Help With Information On Australian PM Refineries

danman49

danman49

Well-Known Member
Silver Stacker
Hi everyone,

I have just realised what a big hole I have in my knowledge concerning Australian refining of gold and silver. Specifically with regard to the extinct ones such as Engelhard Australia, JM Australia and Deak International and how they all intermingled and who made what, when and where.

If anybody can point me towards an illuminating text, website or post I would be very appreciative.

Thanks.

Danny
 
This may assist a little -

The Western Australia gold refinery industry
Western Australia not only leads the country in terms of gold mining activity, but also gold refining. Western
Australia exported 98.7 per cent of Australia's gold in 2010. Around half of this was gold produced from Western
Australian ores. The remainder was gold sourced from other Australian states and territories, and gold imported
from overseas (mainly from Thailand, Papua New Guinea and the United States). Gold imported from the United
States is treated differently in ABS trade statistics refer to Box A.
Prior to 1998, three major companies dominated the Australian gold refinery and manufacturing industry. These
were the Western Australian Mint, Johnson Matthey (Aust) Limited and Golden West (Australasia) Limited. The
industry was consolidated in 2002 when operations in Melbourne ceased. The Perth Mint assumed responsibility
for all future gold refining.

The increased capacity and productivity of the Perth Mint's refinery operations has contributed to the growth in
Australia's gold imports and exports. Australia's gold exports now exceed the annual level of mine production due
to the processing and re-export of gold imports

link pdf - http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications...old-industry-trade-production-and-outlook.pdf

Also this was a fair start -

http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Products/Gold-Refinery

http://www.miningandexploration.com.au/Assayers/

That should start to narrow it down. Let us know how you go.
 
A job in my younger days took me to JM in Thomastown and AGR in Bundoora ( NE of Melb), before they closed down, also note printing in Craigieburn.
JM was fairly standard,sign in - provide ID, metal detector etc etc, could see bits and pieces, there was only certain places you could walk, lines on the ground outside, if you stepped just a toe on the yellow line a voice on the loudspeaker would ask you to step back.
AGR was very full on, front gate opens when you have stated your business, then they lock you in. Admin is all mirrored glass, they can see you, you cant see them.
For refinery access, a small roller door would open into a dead room, greeted by a guard with a freaking big rifle, you have to stand there facing him while they closed the roller door, once locked in the rear of the room had a roller door and personal access door, the personal access door clicks and the guard pulls it open, you are greeted by another guard (unarmed) and he escorts you to your destination.
Nothing exciting at note printing, except seeing it printed really does make you think - its just paper.
 
Wow, thanks guys. Great reference there Oz, showed me some of the dates and locations I was trying to find. Ice, it sounds like they really took their security seriously at AGR! Almost like what you see in the movies about fort Knox. I take it you were not given any samples to take home :)
 
Austacker said:
Prior to 1998, three major companies dominated the Australian gold refinery and manufacturing industry. These
were the Western Australian Mint, Johnson Matthey (Aust) Limited and Golden West (Australasia) Limited. The
industry was consolidated in 2002 when operations in Melbourne ceased. The Perth Mint assumed responsibility
for all future gold refining.
Click to expand...

That is a little incorrect. In Dec 1998 Perth Mint and Golden West merged their refining operations into a partnership (which was technically not the Perth Mint, we just had a share in it) called AGR Joint Venture.

In March 2002, the AGR Joint Venture merged with Johnson Matthey into partnership called AGR Matthey.

Perth Mint only "assumed responsibility" when we bought out the remaining partners in the AGR Matthey in March 2010.
 
Thanks Bron, I don't suppose you would know where the engelhard bars were produced in Australia would you?
 
Asked around, we think Englehard's Australian operations were bought out by Johnson Matthey.

You'll note from his link that LBMA has "Engelhard Industries Pty Ltd Australia Thomastown"

Thomastown I know was the site of Johnson Matthey's operations, so that lines up.
 
Dragging up an old thread here but it pretty closely aligns with what I was going to ask and it might prove helpful to others later so here goes:

If golden west merged it's refining operations into AGR in 1998 does that mean they stopped making golden west silver bars at that point? Or did they keep making them, just refining, pouring and stamping them at a joint facility?

I saw a golden west bar the other day and didn't give it much thought but I saw an eBay auction trying to sell one at a pretty hefty premium because, according to the seller, it was rare and old and golden west became perth mint.

So would 1998 be the last year they made golden west bars or did they keep on making them (maybe still making them) after the AGR consolidation?
 
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