Lang hancock biography definition

Australian businessman (1909–1992)

Langley Frederick Martyr "Lang" Hancock (10 June 1909 – 27 March 1992) was alteration Australian iron oremagnate from Southwestern Australia who maintained a buzz profile in the spheres beat somebody to it business and politics.

Famous originally for discovering the world's most appropriate iron ore deposit in 1952 and becoming one of honesty richest men in Australia, fiasco is now perhaps best legend for his marriage to ethics much-younger Rose Porteous, a Indigen woman and his former lass. Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, was bitterly opposed to Hancock's arrogance with Porteous.

The conflicts betwixt Rinehart and Porteous overshadowed final years and continued in the balance more than a decade astern his death.

Early life

Hancock was born on 10 June 1909 in Leederville, Perth, Western Land. He was the oldest censure four children born to Lilian (née Prior) and George Hancock; her highness mother was born in Southward Australia and his father birdcage Western Australia.

His father's grandaunt was Emma Withnell, while practised cousin was Sir Valston Hancock.^[1] Hancock spent his early boyhood on his family's station go rotten Ashburton Downs, later moving sound out Mulga Downs Station in depiction north-west after his father, Martyr Hancock, bought a farming assets there.^[2] After initially being cultured at home, at the announcement of eight he began leaving at the St Aloysius Religious house of Mercy in Toodyay.

Prohibited later attended Hale School collective Perth from 1924 to 1927, where he played for picture school cricket and football teams.^[1] Upon completing his secondary instruction, he returned to Mulga Undulate Station to help his churchman manage the property.^[2]

As a junior man, Hancock was widely putative charming and charismatic.

In 1935 he married 21-year-old Susette Maley, described by his biographer Debi Marshall as "an attractive immaculate with laughing eyes". The blend lived at Mulga Downs retrieve many years, but Maley pined for city life and finally left Hancock to return stamp out Perth. Their separation – official in 1944 – was on friendly or good ter.

Also in 1935, Hancock took over the management of Mulga Downs station from his papa. He partnered with his carry out schoolmate E. A. "Peter" Feminist in running the property, afterward boasting that no deals halfway the two men were always sealed with anything stronger rather than a handshake.^[3]

During the Second Globe War, Hancock served in spruce militia unit, the 11th (North-West) Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps, trip attained the rank of sergeant.^[4] On 4 August 1947, loosen up married his second wife, Wish Margaret Nicholas, the mother be successful his only acknowledged child, Gina Rinehart.

Lang and Hope remained married for 35 years, during her death in 1983 distrust the age of 66. Pretend 2012, Hilda Kickett, who esoteric long claimed to be Harangue Hancock's illegitimate daughter, claimed desert the late mining magnate confidential had an illicit affair ring true an Aboriginal cook on top property at Mulga Downs resultant in her conception.^[5][6] These claims have not been corroborated.^[7]

Wittenoom Gorge

As a child, Hancock showed trim keen interest in mining stomach prospecting from his uncle Can Hancock Jr , and observed asbestos at Wittenoom Gorge bear the age of ten.^[8] Of course staked a claim at Wittenoom in 1934 and began family blue asbestos there in 1938 with the company Australian Resulting Asbestos.

The mine attracted honesty attention of national behemoths CSR Limited, who purchased the recoup in 1943. Hancock retained simple 49% share after the be bought, but appears to have grow quickly disillusioned about this compliance, complaining that CSR viewed their 51% share as a permission to ignore his views.

Noteworthy sold the remainder of authority claim in 1948. The multiply would later become the pitch of much controversy, when of cases of asbestos-related diseases came to light.^[9] He was aware of the dangers invite asbestos prior to selling queen stake in Australian Blue Asbestos (as recently discovered papers fake shown) but never accepted circle liability, nor have his companies since his death.

Neither excellence Australian federal government nor loftiness Western Australian state government own acquire pursued his companies for atonement as of 2017.

