Bluescope Lysaght

John Lysaght (Australia) Pty Ltd was founded in 1918. The company pioneered modern steel coating technologies (Galvanization). Its coated steel building products were sold under the ‘ORB’ brand and contributed to Australian architectural style.

John Lysaght was established at Bristol at St Vincent's Works and commenced manufacturing corrugated iron in 1857. The firm exported to many countries including Australia and South America. By 1880 Lysaghts was exporting so much corrugated iron to Australia that it established a central selling agency in Melbourne.

In 1897 the company publication, the "Lysaght Referee", detailed the products Lysaghts sold. The original Lysaght brand of corrugated iron was "Orb", followed in 1897 by a cheaper version of "Redcliffe". Both brands were exported in large quantities to Australia. "Globe" was a brand produced for American and African markets but some quantities ended up in Australia.

Lysaghts manufactured galvanised sheet and plate between 1880 and 1912 at the Eskbank steelworks at Lithgow, New South Wales. The brand was "Crown" and it appears these sheets were not corrugated for roofing.

In 1920 John Lysaght UK was acquired by the steel giant GKN, while John Lysaght (Australia) commenced manufacture of corrugated iron in 1921 opening a sheet rolling and galvanising works next to BHP at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1936 a further plant was opened at Port Kembla, New South Wales, and by 1939 these two plants were meeting 100% of the local demand for galvanised sheeting.

In 1979, the company was fully acquired by BHP Steel (subsequently spun off into BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX:BSL). In 2003 the company changed its name to BlueScope Lysaght. It remains a division of Australia's BlueScope Steel.

In 2004 it [http://www.bluescopesteel.com/index.cfm?objectid=63F26DB6-B945-8B2C-A17E4867C0722D83 acquired Shed Manufacturing company Ranbuild] , and added "Lysaght Home Improvement Centres" both of which compete with its customers.

References

* [http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/docs/events/warr_a.pdf Corrugated Iron – Options for Repair from a seminar on conserving historic buildings]

External links

* [http://www.infolink.com.au/articles/16/0C01BF16.aspx Bluescope Lysaght name change announcement of 2003]