Mount Morgan Limited: The triumphs and disappointments 1932 - 1990

The 108 year history of the Mount Morgan mine has been told and retold but little attention has been paid to the sixty-one year history of Mount Morgan Limited. It is now over twenty-three years since production ceased, so fewer people remain who were associated with this period of the mine history. Most are unaware of the reasons for its success or failure, and of the management decisions that ultimately affected the lives and prosperity of the Mount Morgan community. Consequently, there have been areas of narration, especially in this latter period, which have drawn either praise or criticism, often without sufficient and accurate historical detail by way of comparison. The thesis addresses these shortcomings across the relevant areas, drawing principally on primary material contained in company archives lodged with CQUniversity, Rockhampton and supported by pertinent secondary literature. By examining areas of ‘praise or criticism’ in the operation of Mount Morgan Limited, and placing these within the context of the broader mining community, the thesis offers a new analysis of the history of the mine. The thesis establishes that, while returning significant dividends to its shareholders, and providing a guaranteed income, social and educational support to generations of Mount Morgan people, the Company failed to expand its activities and initially disregarded the surrounding environment. In evaluating these commercial, social, operational and environmental areas of its operations, the thesis addresses not just the perceptions of the triumphs and disappointments of Mount Morgan Limited, but also examines its relationship with the broader mining community, both national and international. It addresses the extent to which the Company followed or departed from industry practices elsewhere, including the extent of influence exerted by directors and senior staff, the introduction of a welfare scheme and social initiatives, as well as its persistent, but ill-fated attempts to diversify its operations.