A history of mining in Broken Hill (Kabwe): 1902-1929

English: This study has attempted to write a history of the Broken Hill mine in the period from 1902 to 1929. Despite the mine being the first large enterprise to be opened in Zambia, its history is largely unknown. Much of the information on which this dissertation is based was derived from archival research, primarily in the National Archives of Zambia in Lusaka; the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Archive in Ndola; and the Livingstone Museum in Livingstone. Chapter one introduces the study. Chapter two examines the origin and development of the Broken Hill mine from 1902 to 1913. During this period, the productiveness and profitability of the Broken Hill mine was hampered by the problems of treatment of complex ores, expensive railway freights and the irregular supply of labour. In 1914 the First World War started and Chapter three traces the impact of the war on Broken Hill mine. The war was largely responsible for delays in the delivery of materials for the construction of a new treatment plant and furnaces. Because of the influenza epidemic, the mine closed towards the end of the year. However, the war also provided opportunities for the mine to increase its production, sales and profits. In particular, the war led to a high demand for lead and zinc; an increase in the price of base metals; further reduction on railway rates by the Rhodesia Railways Company and the good prices of lead and zinc in London. This was a boost to increase the supply of the metals. Yet, the Rhodesia Broken Hill mine failed to make the most of such opportunities largely because of the recurring problem of treating complex ores. During the war, considerable effort was devoted to lead-zinc experiments, as the mine searched for better methods of treating the ores. In fact the mine was only once able to supply lead to Britain’s Ministry of Munitions. Chapter four covers the position of the Broken Hill mine between 1919 and 1929. The period after the end of the war witnessed a tremendous increase in production, sales and profit margins. There was also greater infrastructure development at Broken Hill than ever before. Although between 1902 and 1929 production in terms of quantity and quality, sales and profits never reached hoped-for figures, they did roughly triple after the end of the war. This was made possible by the fact that Broken Hill mine was increasingly able to utilise cheap black labour, as well as cheap hydro-electric power. At the same time, the ores became richer even as the price of spelter increased. In the 1920s, Broken Hill mine benefited from a low cost of production per ton of lead and zinc and a selling price per ton that was nearly double the cost of production. Indeed, Rhodesia Broken Hill mine enjoyed lower production costs than most of mines in the world.