Port Kembla, in New South Wales, is one of the fastest-growing industrial areas in Australia. It lies more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Sydney and forms part of the city of Wollongong.
Port Kembla is a major center of the iron and steel industry. Its steelworks produce almost two-thirds of Australia’s pig iron and more than half its raw steel. A hot-strip mill produces rolled steel for use in the shipbuilding and automaking industries. Port Kembla has the largest electrolytic copper-refining plant in Australia. It also has chemical works, cement works, firebrick works, and engineering shops. The port has a fine deepwater harbor. It does a large trade in iron and steel goods. It imports iron ore, phosphates, copper ore, and general merchandise. It exports coke, metal concentrates, coal, and lumber.
Refining of crude copper at Port Kembla began in 1907. The area developed rapidly after the iron and steel works were transferred there from Lithgow, New South Wales, in 1928. In the 1930’s, an artificial harbor was built.
