Western Australia (WA)
WA - Mines (Sub-Licensees)
Big Bell Mines Ltd.
Boulder Perseverance
Fraser’s Mine
Gold Mines of Kalgoorlie
Iron Duke Shaft
Oroya South Shaft
New North Boulder
Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines Ltd.
Hamilton Shaft
Main Shaft
Great Western Consolidated
Hill 50
Kalgoorlie Enterprise Mines Ltd.
Lake View & Star Ltd.
Associated Shaft
Chaffera Shaft
Hannans Star
Horseshoe Shaft
Ivanhoe Shaft
Lakeview Shaft
Moonlight Wiluna Gold Mines Ltd.
Timoni Mine
Mount Ida
New Coolgaradie Gold Mines No Liabilty
Barbara Shaft
Callion Mine
Norseman [Central Norseman Gold Corp. No Liability]
Lady Miller
North Royal Shaft
Regular Shaft
Regent’s Shaft
Princess Royal Shaft
North Kalgurli (1912) Ltd.
Croesus
Kalgurli Main
North Kalgurli Main
Union Jack
Sons of Gwalia
South Kalgurli Consolidated Ltd.
Hainault Shaft
Main Shaft
Summary of McIntyre Powder use in Western Australia Gold Mines
McIntyre Research Foundation (a group of mining executives and industrial physicians formed in Canada) granted license to the Government of Western Australia regarding the use of McIntyre Powder (aluminum dust) in WA gold mines. The Department of Mines in Western Australia acted as a McIntyre Research Foundation agent, issuing sub-licences on behalf of the Foundation to Western Australian gold mines.
McIntyre Research Foundation shipped aluminum dust dispersal equipment (e.g. powder ejectors) and canisters of McIntyre Powder to WA gold mines in 1950, and once equipped, WA gold mines began the use of McIntyre Powder in miners’ changerooms in 1950 – by year’s end, 10 mines had commenced aluminum prophylaxis in 21 change houses, and 1450 men were taking the treatment. The 1952 Department of Mines Western Australia report indicated that 28 changerooms were using McIntyre Powder, and 2,387 men were licensed to receive treatment. By 1956, 25 mine changerooms were using it, and 2,757 men were taking the aluminum dust treatment. Fraser’s Mine began using McIntyre Powder in 1957, and Croesus Mine in 1958. Officially, treatment was “voluntary” but practically, it was difficult to avoid exposure.
In 1964, a vote was held to determine if miners wanted to continue aluminum dust treatment, and the miners voted in favour of continuation. However, by 1966, the Western Australia Department of Mines reported that “both management and labour show little interest in this treatment”. The annual Department of Mines reports indicated that in the late 1960s, aluminum therapy was available to the miners, but its use was in decline, noting “spasmodic and negligible” use by 1968. The last mention of aluminum therapy in the Department of Mines annual reports was in 1970 – simply noting that “Provision for the prophylactic treatment with aluminum powder was available at most gold mines”.
4873 Western Australian gold miners had McIntyre Powder exposure documented on their miners’ work cards.
(Sources: WA Government Archives; Department of Mines Western Australia annual reports)
WA - Primary Licensee
Government of Western Australia
WA - Mines (Sub-Licensees)
NOTE: Mines listed here are based on archival documents, and may not represent a complete list of WA mines that used McIntyre Powder.