Share
clip 1Clip description
Rio Tinto in Australia was unable to commit to Lang Hancock’s iron ore find without the input of the parent company in Britain, so Hancock confronted the Chairman and CEO in London – Sir Val Duncan OBE, also a governor of the Bank of England – in order to get things moving.
Curator’s notes
A fascinating and – for the time – unusual look at the forces behind Australia’s mining boom. Here we are expertly taken into the heart of London’s financial district, with the chairman of Rio Tinto Zinc being driven to work in his chauffeured Rolls Royce. These images immediately set the scene, while in voice-over he fills out the history of this powerful company.
The strength of this documentary is the juxtapositioning of the world of high finance in London, Tokyo and New York, with the arid heart of Australia where this fabulous iron ore find is being exploited. A huge mining infrastructure has been built from this barren landscape. The mines and ports are contrasted with the big business side of mining – Japanese and Australian negotiators setting the price for the next round of tonnage, and the boardrooms of the big multinational companies who make the decisions that fill the coffers of the Australian Government and further enrich Lang Hancock.
