Over the next 70 years as the new settlers tentatively pushed out across the great open spaces of the continent, exploring new areas, copper was discovered in a number of places. In fact it was copper that spawned a spring of technological developments worldwide during the last half of the 19th century: it was, after all, the golden age of cable.

Yet this was only the start. As other innovations were developed- the telephone, electric light and the motor car- the need for base metals such as copper, lead and zinc escalated. Supply simply could not keep pace with demand.

By the middle of the 1890’s copper had become a precious commodity worldwide because of new demands of burgeoning heavy industries. As tensions grew noticeably between the European powers, so copper supplies were keenly sought by them: copper had become a key raw metal in the construction of weapons of war, and control of this precious metal was regarded as crucial to maintaining a military advantage over rivals.

Fortunately plans were already afoot to provide Australia with an independent start in the manufacture of goods fashioned from copper and other base metals.

By 1808 the Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Company of Port Kembla (described at the time as ‘the greatest electrolytic refining works in the British Empire), was already producing cathode copper, together with gold and silver, but there were no downstream manufacturing facilities.

A new factory was commissioned on the 22nd May 1918, ushering in a new age of manufacturing independence for Australia. Initially the business of the company depended solely on the wire mill, but following the purchase of the H.V. McKay tube factory at Sunshine in Victoria, work started to diversify. By June, 1920 a tube mill was established at the Port Kembla site- ready to process the company’s first order for 30781bs (1400kg) of pierced copper hollows.