1963 - 1985 : Increasing Momentum
Introduction
The period following 1962 saw a very significant increase in engineering activity in the State, driven by the ongoing and expanding resources and agricultural sectors of the economy. The expanding economy required engineering for the major resources projects and for the significant growth in the housing, utility services and transportation needs of a rapidly increasing population. This era also saw the development of oil and gas resources, the construction of new ports (Dampier 1965 and Cape Lambert 1972) with further development and modernisation of existing Government ports and harbours. In order to support the resource sector, new industrial areas were established to cater for the growth of manufacture, workshops and warehousing for the resources and agricultural sectors. Education facilities expanded, telecommunications followed in line with worldwide practice and the Federal Government, recognising Australian defence requirements, established new and upgraded bases for each of the Services.
Infrastructure links with the rest of Australia were vastly improved and supported the development of major projects. Agribusinesses expanded considerably with improved technology and access to an expanding world economy. Engineering education expanded with the establishment of two new universities during this era. Engineering capacity of Consulting, Construction and industrial services businesses received a major boost.
The Economy and Increasing Population
Rapidly increasing industrial and agricultural production fuelled the rise of suburbanisation and consumerism with the establishment of regional centres in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Transport links were developed to link Perth and Fremantle to the rapidly expanding northern suburbs. Suburban shopping centres were built, infrastructure was modernised and a new container port facility was built in Fremantle.
Education and social services infrastructure were expanded together with two new State universities. Agriculture remained strong with development of farmlands and the bulk grain handling system and port facilities to reduce transport costs. Agricultural yield expanded from 0.7 Mtpa to 5.0 Mtpa, largely for export overseas.
Investment as a percentage of GDP tripled and the population of WA almost doubled from 798,900 in 1963 to 1,436,900 in 1985. Per capita income more than doubled during this era.
Metropolitan Perth Transformed
Control of the rapid expansion of the metropolitan area was established by the gazettal of the Metropolitan Regional Scheme in 1963 followed in 1967 by the Town Planning Regulations prescribed procedures for local government. Between 1965 and 1969 corridor planning and traffic engineering studies prescribed the land use and transportation needs of the expanded city area. In 1958 the government had combined a number of bus companies and the government owned trolley bus services into what was called the Metropolitan Transport Trust. Under the MTT the trolley bus system was gradually replaced by buses, particularly when the costs of modifying the system were thought to be too great when one way road schemes were introduced just north of the city centre. The last trolley buses ran in Perth in 1969.
However, dependence on the motor vehicle was established and the Perth to Fremantle railway was closed with a proposal that it be replaced by busways. Between 1982 and 1986 a major Transport 2000 Study caused considerable public debate which resulted in the Perth to Fremantle railway system being reopened, the rail network electrified, revitalised and expanded to meet the growing needs of the population.
A State Planning Commission was established in order to provide state wide power over CBD and local planning schemes and land subdivision.
The North and Regional Infrastructure
Demand was felt not only in Perth but also state wide from resource development and agricultural requirements in the North and other Regional centres. In the North major infrastructure projects were the Ord River scheme, the West Pilbara water supply, Moochalabra and Harding Dams and water supplies and sewerage and drainage to towns supporting the resource industry expansion. New jetties were constructed at Wyndham, Derby and Broome and a wharf in Port Hedland. Major road projects were undertaken in the Kimberley to enable the transport of livestock to ports for export. These were known as 'beef roads'.
In the South of the State construction of dams, water supplies, public buildings, wharves, sewerage, drainage and irrigation continued unabated in order to meet regional requirements and demand from private developments. Major bypass roads were constructed around large country towns and road alignments, bridging and culverts were vastly improved.
Resources Industry
Mineral Resource:
Global demand for iron ore led to the development of giant iron ore mines in the Pilbara region in the 1960’s and 1970’s such as Tom Price in 1965. Discoveries of nickel helped to rejuvenate the Eastern Goldfields while significant deposits of bauxite were discovered in the Darling escarpment near Perth leading to the construction of an alumina refinery at Kwinana in 1963. Since then, other resource projects have been developed in mineral sands and coal in the SW of the State, diamonds and zinc in the Kimberley and copper in the Pilbara. Four major solar salt fields with processing and port facilities were also developed in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions during this era. A gold revival developed in the 1980s stimulated by price increases with the end of the gold standard in 1971.
