– Delivery of raw material for processing showing monitor in operation, Southport, 1949

– Spiral Plant, Burleigh Heads, 1944

1940s

In the 1940s Bert Watson and a handful of other investors established Mineral Deposits Syndicate (MDS).

With operations based on the Gold Coast, mineral was shovelled off the beach into trucks before being dried and exported. Lower grade material was processed over crude spirals made from tyres and concrete on the banks of the Nerang River at Brighton Parade, Southport to extract the valuable heavy minerals. Joining MDS in 1946, Ernst Reichert developed electrostatic plate separators for use in the Southport plant.

1940s

Early mining activities.

– Dewatering heavy mineral concentrates after tabling, Southport, 1949

– Delivery of raw material for processing showing monitor in operation, Southport, 1949

– General view of mining operations at Burleigh, showing pit above, with rehabilitation progress by bulldozer, 1944/45

1950s

1952

Mineral Deposits Pty Ltd, Southport

1955

The National Lead Company acquired a controlling interest in forming Mineral Deposits Pty Ltd (MDL) in 1955.

Six dredging and mobile spiral separation plants were established on Gold Coast beaches from the Spit to Coolangatta. During this decade Ernst Reichert developed the first Cone Concentrators to provide improved separation performance over the rudimentary spiral technology of the time. In 1957 MDL developed its Crescent Head operation in NSW utilising newly developed MDL equipment.

1955

The National Lead Company acquired a controlling interest in forming Mineral Deposits Pty Ltd (MDL) in 1955.

Six dredging and mobile spiral separation plants were established on Gold Coast beaches from the Spit to Coolangatta. During this decade Ernst Reichert developed the first Cone Concentrators to provide improved separation performance over the rudimentary spiral technology of the time. In 1957 MDL developed its Crescent Head operation in NSW utilising newly developed MDL equipment.

1950

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1960

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1970

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1980

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1990

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2000

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2001

2005

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2010

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2015

2020

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2022

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2023

2024

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Today

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