SHAY GAP, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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The town of Shay Gap has a similar history to the town of Goldsworthy, which was also created as a company town by Goldsworthy Mining Limited. The geographical feature after which the town is named was itself named after a pearler, Robert Shea who, along with his companion Samuel Miller, was murdered by Aboriginals on the De Grey River in 1873. The pair ran a pearling operation at Cossack using natives as divers.
Goldsworthy Mining Limited was taken over by BHP Pty. Ltd in 1990. 600 workers at the mine walked off the job in September 1992 after BHP announced plans to mothball the town of Shay Gap. The announcement said that 305 workers based at Shay Gap were not part of BHP's plans for a new mine at Yarrie near the town. 100 contract miners were flown in and out for the new deposit.
Goldsworthy ran a railway from the mine at Goldsworthy and later from the mine at Shay Gap to Finucane Island at Port Hedland. Trains were hauled by Australian Built English Electric Goldsworthy Mining A Class locomotives. When BHP took over the company replaced them with General Electric Dash 7's. They were transferred to Port Kembla when the mine closed.
See also: Railways of the Hamersley/Pilbara