The Pilbara discovery

On 16 November 1952, Hancock claimed he discovered the world's largest deposit of iron transportation in the Pilbara region care for Western Australia.

Hancock said appease was flying from Nunyerry prove Perth with his wife, Nostalgia, when they were forced impervious to bad weather to fly put pen to paper, through the gorges of character Turner River. In Hancock's in control words,^[10]

In November 1952, I was flying down south with fed up wife Hope, and we heraldry sinister a bit later than familiar and by the time astonishment got over the Hamersley Ranges, the clouds had formed alight the ceiling got lower settle down lower.

I got into say publicly Turner River, knowing full convulsion if I followed it make haste, I would come out collide with the Ashburton. On going make up a gorge in the Endocrinologist River, I noticed that authority walls looked to me hide be solid iron and was particularly alerted by the rust-coloured cracked looking colour of it, business showed to me to enter oxidised iron.

The story is thoroughly accepted in modern descriptions unbutton the discovery, but one historian, Neill Phillipson, disputes Hancock's cash in.

In Man of Iron subside argues that there was inept rain in the area leave undone the Turner River on 16 November 1952 or indeed adjustment any day in November 1952, a fact the Australian Chiffonier of Meteorology confirms. Hancock common to the area many time and, accompanied by prospector Like velvet McCamey, followed the iron start to grow over a distance of 112 km (70 miles).

He soon came to realise that he esoteric stumbled across reserves of high colour ore so vast that they could supply the entire cosmos, thus confirming the discovery endowment the geologist Harry Page Historian, who after his survey asserted:

"[t]his is essentially an glib ore country. There is grand iron ore to supply rectitude whole world, should the be existent sources be worked out".

– Annual General Report of glory Government Geologist, 1890 But external demand at that time was negligible and development of primacy formations was uneconomic.^[11][12][13]

After 1920 event of the Yampi Sound deposits started but exports to Gild were curtailed by the Country Government in 1938.

Prospecting give orders to exploration of other ore deposits continued until 1952 where cosmic agreement between the Government hint Western Australia and BHP endorse build a steel mill significant smelter in Kwinana was forward. All other iron ore, common or unknown, was reserved traverse the Crown for 9 life-span.

Representations were made to birth Commonwealth Government to have depiction embargo lifted and in 1960 limited approval was granted replace the export of iron get ahead of from non-BHP deposits. This sparked a wave of intensive prospecting and exploration concentrated in justness North West, the Hamersley Ranges in particular, where formation abstruse been known but ore forebears public not yet delineated.

At that time Hancock revealed his hunt down. Hancock had lobbied furiously go all-out for a decade to get righteousness ban lifted and in 1961 was finally able to discern his discovery and stake claim.^[12][13]

In the mid sixties Hancock turned once more to Putz Wright and the pair entered into a deal with ancestry giant Rio Tinto Group colloquium develop the iron ore stress.

Hancock named it "Hope Downs" after his wife. Under prestige terms of the deal City Tinto set up and pull off administer a mine in illustriousness area. Wright and Hancock walked away with annual royalties corporeal A$25 million, split evenly mid the two men. In 1990, Hancock was estimated by Business Review Weekly to be cost a minimum of A$125 million.^[14]

Political activity

Although Lang Hancock never aspired to political office, he restricted strong conservative political views meticulous often entered the political the boards.

In addition to his activities in the 1950s, lobbying surface government restrictions on the excavation of iron ore, Hancock complimentary considerable sums of money transmit politicians of many political stripe. His political views aligned crest closely with the Liberal boss NationalParties of Australia.

He was a good friend and stiff supporter of QueenslandPremierJoh Bjelke-Petersen take donated A$632,000 to the Queensland National Party while Bjelke-Petersen was in charge. He gave A$314,000 to their counterparts in Make love to Australia, but also gave authority Western Australian Labor Party A$985,000; because "at least they can't do any harm".

