IT was a day of great jubilation at Mittagong on May 24, 1865 when a new hot-air blast furnace at the Fitz Roy Iron Works' second site was fired up.

That day the Iron Works directors, to raise capital, released the first lots of their New Sheffield sub-division, set around a square, and with land reserved for a Wesleyan (now Uniting) church and school fronting Albert St. The foundation stone was laid by the directors.

Mittagong-based historian Dr Leah Day co-ordinated events for 2015 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of these Iron Works connections. Included was the launch of a Fitz Roy Iron Works Heritage Trail in conjunction with Wingecarribee Shire Council, and celebrations at Mittagong's Public School and Uniting Church for their 150th anniversaries during May.

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The Mayor Juliet Arkwright launched these events at a function in the Mittagong RSL Club on 30 July 2014.

As outlined in last week's article, the Iron Works venture commenced when a syndicate was formed in 1848 to mine iron ore at Mittagong for smelting. It started well but was hindered by financial and practical problems.

The new furnace that commenced production in 1865, having been built by hand with local sandstone and bricks, achieved significant output of cast or 'wrought' iron that was rolled into rails and other products or stockpiled for later use.

Iron ore continued to be mined nearby and supporting facilities included a tramway and incline connecting the complex to the Nattai coal mines, and nearby Lake Alexandra that had been created as a water supply.

Despite substantial financial investment and determined attempts by many individuals, the blast furnace was plagued with ongoing operational problems and setbacks and was finally shut down in 1877. This heralded the end of an iron works industry in Mittagong, although some processing continued until the late 1880s.

Sadly the blast furnace's huge stack became derelict and was considered a danger in an area that had become popular for outings. Eventually it was demolished in June 1922 and other uses found for its sandstone and brick.

The Robertson Advocate of 9 June 1922 provided a poignant salute to its passing:

"Mittagong of olden days is rapidly becoming a remembrance of the past, the last relic to disappear being the old blast furnace which was an attraction to many visitors, especially to those interested in iron and other allied industries. Built upon the early ideas of smelting, it was out of date almost before it was completed, and therefore never had a chance of success against more modern methods. As the estate is being subdivided into small areas for settlement and a prospective builder having made an offer for it which was accepted, its demolition was only the work of a few days. It is to be regretted that the substantial work of the olden days should be destroyed instead of being kept as a memento of the past."

ONCE the blast furnace was gone and all sheds and equipment salvaged from that site and, with the earlier workings to the west reduced to rubble and covered with scrub, the Fitz Roy Iron Works faded from memory. Its former existence was overshadowed by developments elsewhere in the state - at Lithgow, Newcastle and Port Kembla - and by the success of BHP as a manufacturer of iron and steel.

During World War II, however, the Fitz Roy iron ore deposits at Mittagong were worked again. Enemy action on coastal shipping lanes threatened supplies of ore from Whyalla in South Australia on route to Newcastle and Port Kembla. As an insurance against interruption of supplies, alternative sources were sought in NSW. One of the first deposits to be worked was the old Fitz Roy lease that was purchased in March 1941. Operations commenced immediately and continued until ore of a satisfactory grade was exhausted by the end of that year. A total of 14,100 tons was quarried with an iron content of under 50 per cent.

After the war, a deep pride in Australia's achievements prompted Mittagong townspeople to hold a four-day programme of events in 1948 to celebrate the centenary of the Fitz Roy smelting venture and to honour the town as the birthplace of the nation's iron industry.

To commemorate the Iron Works, a cairn and tablet of polished trachyte was erected at the blast furnace site by the Royal Australian Historical Society and unveiled on 2 October 1948 by Lieutenant-General J Northcott with members of the Mittagong Iron Week Committee and BHP management in attendance.

To be continued

This article compiled by Phillip Morton is sourced from the archives of the Berrima District Historical & Family Society. Phone 4872 2169 . Bowral Road, Mittagong, bdhsarchives@gmail.com . berrimadistricthistoricalsociety.org.au

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