The Iron Ships: A Maritime History of BHP 1885-1992
Transportation History Australian History Antiquarian & Collectible Young Adult Non-Fiction Maritime History Corporate Biography Business & Industrial History Naval Architecture & Engineering
Collectors of Australian industrial heritage prize this scarce 1992 first-edition hardcover, The Iron Ships: A Maritime History of BHP 1885-1992. Denis M. Riley’s authoritative narrative charts how BHP’s humble iron-ore carriers grew into one of the world’s largest bulk-fleets, powering Australia’s twentieth-century economy. Every steel-grey hull is here—from the 1885 barque SS Iron Knob to the mammoth ore-carriers of the 1980s—showing how ship design, trade routes and national politics intertwined. Richly illustrated with historic yard plans, launch-day photographs and detailed fleet lists, the book doubles as a visual reference for modellers and maritime artists.
Beyond ship specs, Riley weaves a compelling business case-study: BHP’s fleet was a floating barometer of global commodity prices, wartime demand and labour relations. Readers discover why the company kept building in local yards during two world wars, how the Pilbara iron-ore boom reshaped hull geometry, and what life was like for the 12,000 Australian seafarers who kept the red-dust cargo moving. The result is a rare blend of technical depth and human story—perfect for history buffs, MBA students, or anyone tracing family connections to Australia’s merchant navy.
This vintage copy arrives in very-good condition: a bright, tight block with no inscriptions, no dog-eared pages and only light shelving wear to the illustrated dust-jacket. It stands as both a shelf-showpiece and a working reference, out-of-print for three decades and increasingly hard to locate in collectible grade. Secure it now and own the definitive chronicle of the ships that forged modern Australia.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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