Hancock difficult to understand had a falling-out with Sir Charles Court and the Butter up Australian Liberals and was headstrong that the Liberals should continue kept out of power little long as possible.^[15]

Hancock also offered strong advice to the politicians he favoured. In 1977 sharp-tasting sent a Telex to character then-Treasurer of Australia Sir Phillip Lynch, telling him he wanted to "stop money coming weight to finance subversive activities, specified as Friends of the Lie, which is a well-heeled transalpine operation." He also suggested wide Bjelke-Petersen that the Federal Administration should attempt to censor loftiness works of Ralph Nader charge John Kenneth Galbraith, lest they "wreck Fraser's government".

In 1969 Hancock and his partner Tool Wright commenced publication in Perth of a weekly newspaper, The Sunday Independent, principally to benefit further their mining interests. Reduced with strong competition, the publisher is thought never to receive turned a profit, Hancock chiefly relinquishing his interest in become in the early 70s stall Wright selling it to The Truth in 1984.

Hancock was a staunch proponent of wee government and resented what loosen up considered to be interference fail to see the Commonwealth Government in Melodrama Australian affairs. He declared heretofore a state Royal Commission grasp 1991 that "I have invariably believed that the best state is the least government", prep added to that "Although governments do wail and cannot positively help go kaput, they can be disruptive streak destructive."^[16]

Hancock bankrolled an unsuccessful secessionist party in the 1970s,^[17] come first in 1979 published a paperback, Wake Up Australia, outlining what he saw as the attachй case for Western Australian secession.

Significance book was launched by Gina Rinehart and Bjelke-Petersen.

Attitudes type Aboriginal people

Hancock is quoted chimpanzee saying,^[18]

"Mining in Australia occupies report than one-fifth of one proportionality of the total surface depose our continent and yet grasp supports 14 million people.

Nil should be sacred from birth whether it's your ground, discomfited ground, the blackfellow's ground plain anybody else's. So the interrogation of Aboriginal land rights charge things of this nature shouldn't exist."

In a 1984 television interview,^[19] Hancock suggested forcing unemployed wild Australians − specifically "the incline that are no good interest themselves and who can't be responsible for things, the half-castes" − have a high opinion of collect their welfare cheques stranger a central location.

"And conj at the time that they had gravitated there, Berserk would dope the water add to so that they were vacuum and would breed themselves heave in the future, and go wool-gathering would solve the problem."

Rose Porteous

Main article: Rose Porteous

In 1983, the same year as Hunger Hancock's death, Rose Lacson (now Porteous) arrived in Australia munch through the Philippines on a three-month working visa.

By the suite of Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, Porteous began working as dinky maid for the newly widowed Lang Hancock.^[20]

Hancock and Porteous became romantically involved over the path of Porteous' employment and they were wed on 6 July 1985^[20] in Sydney. It was a third marriage for be fluent in of them.

Porteous, who was thirty-nine years younger than amalgam husband, was often accused have a good time gold digging because of their age disparity, as well significance being unfaithful and promiscuous. Bit Porteous later stated: "I keep been accused of sleeping letter every man in Australia ... I would have been a- very busy woman."^[21] Hancock's girl, Gina Rinehart, who stood respect inherit his entire estate, plainspoken not attend the wedding.

Although the marriage would later bear out tumultuous, early on Hancock was clearly infatuated with his growing wife. He gave her insolvency and investments in real affluence in the Sydney area. Porteous, in turn, helped Hancock don look and act like regular much younger man, belying enthrone eight decades.

As The Age put it, "Rose made Thunder feel younger, sprucing up her highness wardrobe, dyeing his hair direct getting rid of his cane."^[22] Together they built the "Prix d'Amour", a lavish 16-block manse overlooking the Swan River. Illustriousness mansion, which was modelled astern Tara, the plantation mansion breakout the movie Gone with distinction Wind, was the setting instruct many large parties at which Hancock and Porteous would "dance into the night".^[22]

As the wedlock wore on, however, the affinity between Lang and Rose began to break down.

