A centenary of Mount Isa mining legends

This year, Mount Isa celebrates 100 years since the discovery of ore deposits in the north-west minerals province, one of the largest mineral regions in the world.

The region has made a significant contribution to the growth and economic prosperity of Queensland.

In this edition, we pay tribute to the legends who have helped shape the Mount Isa community over the last century.

John Campbell Miles (1883-1965)

In February 1923, while travelling across Queensland’s dry Gulf Savannah, prospector John Campbell Miles discovered one of the richest known zinc-lead seams in the world.

Over the course of two months, Miles pegged out the Racecourse lease in the area surrounding the outcrops. He named the larger outcrop Mount Isa, claiming 17 hectares that would become one of the most productive single mines in history.

On 16 January 1924, Mount Isa Mines Limited was established and became one of Australia’s most iconic and enduring natural resources companies. It heralded the birth of a community that has prospered alongside operations and is central to the mine's long-term success.

Miles lived to the age of 82. Shortly before he passed away in December 1965, members of his family credit him with saying, “If only I could go back to my country [Mount Isa] I would be alright.”

Miles’ ashes were returned to Mount Isa and are buried under the clock tower which now stands in the centre of Miles Street.

Dr Julius Kruttschnitt (1885-1974)

Dr Julius Kruttschnitt arrived in Mount Isa in 1930 in his trademark suit and tie. He had just been appointed General Manager of Mount Isa Mines, marking the beginning of a 37-year career with the company. At first, the Yale University alumni was not fully prepared for what he was getting himself into as head of the fledgling mining company, writing, “To my consternation I found on my arrival, a condition bordering on bankruptcy...” in 1930.

With hard work and funding from the United States, the first lead bullion was produced by June 1931, with the business showing a profit in 1937. That same year, Kruttschnitt was promoted to Chairman of Mount Isa Mines.

Kruttschnitt showed a great interest in the welfare of miners and their families. The unique Mount Isa tent house, a timber-framed house with a canvas roof under a free-standing galvanised iron roof, was one of the many developments of his time. It was a cheap and sustainable way to provide housing to company employees. 

In 1946, Kruttschnitt was awarded the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy medal in recognition of his outstanding services to the mining industry in Australia. In 1962, he was awarded the English Institute of Mining and Metallurgy gold medal.

Retiring as Chairman of Mount Isa Mines in 1953, Kruttschnitt remained on the board until 1967. He was also a board member of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Queensland from 1954 to 1962.

In 1971, the University of Queensland granted him an honorary Doctorate of Engineering, and Mount Isa Mines presented the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre to the university in his honour.

Sir George Fisher (1903-2007)

Sir George Fisher is credited as being one of the few people responsible for Australia's mining boom and the economic strength it brought to Australia.

Fisher was initially appointed Deputy Chairman of Mount Isa Mines in January 1952, before being promoted to Chairman one year later. One of the first things he did upon arriving in Mount Isa was launch an intensive exploration program.

Within five years, Mount Isa Mines’ rate of diamond drilling increased more than fivefold and new reserves of copper and silver-lead-zinc were added to the company’s annual figures.

Within four years of his chairmanship, underground development at Mount Isa Mines had increased by 250 per cent. With this came a period of rapid expansion for the Mount Isa community.

Fisher was a passionate visionary who wanted to see the community flourish. He believed opportunities for residents in Mount Isa should be equal to those available to people living in regional cities, and in 1955 is quoted stating that, “The north is widely recognised as a place of great potential. It would be a tragedy if it were allowed to remain only this.”

Fisher spent 70 years in mining and was a founder and the first president of the Australian Mining Industry Council (now the Minerals Council of Australia), and a president of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

In 1961, he was made a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in recognition of his services to the Australian mining and metallurgical industries and for his outstanding contribution to decentralised industry in Queensland.

In 1967, Fisher was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday honours list, and in 2000, the Hilton North orebody was renamed George Fisher Mine in his honour.

In 2007, Sir George Fisher passed away at the grand age of 104.

Sir James Foots (1916-2010)

Sir James Foots had an impressive 32-year career with Mount Isa Mines.

Winning a scholarship to study at Melbourne University, Foots received a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering in 1937.

In 1955, he began his career at Mount Isa Mines as a mining engineer. He was promoted through the ranks to General Manager in 1956, then Managing Director in 1966, before being appointed Chairman and Chief Executive of Mount Isa Mines in 1970.

During this time, Foots presided over a vast expansion program, helping to grow Mount Isa Mines into one of Australia’s largest mining operations. Together with Sir George Fisher, Foots established himself as a driving force behind the company’s rapid expansion of copper and silver-lead-zinc production in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Foots had a long history of contributions to the community, and was a towering figure in the creation of Australia’s post-war mining industry.

In 1959, he initiated the enduring Mount Isa Rodeo, helped establish the internationally renowned Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre at Queensland University, and also played a key role in securing Expo '88 for Brisbane.

In 1980, Foots was knighted for his contribution to the mining industry and the Australian business landscape. He retired in 1987 and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy that same year.

Mount Isa’s Grace Street bridge was named in honour of Sir James Foots in 2009.