Petroleum Resources:
Production of crude oil in 1967 from Barrow Island and then natural gas from Dongara in the mid west in 1971 broadened the State’s energy resource base, but it was the huge gas reserves on the North West Shelf developed in the 1980s that has provided the energy for developing a major manufacturing industry in WA. The industry extracts crude oil, condensate and natural gas for domestic consumption and for export to Asian area customers.
Manufacturing:
The enormous mineral resource and availability of plentiful energy has seen the development of value added processing of minerals including nickel and bauxite refining, silicon smelting, processing of mineral sands and two hot briquetted iron operations. Gold continues to be processed and refined in the goldfield regions. Manufacturing facilities for agribusiness, industry and defence customers have evolved to supply products to food export, resources, and shipbuilding and defence customers. Some of these manufactures are specialised for a particular customer and others are a component of export chains for export to other countries.
Oil and Gas:
Petroleum refining continues unabated at the Kwinana Industrial Area and enormous new plants have been established in the Pilbara for processing of offshore gas and condensates into LNG for domestic consumption and for export. LPG processing has also been established in the KIA.
Services Industry
Other industries are actively engaged in supporting the resources and manufacturing industries, such as construction, transport, structural steel and piping fabrication, workshops and warehousing for equipment repair and inventory support. Engineering design and consulting services was a major employer in this area and comprised professional personnel from a wide range of disciplines.
Energy Supply:
Additional generating power capacity was installed by commissioning four stages of Muja power station at the Collie coalfield, with transmission lines connecting Bunbury and Perth to Muja by 132kV transmission lines, and then 220kV transmission to the eastern goldfields. A 330kV line was installed from Perth to near Geraldton. Kwinana power station, commissioned in 1962 to burn oil, was converted first to coal and then to gas. Gas from the North West Shelf became available in 1984 through a government take or pay contract to provide gas to the domestic market and to the State owned power generating stations. The older East Perth and South Fremantle power stations were taken out of service.
Expanding Agriculture:
Agriculture in the north of the State was established following completion of the Ord River Scheme with growing of cotton, sorghum and cash crops in the Kimberley. This also enabled expansion of the pastoral industry in that area for the export of cattle and meat products.
A phosphate deficiency in the soils of the SW of the State led to the importation and spreading of 330,000 tons of superphosphate over 3.1 Million Ha of crop in 1962. New industries were then established to support agriculture and there was a major expansion of the area under cereal crops and pasture. By the end of the era over 4.5 Million Ha were under cereal crops yielding about 5.5M tons of grain. Cooperative Bulk Handling established the Cockburn Sound Kwinana Grain Terminal in 1972 and during this era rationalised their grain receival system with major increases in regional storage facilities and expanded storage and bulk ship loading capability at Albany, Esperance and Geraldton ports.
WA Chip and Pulp Diamond Mill and Bunbury Export Facilities opened in 1976 helping to rejuvenate the forest products industry and the later establishment of plantation timber lots. Western Australia’s food, fibre, fisheries, wine growing and forestry industries are providers of world class products and have been taking advantage of growing global food demand and products.
Education and Engineering:
The WA Institute of Technology established in 1966 was granted University status in 1986, becoming Curtin University. With a strong engineering curriculum Curtin (WAIT) had earlier incorporated The West Australian School of Mines based in Kalgoorlie and established in 1902. Murdoch University was established in 1973 and has a degree curriculum in Engineering and Information Technology. The three universities of this era each have offshore campuses and strong links with industry. Many foreign students study at these institutions and forge strong links with Australia.
Telecommunications:
Communication in WA was developed by the Federal Government PMG (later Telstra) Department through electronic means using devices such as telephone, television, radio and computer. Services such as telephone and broadband networks have always been important because of the ‘tyranny of distance’ of the dispersed population. The coaxial cable infrastructure commissioned in 1962 supports subscriber trunk dialling, television broadcasting and telegraph traffic. Microwave links were extended through the north of the State to connect with Darwin in the 1980’s. AUSSAT (later Optus) was formed in 1981 to operate domestic satellite services. The vast majority of Australia’s international communications is now handled by undersea fibre optic cable links to Asia and the US. The standard of Australia’s communication system follows that of world’s best practice with WA being well supported.
