated with the coastal humid air convection, high temperature and terrain causing uplift, and the development of thunderstorms.[4]
The Geological Structure
editParaburdoo lies within the Brockman bedded iron deposits within the 2.5m thick Hamersley group. The group hosts Archaean and Proterozoic aged rock formations.[6]The Hamersley contains the late Archean to Lower Proterozoic sediments of the Bruce Range. The supergroup included the Fortescue group, the Hamersley group and the Turee Creek group, which were covered by the remnants of the Wyloo group. [7]The basalt rocks were introduced into the Hamersley group because of the discharge which occurred within the region. The group also hosts sedimentary rocks like sandstones, which were formed during the Hamersley basin's formation. Brockman iron deposits (BID) contain four layers, which include the nethermost Dales Gorge followed by the Whaleback Shale, Joffre and also the upmost Yandicoogina. The bulk of the minerals within the BID are hosted within the Dales Gorge and Joffre layers. It is one of the most important ore provinces in the world and hosts 80% of the reserves discovered to this point in Australia.[6] Proven and probable reserves at the mine as of December 2011 stand at 12mt graded at 63.2% Fe. As measured, indicated and inferred resources are estimated at 113mt graded at 63.4% Fe.[6]
The Mines
editParaburdoo Mine
editThe Great Paraburdoo Mine can produce 22.5 million tons of iron ore per year. The Great Paraburdoo Mine include Eastern Range, Channer and Paraburdoo open-pit mining operations, which can produce 22.5 million tons of Pilbara Blend iron ore per year. In 1972, Paraburdoo started iron ore production. The ore was shipped out of the port of Dampier. [8]Most of the labor employed by the mine lived in the town of Paraburdoo. Although 22% were fly-in fly-out workers, the mine The team has 27 transport trucks and 6 loading units. The ore is transported along Rio Tinto's 1,400-kilometer private railway system to Dampier, the largest private railway system in Australia. The 14 Rio Tinto mines operated by Pilbara are connected to the coastal ports of Dampier or Cape Lambert. The Great Paraburdoo Mine extracts ore from the Brockman layered iron deposit. Paraburdoo ore is processed on-site before being loaded onto rail trucks, transported along the Hamersley and Robe River railroads, and then transported to the coast. At the port, they are mixed and screened, and then loaded on ships and shipped to overseas customers. Then, Paraburdoo ore nuggets and fine ore are mixed with other ore mined from Rio Tinto mines (comprising Rio Tinto Pilbara mixed mine), and the maximum fine ore size Keep it at a block diameter of 6.3 mm and no more than 31.5 mm. [1] Rio Tinto is currently carrying out a large-scale expansion plan for its Pilbara iron ore mine, with the goal of achieving a total annual transport capacity of 3.33 by 2015 Billion tons. The journey from Parabudoo to Mount Tom Price is difficult and six engines are used to pull the train to a continuously unfavorable 300-meter gradient. A typical train is 2 kilometers long, there are 200 vehicles with a total weight of 25,000 tons. Visitors can watch the mine or works here, but there is no lookout.
Channar Hamersley Mine
editRio Tinto Group is one of the world's largest iron ore miners. It jointly owns Channar-Hamersley Iron Ore through its wholly-owned subsidiary Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd and Sinosteel Channar Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinosteel Australia Pty Ltd. Stone ore. In 1987, Hamersley Iron held 60% of the joint venture, and Sinosteel 40% of the shares were mined by the joint venture for the Brockman iron deposit.[8] In the mine The iron ore produced in the mine during its lifetime. The Channar-Hamersley open-pit mine, located 20 kilometers east of Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, began production at the Channar mine in early 1990. Eight years later, it reached its annual design output of 10 million tons. Channar-Hamersley Mine The first batch of 200 million tons of ore was produced in 2012. [8] Channar-Hamersley is the largest and earliest joint venture between China and Australia. When it agreed to the Channar mine joint venture, it was one of the largest investments ever made between China and Australia, and it was also the first overseas mine undertaken by China and Australia. The project joint venture agreement has been officially welcomed by the Australian and Chinese governments and has received strong support from the two governments to ensure its success; twenty-six years later, the agreement is still an important overseas investment project for China. The ore mined at the Channar-Hamersley open-pit mine undergoes a two-stage crushing process, and is then carried by a conveyor belt to another processing plant in Paraburdoo for further processing and mixing with other ore to become a part of the Rio Tinto Pilbara mixed mine.-Permitted. Hamersley Ore provides 11 million tons of crusher feed ore to the Paraburdoo processing plant each year, which processes a total of 23 million tons per year. This is also provided by other mines and also provides services for the plant, such as the Eastern Range Mine and Paraburdoo mine. [1] The mixed iron ore leaves the Parabudoo processing plant, and then is transported to Dampier by rail on Hamersley and Robe River Railway, where it is The ore from Rio Tinto mines across Pilbara is mixed and screened again before being exported to China. The labor force at the Channar-Hamersley mine is mainly from residents of Paraburdoo, although there are also workers flying in and out.
