Rio Tinto is celebrating 60 years in Western Australia, marking six decades since the first shipment of Pilbara iron ore departed Dampier for Japan.
The shipment left on 22 August 1966 aboard the Houn Maru, following an agreement with Japanese steel mills to purchase 65.5 million tonnes of iron ore over 15 years. At the time, the deal was the largest export agreement in Australian history and provided the certainty needed to develop the Pilbara.
Since then, Rio Tinto has shipped more than 8 billion tonnes of iron ore from its Pilbara operations to customers around the world, supporting steel production used in buildings, homes, transport and energy infrastructure.
The Pilbara has since developed into one of the world’s major mining regions, with Rio Tinto now among Western Australia’s largest private sector employers.
The company’s operations are connected to six residential towns in the Pilbara and five other regional towns through its fly-in fly-out program, while Perth hosts its remote operations centre and global iron ore headquarters.
Rio Tinto has also increased its contribution to the state’s economy and communities. The company has invested around $500 million in community initiatives across Western Australia over the past five years.
In 2025, Rio Tinto spent a record $12 billion with Western Australian businesses, with its local supply chain spending doubling over the past four years.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Matthew Holcz said the company’s growth had been built through partnerships with Traditional Owners, employees, communities, governments, joint venture partners, customers and suppliers.
“We could never have built this business alone,” Holcz said.
“We thank the generations of employees, Traditional Owners, communities, governments, joint venture partners, customers and suppliers who have built it with us.”
To mark the anniversary, photographs by late Western Australian photographer Richard Woldendorp will be gifted to the State Library of Western Australia. The collection documents the construction of Mount Tom Price and the early development of the Pilbara.
Rio Tinto will also mark the anniversary in Karratha with the Perth Wildcats and Cairns Taipans playing the first official National Basketball League game in the Pilbara, alongside community basketball clinics for almost 500 junior players.