Building Activity:
The PWD Architectural Division had scaled down its workforce in 1960 and commenced to employ private architects, engineering consultants and contractors to carry out the expanded works programmes for schools, hospitals and office building works, a new art gallery and university buildings. This era also saw private development in the CBD with skyscrapers constructed and the city take on a more modern character. During the entrepreneurial 1980s the city transitioned from a Victorian gold era town into a dynamic and progressive city. Sporting, shopping, light industrial, housing and entertainment facilities were developed widely around the metropolitan area to cater for the increasing demand and suburbanisation of the population based upon the Metropolitan Region Plan.
Defence Establishments:
Defence establishments in Western Australia are supported and continuously upgraded by each of the three Services. As defence policy has evolved during the era major expansion works have taken place in WA.
The RAN established their Garden Island base HMAS Stirling in 1978 and has expanded it to cater for the ‘Two Ocean Policy’ decreed in 1987. The Leeuwin Recruit Training Depot was closed in 1984. The US Navy opened the Harold E Holt VLF communications base at Learmonth in 1967 with joint RAN command in 1974. The RAN has had sole command since 1992.
The Army maintains Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne as the Special Air Service Regiment base but carries out recruit training and live firing and Brigade training at its Bindoon training ground to the north of Perth. The Leighton 5.25 inch gun battery was closed and the guns removed in 1963.
The RAAF operates Pearce Airbase as its major operational and pilot training facility located at Bullsbrook in the Swan Valley to the north of Perth. The RAAF has also established two ‘bare bases,’ Learmonth near Exmouth on the Coral Coast and Curtin near Derby in the Kimberley. Between 1973 and 1981 NASA operated a space tracking station at Carnarvon.
Transportation:
Major air, land and sea transport links were established in the light of the importance of the WA resources and economy to Australia. The Federal Government has made available significant funding for transportation needs to link the continent together. These works have been carried out via State government entities.
Standard Gauge Railway connection through to the east coast was completed in 1969 and the WAGR continued to rationalise and upgrade its narrow gauge lines and operate a dual gauge on its mainline from Perth to Kalgoorlie. By 1973 the locomotive fleet in WA had been converted from steam to diesel electric and the last commercial steam locomotive operated by Millar’s ceased operation. Extensive standard gauge lines were developed in the Pilbara for the iron ore operations but these were privately funded and dedicated railways.
In 1972 the Commonwealth established a National Highway Study Team and in 1976 National Highways were classified. In 1982 an Australian Bicentennial Road Development Program was announced together with additional funding. This enabled the construction, amongst many others, of the NW Coastal Highway which closed the gap around Australia, and the four lane Perth to Bunbury highway.
Perth Airport located at Guildford to the east of Perth opened its first combined domestic and international terminal in 1962. In 1980 it was announced that a new International Terminal would be constructed, which has since proceeded. General aviation was relocated to a new airfield at Jandakot in 1963 as significant expansion had occurred due to the resources boom and the requirements for pilot training.
The WA Coastal Shipping Commission was established in 1965 and assumed responsibility for the State Shipping Service which had previously operated only on the WA and NT coasts. The SSS then operated an irregular service clockwise around Australia but this ceased in 1969. The SSS has since been wound up.
References:
Department of Treasury and Finance, An Economic History of Western Australia since Colonial Settlement, 2004
ABS 3105.0.65.001, Australian Historical Population Statistics 2019
Leigh Edmonds, The Vital Link, University of Western Australia Press, 1997
John Le Page, Building a State, Water Authority of Western Australia, 1986
Geoffrey Blainey, White Gold, The Story of Alcoa Australia, Allen and Unwin, 1997
P T O’Shaughnessy, Laporte, History of the Australind Titanium Dioxide Project, Hesperian Press, 2011
Graeme Atherton and Rick Wilkinson, Beyond the Flame, The Story of Australia’s North West Gas Project, Griffin Press, 1989
Other Developments:
1963 Logue Brook Dam
1966 Waroona Dam
1966 Mount Goldsworthy first shipment from Finucane Island
1968 Meckering Earthquake
1969 Glen Mervyn Dam
1976 Bunbury Inner Harbour
1980 Computer Aided Telemetry to control the Goldfields Pipeline
1985 Kemerton Industrial Area near Bunbury
1985 Argyle Diamonds
