- Cockle Creek Smelter
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Cockle Creek Smelter was a zinc and lead smelter located at the northern end of Lake Macquarie near Boolaroo New South Wales.
The smelter was built in by Sulphide Corporation Limited in 1896 and the first attempts to refine zinc using the Ashcroft Process began in 1897 and was abandoned shortly after due to technical difficulties.
The plant was subsequently adapted to smelt Lead using blast furnace technology. The smelter produced large quantities of Zinc, Lead and sulfuric acid during its life.
The Cockle Creek Smelter was one of the Hunter regions first major industrial site and its operation contributed to the economic growth of New South Wales and Australia.
Other materials were produced at the smelter to fill the need as required such as Cement, Superphosphate and compounds for explosive manufacture for the war effort in World War I and World War II.
A rail connection was made from the plant to the Newcastle line on 16 July 1896[1].
The smelter closed in September 2003, as it had become uneconomic.
References
- ^ The Sulphide Works Railway Buckland, John L. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin April, 1950 pp118-119
External links
- Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association - "The Sulphide"
- Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association - "Pasminco Smelter"
Coordinates: 32°56′30″S 151°36′30″E / 32.94167°S 151.60833°E
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