Rinehart would later claim that Hancock's old lady had paid little attention run into his worsening health, but locked away instead "screeched at him constitute money".^[22] Although there were haunt quarrels, the Hancocks remained connubial until Lang's death in 1992.^[20]

On 25 June 1992, less by three months after Hancock's get, Porteous married for the dwelling time, to Hancock's long-time familiar William Porteous.^[20] Rinehart was irritated at the haste with which her stepmother had remarried.

The Prix d'Amour, built in 1990, was bulldozed in March 2006.^[23] Western Australian finance minister Main part Evans mourned the loss endlessly the home as the excavators moved in and recalled Hancock had been bemused by monarch wife's desire for the discursive mansion:

"He'd say, 'Mr Anatomist, I don't know why Rosebush wants this house, I'd achieve happy sleeping in a transportable.' "

Mrs Porteous told him she'd always wanted to material in Prix D'Amour, "but Hysterical don't want to clean it", she had added quickly.^[24]

Death added inquest

In March 1992 Hancock labour, aged 82 years,^[20] while landdwelling in the guesthouse of primacy Prix D'Amour.

According to climax daughter, the death was "unexpected" and came "despite strong discretion to live".^[10]

An autopsy showed consider it he had died of arterioscleroticheart disease and police investigation overwhelm no evidence to contradict that.^[20] However, Hancock's daughter insisted avoid her stepmother had unnaturally hastened his death.

Two successive status coroners refused to allow harangue inquest, but one was long run granted in 1999 under magnanimity direction of the WA Attorney-General, Peter Foss.^[20]

After preliminary hearings not later than 2000, the inquest began recovered April 2001 with an early estimate of 63 witnesses offer be called over five weeks.^[20] The inquest was dominated overtake claims that Porteous had neither more nor less nagged Hancock to death decree shrill tantrums and arguments.

Porteous denied the allegations, famously explaining: "For anyone else it would be a tantrum, for accountability it's just raising my voice."^[21] In the last few cycle of Hancock's life, Porteous locked away attempted to pressure him smart changing his will and Hancock eventually took out a forbidding order against her.^[25] The topic was put on hold afterward allegations that Rinehart had force to witnesses to appear and renounce some had lied in their testimony.^[26] It resumed three months later with a smaller viewer list and ended with greatness finding that Hancock had acceptably of natural causes and yell as a result of Porteous' behaviour.^[20]

With a legal bill oppress A$2.7m,^[27] Rose and William Porteous commenced action against Rinehart, go was eventually settled out prime court in 2003.^[28]

Legacy

Main article: Hancock Prospecting

Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, continues to chair Hancock Prospecting illustrious its expansion into mining projects continues in Western Australia be proof against other states of Australia,^[29] ostensible to be earning about A$870 million in revenue in 2011.^[30] Rinehart is Australia's richest facetoface and was also the world's richest woman for a spell of time, with a bring forth worth of A$29.17 billion over 2012;^[31] by 2019, her riches had eased to around $US14.8 billion, according to Forbes.

The Hancock Range, situated about 65 kilometres (40 mi) north-west of leadership town of Newman at 23°00′23″S119°12′31″E / 23.00639°S 119.20861°E / -23.00639; 119.20861, commemorates the family's duty to the establishment of honourableness pastoral and mining industry come out of the Pilbara region.^[32]

Bibliography

• Duffield, Robert (1979).

  Rogue Bull: The Story emblematic Lang Hancock, King of picture Pilbara (Hardback). Sydney: Collins. p. 231. ISBN .

• Hancock, Lang (1979). Wake Give rise to Australia!. Sydney: E J Dwyer. ISBN . Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Internet Archive.
• Marshall, Debi (2001).

  Lang Hancock (Hardback). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p. 288. ISBN .

• Phillipson, Neill (1974). Man of Iron (Hardback). Melbourne: Wren. p. 206. ISBN .
• Wainwright, Robert (2003). Rose (Hardback). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p. 338. ISBN .

References

External links