TOM PRICE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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A mining town that houses workers of Hamersley Iron Pty. Ltd which mines the iron ore deposits of nearby Mt. Tom Price. Tom Price supports a fluctuating population of mine related workers, plus a growing Aboriginal population which is presently around 500 divided between the town of Tom Price and the communities of Wakathuni and Youngaleena.
Location: 1,564 km north of Perth, 300 km south of Karratha/Dampier, 360 km east of Onslow. The closest town to Tom Price is Paraburdoo, 80 km to the south. Located 747 metres above sea level, it is the second highest town in Western Australia after Newman.
Origin of name: recalls Thomas Moore Price, a leading raw materials expert and surveyor who, at the age of 71, came to the area in February 1961 and surveyed the iron ore deposits in the Hamersley Ranges to ascertain the viability of mining them.
Brief history: In 1963 Hamersley Iron Pty. Limited entered into an agreement with the WA State Government which allowed them to develop an iron ore mine at Mount Tom Price (320 kms inland) and a port in the Dampier Archipelago which would allow the Company to export iron ore to world markets. By 1966 the mine and town site had been constructed at Mt. Tom Price along with the port and town at Dampier. These two locations were connected by a heavy gauge railway line.
Natural features: Mt. Tom Price; Mt. Nameless (1,128 m); Hamersley Ranges; Karijini National Park; Barlee Range Nature Reserve (180 km south-west)
Built features: Mt. Tom Price iron ore mine