Reservoirs designed for the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine, Mary Kathleen, Queensland, probably between 1956 and 1958

Bib ID:
10008682
Format:
Picture
Description:
  • probably between 1956 and 1958
  • 3 photographs : colour ; each 24.1 x 29.1 cm
Summary:

Three photographs in an album relating to the construction of two reservoirs for the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine. The reservoirs, one 1,000,000 gallon and the second 500,000 gallon were designed by the company Gutteridge, Haskin & Davey and constructed by Specialised Processes Pty Ltd.

Biography/History:

The Mary Kathleen open-cut uranium mine operated from 1958-1963 and again from 1976-1982. About 9,200,000 tonnes of ore were processed yielding a total of just under 8,900 tonnes U3O8. Originally discovered in 1954 by Norm McConachy and Clem Walton, the Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine and Township were officially opened by Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia and Frank Nicklin, Premier of Queensland in October 1958. In its heyday, the township had a population of 1,000 people and was situated 6 km from the working mine. The township had all the essentials that a population of that size needed - a post office, school, cinema, banks, hospital, supermarkets, swimming pool, sports grounds orchards and more. The uranium in Mary Kathleen mine was exhausted by 1981 and it was subsequently closed. Today we can still see the concrete slabs where the original buildings stood, remnants of the town’s layout and the mine itself. --Information from reference source.

Notes:
  • Title devised by cataloguer from inscription.
  • Inscription: "1,000,000 gallon and 500,000 gallon reservoirs designed by Gutteridge, Haskins & Davey for Mary Kathleen Uranium Ltd. This is the first time this construction has been used in Australia. In both instances the hole was blasted and scooped out of the rock. 655 B.R.C. Mesh fixed to rock face. 10 to 1 Gunite used to fill fissures and take up irregularities in rock face; final 2 1/4" of 3 to 1 Gunite applied as lining to reservoir. Gunite lining to Million Gallon Tank and 500,000 Tank applied using 1,368 bags of cement. Work carried out by Specialised Processes Pty. Ltd. 16 garrick Terrace Herston. Phones L 3881-4".--Page 1.
  • Date of publication estimated from alpha-numeric phone number on page 1 of album: L 3881-4.
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two-level-parent

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