The Iron Ships

Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) was formed in 1885 and became one of Australia's premier mining, steel production, heavy industries and shipbuilding enterprises. In its early years BHP's shipping requirements were met by contracted or chartered vessels. In 1917 two ships sailing for it under charter were purchased, founding what was to be a major Australian shipping operation. A third ship was soon added and renamed Iron Monarch, providing a prefix by which all company ships were subsequently known. By the early 1990s 59 ships had carried the "Iron" prefix, many of them built in BHP owned shipyards. This massive and superb volume, while basically covering the company's shipping interests also backgrounds the rise of BHP and its importance to the Australian economy. Through its 252 pages "The Iron Ships" is lavishly illustrated with some art, colour and sepia tone photographs, drawings, maps and documents. The fleet list section also includes managed, chartered, foreign flagged and ancilliary vessels. The BHP fleet list carries photos, ship profiles as well as technical and operating details for each vessel. There is also a double page listing of all ships built at the company's Whyalla shipyard and other related lists. By the 1990s BHP owned or operated ships world-wide and this book represents an informative and graphic history of how this trade developed. It is also an important contribution to Australia's maritime literature. First edition of 1992, 252 pages including lists appendices and index. Blue hard covers with silver front titles/decoration and spine titles are NF, likewise the text block, no inscriptions. The impressive wrap-round colour photograph DJ showing a latter-day "Iron" ship berthing in Sydney Harbour is also NF This heavy and large format book has an unpacked weight of 2.1kg and would require additional postage.…