Air drill pty, Ltd.

The company Airdrill was started in 1969 by Ralph King, to rebuild three air trac rigs and 2 x compressors. A small workshop was rented for 4 months which ended up 4 years. Over the years Airdrill started renting out air tracs and compressors while taking in constant work to keep active when hire fleet where out, work grew in volume and size. With the increased work load more staff was employed, Airdrill quickly out-grew the small workshop. Land was purchased in Bayswater (Western Australia) and a workshop was built thinking it would last for 10 years, in five years the land, workshop and office was doubled. Drill rig and compressor work increased in size and volume to the extent they had to move out to a larger workshop in Bayswater ( Jackson Street). At this time Airdrills contract work expanded where they were doing major rig rebuilds that required some 11,000 man hours each at a cost of 1.8 million dollars. In excess of 15 of these machines were processed. During this time Airdrill carried out Mine site erection and commission contractors for drill rig and electric power shovels (in excess of 700 tonne machines). Airdrills major customers during this period were: Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd (drill rigs – shovels) Mt Newman Mining Pty Ltd (drill rigs) Robe River Mining (drill rigs) BHP Koolan Island (drill rigs) BHP Cockatoo Island (drill rigs) Goldsworthy Mining (drill rigs) BHP Koolyanobbing (drill rigs) WMC Koolyanobbing (drill rigs) WMC Kambalda (drill rigs - shovels) BHP Iron Baron (SA drill rigs) Savage River Mine (Tasmania drill rigs) Mary Kathleen Uranium (QLD drill rigs) Brandrill (NT drill rigs)