Tourism
editTourism contributes little to Paraburdoo and Pilbara's economy, but it is very valuable. As more and more domestic and foreign travelers are aware of the natural attractions of Pilbara, the industry is developing. The increasing attractiveness of cultural tourism and eco-tourism heralds the future of tourism in the region. Pilbara has many attractions, from the magnificent canyons and waterfalls of Karijini National Park to the tropical oasis of Millstream-Chichester National Park. Old towns such as Marble Bar and Cossack have a range of historical features, while those interested in aquatic adventures can fish, dive and enjoy boating activities around the magnificent Dampier Archipelago. Base on Western Australia Tourism Statistics, between 2004 and 2005, there were an average of 339,000 international and domestic tourists staying overnight in the Pilbara region, an increase of 11.6% over the previous period.[9] Tourists in the region stayed 2.4 million nights, accounting for 5.1% of the region's tourists. The overall tourism market in Western Australia. Domestic tourists account for the largest proportion of tourists in the region. Between 2004 and 2005, there were 310,500 overnight domestic tourists in the area and 28,500 overnight international tourists. Of all domestic tourists, 82% are from other parts of Western Australia and 18% are from interstate highways. The average stay of domestic tourists is 6.5 nights and international tourists' 12.5 nights.From 2004 to 2005, the total expenditure of overnight domestic visitors in the region was estimated at $198 million, while international visitors were $27.8 million. The total expenditure was 225.9 million dollar, an increase of 31% over the previous period. It is estimated that the average daily expenditure per domestic visitor is $97, and the average daily expenditure per international visitor is $78.Overall, 53% of domestic tourists travel to the Pilbara region for business purposes, and another 39% are for vacation/leisure and/or visiting friends/relatives. On the other hand, international tourists mainly go to the area for holiday/leisure (71%), while a small percentage (12%) are for business travel.
Paraburdoo is known for its beautiful scenery, diversity of wildlife, and interesting short history, including the discovery of UFOs, the discovery of 200-year-old bones, and royal visits. Palm Springs is a permanent source of water with excellent bird watching facilities. It is a heritage site of the Innawonga People, located 50 kilometers north of Paraburdoo TP Road. In addition, Kelly's Pool is 8 kilometers away from the town and is a local water hole with picnic facilities open all year round (no swimming).[5] Also, Parabudoo Airport is just outside the town, 9 kilometers northeast of Parabudoo, which serves the towns of Parabudoo and Tom Price. There is also a bus service to complete the 71km extra journey to Tom Price. Based on the four-year rolling average, domestic tourists are most likely to visit the region between July and September, while international tourists tend to visit later in the year between October and December.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Paraburdoo, WA". Aussie Towns. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- ^ Landgate. "Town names. Paraburdoo". Aussie Towns. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Minerals.org.au. 2015. Iron Country: Unlocking The Pilbara. [online] Available at: <https://minerals.org.au/sites/default/files/180619%20Iron%20country.pdf> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
- ^ a b c d Sudmeyer, R 2016, ‘Climate in the Pilbara’, Bulletin 4873, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Perth.
- ^ a b c Shire of Ashburton. (2020, August 5). Retried from: https://www.ashburton.wa.gov.au/visit-ashburton/paraburdoo.
- ^ a b c "Paraburdoo Iron Ore Mine, Pilbara - Mining Technology | Mining News and Views Updated Daily". www.mining-technology.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ van Vreeswyk, A. M., Payne, A. M., Leighton, K. A., & Hennig, P. (2004). An Inventory and Condition Survey of the Pilbara Region, Western Australia. Perth: Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.
- ^ a b c "Paraburdoo | | MiningLink - The largest & most visited mining website in Australia". mininglink.com.au. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ Pilbara Development Commission. (2006, July). The Pilbara Economic Perspective. Retried from : https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/static/FullTextFiles/070738.
Category:Mining towns in Western Australia Category:Shire of Ashburton