A history of mining in Broken Hill (Kabwe): 1902-1929
| dc.contributor.advisor | Phimister, I. R. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Koorts, L. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mufinda, Buzandi | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-08-18T11:58:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-08-18T11:58:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Hierdie studie is daarop gemik om die geskiedenis van die Broken Hill myn in die tydperk 1902 tot 1929 te boek te stel. Ten spyte daarvan dat die myn die eerste groot onderneming is wat in Zambië geopen is, is sy geskiedenis tot ’n groot mate onbekend. Die inligting waarop hierdie verhandeling gebaseer is, is grotendeels afkomstig van argivale navorsing, vernaam die Nasionale Argief van Zambië in Lusaka, die Zambia Consilidated Copper Mines argief in Ndola en die Livingstone Museum in Livingstone. Hoofstuk een is ’n inleiding tot die studie. Hoofstuk twee dek die tydperk 1902 tot 1913, en neem die oorsprong en ontwikkeling van die Broken Hill myn onder die loep. In hierdie tydperk is die myn se produktiwiteit en winsgewendheid belemmer deur probleme met die behandeling van komplekse erts, duur spoorwegtariewe en die onreëlmatige voorsiening van arbeid. In 1914 het die Eerste Wêreldoorlog uitgebreek en dus bestudeer hoofstuk drie die uitwerking die oorlog op die myn. Die oorlog het grotendeels bygedrae tot vertragings wat betref die aflewering van materiaal vir die oprigting van ’n nuwe aanleg en hoogoonde. As gevolg van die griepepidemie is die myn later daardie jaar gesluit. Die oorlog het egter ook aan die myn die geleentheid verskaf om sy produksie, verkope en wins te verhoog. Die oorlog het veral gelei tot ’n hoë aanvraag vir lood en sink, ’n styging in die prys van basis metale, die Rhodesia Railways Company se verlaging van sy spoorwegtariewe en die gunstige prys van lood en sink op die Londense markte. Dit het ’n hupstoot gegee aan die verskaffing van metaal. Tog het die Broken Hill myn nie voldoende munt geslaan uit hierdie geleenthede nie, grotendeels as gevolg van die voortslepende probleme met die behandeling van komplekse erts. Tydens die oorlog is daar aansienbare kragte gewy aan lood-sink eksperimente as deel van die myn se soeke na beter metodes om die erts te behandel. Die myn kon slegs by ’n enkele geleentheid lood aan Brittanje se ministerie vir krygsvoorraad lewer. Hoofstuk vier dek die stand van die myn tussen 1919 en 1929. In die tydperk na die oorlog was daar ’n enorme opswaai in produksie, verkope en winste. Die infrastruktuur by Broken Hill het ook sy grootste uitbreiding tot nog toe beleef. Alhoewel die produksie met betrekking tot hoeveelheid en gehalte, sowel as verkope en winste, nooit in die tydperk 1902 tot 1929 aan verwagtinge voldoen het nie, het die syfers kort na die oorlog verdriedubbel. Dit was grotendeels danksy Broken Hill se toenemende gebruik van goedkoop swart arbeid, sowel as goedkoop hidroëlekrtiese krag. Terseldertyd het die erts ryker geword, tesame met die toename in die prys van staafsink. In die 1920’s het die Broken Hill myn voordeel getrek uit die lae produksiekoste per ton lood en sink, en verkoopsprys per ton wat byna dubbel dié van die produksiekoste was. Die Rhodesia Broken Hill myn het voordeel getrek uit van die laagste produksiekoste ter wêreld. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/906 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Capital | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Complex ores | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Kopje | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Labour | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Profit | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Production | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Revaluation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Shareholders | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Taxes | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Treatment plant | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mineral industry -- Zambia -- History | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mines and mineral resources -- Zambia -- History | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Broken Hill mine (Kabwe) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.A. (Centre for Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2015 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | A history of mining in Broken Hill (Kabwe): 1902-1929 | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |