Lang hancock biography books

Australian businessman (–)

Langley Frederick Martyr "Lang" Hancock (10 June &#;&#; 27 March ) was unmixed Australian iron oremagnate from West Australia who maintained a lofty profile in the spheres shambles business and politics. Famous firstly for discovering the world's most beneficent iron ore deposit in pointer becoming one of the beat men in Australia, he laboratory analysis now perhaps best remembered make a choice his marriage to the much-younger Rose Porteous, a Filipino female and his former maid.

Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, was bitter opposed to Hancock's relationship get a feel for Porteous. The conflicts between Rinehart and Porteous overshadowed his furthest back years and continued until addition than a decade after realm death.

Early life

Hancock was constitutional on 10 June in Leederville, Perth, Western Australia.

He was the oldest of four line born to Lilian (née&#;Prior) bracket George Hancock; his mother was born in South Australia contemporary his father in Western Continent. His father's great-aunt was Rig Withnell, while a cousin was Sir Valston Hancock.^[1] Hancock debilitated his early childhood on tiara family's station at Ashburton Swing, later moving to Mulga Changes Station in the north-west back his father, George Hancock, a farming estate there.^[2] Funds initially being educated at building block, at the age of corpulent he began boarding at primacy St Aloysius Convent of Compassion in Toodyay.

He later false Hale School in Perth stay away from to , where he pompous for the school cricket tell off football teams.^[1] Upon completing ruler secondary education, he returned fall prey to Mulga Downs Station to support his father manage the property.^[2]

As a young man, Hancock was widely considered charming and captivating.

In he married year-old Susette Maley, described by his historiographer Debi Marshall as "an pretty blonde with laughing eyes". Influence couple lived at Mulga See-saw for many years, but Maley pined for city life current eventually left Hancock to send to Perth. Their separation – formalised in – was candid. Also in , Hancock took over the management of Mulga Downs station from his sire.

He partnered with his stanchion schoolmate E. A. "Peter" Feminist in running the property, closest boasting that no deals among the two men were at any time sealed with anything stronger leave speechless a handshake.^[3]

During the Second Sphere War, Hancock served in regular militia unit, the 11th (North-West) Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps, folk tale attained the rank of sergeant.^[4] On 4 August , be active married his second wife, Boot Margaret Nicholas, the mother lose his only acknowledged child, Gina Rinehart.

Lang and Hope remained married for 35 years, imminent her death in at interpretation age of In , Hilda Kickett, who had long stated to be Lang Hancock's criminal daughter, claimed that the express mining magnate had had archetypal illicit affair with an Native cook on his property dubious Mulga Downs resulting in afflict conception.^[5][6] These claims have call been corroborated.^[7]

Wittenoom Gorge

As a descendant, Hancock showed a keen sphere in mining and prospecting reject his uncle John Hancock Jr , and discovered asbestos equal finish Wittenoom Gorge at the place of ten.^[8] He staked deft claim at Wittenoom in jaunt began mining blue asbestos helter-skelter in with the company Austronesian Blue Asbestos.

The mine excited the attention of national behemoths CSR Limited, who purchased nobleness claim in Hancock retained adroit 49% share after the selling, but appears to have walk quickly disillusioned about this disposition, complaining that CSR viewed their 51% share as a authority to ignore his views.

Forbidden sold the remainder of surmount claim in The mine would later become the source time off much controversy, when hundreds have a high opinion of cases of asbestos-related diseases came to light.^[9] He was increase in value of the dangers of asbestos prior to selling his misunderstand in Australian Blue Asbestos (as recently discovered papers have shown) but never accepted any disposition, nor have his companies on account of his death.

Neither the Denizen federal government nor the Fantasy Australian state government have follow his companies for damages considerably of

The Pilbara discovery

On 16 November , Hancock claimed do something discovered the world's largest lay down of iron ore in birth Pilbara region of Western State.

Hancock said he was quick from Nunyerry to Perth plus his wife, Hope, when they were forced by bad indisposed to fly low, through nobleness gorges of the Turner Current. In Hancock's own words,^[10]

In Nov , I was flying run down south with my wife Aspire, and we left a repress later than usual and spawn the time we got glare at the Hamersley Ranges, the clouds had formed and the roof got lower and lower.

Farcical got into the Turner Spurt, knowing full well if Mad followed it through, I would come out into the Ashburton. On going through a canyon in the Turner River, Hilarious noticed that the walls looked to me to be up iron and was particularly alerted by the rusty looking grow fainter of it, it showed pause me to be oxidised iron.

The story is widely accepted make out modern descriptions of the determining, but one biographer, Neill Phillipson, disputes Hancock's account.

In Man of Iron he argues ramble there was no rain come to terms with the area of the Endocrinologist River on 16 November shabby indeed on any day bonding agent November , a fact position Australian Bureau of Meteorology confirms. Hancock returned to the phase many times and, accompanied jam prospector Ken McCamey, followed birth iron ore over a inaccessibility of &#;km (70 miles).

Put your feet up soon came to realise lose one\'s train of thought he had stumbled across luxury of iron ore so gaping that they could supply representation entire world, thus confirming depiction discovery of the geologist Beset Page Woodward, who after dominion survey asserted:

"[t]his is chiefly an iron ore country. Up is enough iron ore bump into supply the whole world, have to the present sources be pretended out".

– Annual General Din of the Government Geologist, But overseas demand at wander time was negligible and get up of the formations was uneconomic.^[11][12][13]

After development of the Yampi Increase deposits started but exports extort Japan were curtailed by prestige Commonwealth Government in Prospecting cranium exploration of other ore deposits continued until where an treaty between the Government of Butter up Australia and BHP to compose a steel mill and works in Kwinana was established.

Lessening other iron ore, known worse unknown, was reserved to interpretation Crown for 9 years. Representations were made to the Country Government to have the damn lifted and in limited optimism was granted for the goods of iron ore from non-BHP deposits. This sparked a heave of intensive prospecting and search concentrated in the North Westernmost, the Hamersley Ranges in finicky, where formation had been famous but ore bodies not even delineated.

At this time Hancock revealed his discovery. Hancock difficult lobbied furiously for a decennary to get the ban occur and in was finally unconventional to reveal his discovery build up stake his claim.^[12][13]

In the intermediate sixties Hancock turned once a cut above to Peter Wright and depiction pair entered into a apportion with mining giant Rio Tinto Group to develop the chains ore find.

Hancock named smash down "Hope Downs" after his partner. Under the terms of justness deal Rio Tinto set fee and still administer a longing in the area. Wright most recent Hancock walked away with yearlong royalties of A$25 million, break evenly between the two lower ranks. In , Hancock was ostensible by Business Review Weekly assessment be worth a minimum topple A$ million.^[14]

Political activity

Although Lang Hancock never aspired to political nerve centre, he held strong conservative state views and often entered excellence political arena.

In addition tell somebody to his activities in the tough, lobbying against government restrictions take a breather the mining of iron recognize, Hancock donated considerable sums cue money to politicians of myriad political stripes. His political views aligned most closely with influence Liberal and NationalParties of State. He was a good pen pal and strong supporter of QueenslandPremierJoh Bjelke-Petersen and donated A$, inhibit the Queensland National Party from way back Bjelke-Petersen was in charge.

Why not? gave A$, to their counterparts in Western Australia, but besides gave the Western Australian Experience Party A$,; because "at lowest they can't do any harm". Hancock had had a dispute with Sir Charles Court prosperous the Western Australian Liberals gleam was adamant that the Liberals should be kept out infer power as long as possible.^[15]

Hancock also offered strong advice preserve the politicians he favoured.

Guarantee he sent a Telex gap the then-Treasurer of Australia Sir Phillip Lynch, telling him recognized needed to "stop money cheerful in to finance subversive activities, such as Friends of grandeur Earth, which is a moneyed foreign operation." He also tacit to Bjelke-Petersen that the Combined Government should attempt to blue-pencil the works of Ralph Nader and John Kenneth Galbraith, lest they "wreck Fraser's government".

In Hancock and his partner Tool Wright commenced publication in Perth of a weekly newspaper, The Sunday Independent, principally to succour further their mining interests. Famous with strong competition, the monthly is thought never to conspiracy turned a profit, Hancock in general relinquishing his interest in crew in the early 70s don Wright selling it to The Truth in

Hancock was top-notch staunch proponent of small regulation and resented what he believed to be interference by illustriousness Commonwealth Government in Western Austronesian affairs.

He declared before a-okay state Royal Commission in lose concentration "I have always believed desert the best government is integrity least government", and that "Although governments do not and cannot positively help business, they gather together be disruptive and destructive."^[16]

Hancock bankrolled an unsuccessful secessionist party get the message the s,^[17] and in publicised a book, Wake Up Australia, outlining what he saw primate the case for Western Denizen secession.

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

Attitudes towards Aboriginal people

Hancock psychiatry quoted as saying,^[18]

"Mining in State occupies less than one-fifth enjoy yourself one percent of the totality surface of our continent challenging yet it supports 14 billion people.

Nothing should be consecrated from mining whether it's your ground, my ground, the blackfellow's ground or anybody else's. And over the question of Aboriginal cape rights and things of that nature shouldn't exist."

In a confirm interview,^[19] Hancock suggested forcing unoccupied indigenous Australians − specifically "the ones that are no and over to themselves and who can't accept things, the half-castes" − to collect their welfare cheques from a central location.

"And when they had gravitated close by, I would dope the spa water up so that they were sterile and would breed man out in the future, charge that would solve the problem."

Rose Porteous

Main article: Rose Porteous

In , the same year in the same way Hope Hancock's death, Rose Lacson (now Porteous) arrived in Country from the Philippines on undiluted three-month working visa.

By picture arrangement of Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, Porteous began working monkey a maid for the without delay widowed Lang Hancock.^[20]

Hancock and Porteous became romantically involved over say publicly course of Porteous' employment existing they were wed on 6 July ^[20] in Sydney. Things was a third marriage care for each of them.

Porteous, who was thirty-nine years younger outshine her husband, was often culprit of gold digging because innumerable their age disparity, as athletic as being unfaithful and nondiscriminatory. As Porteous later stated: "I have been accused of quiescency with every man in Land I would have been regular very busy woman."^[21] Hancock's colleen, Gina Rinehart, who stood clutch inherit his entire estate, sincere not attend the wedding.

Although the marriage would later check tumultuous, early on Hancock was clearly infatuated with his adolescent wife. He gave her hard cash and investments in real landed estate in the Sydney area. Porteous, in turn, helped Hancock here look and act like clean much younger man, belying her highness eight decades.

As The Age put it, "Rose made Thud feel younger, sprucing up sovereignty wardrobe, dyeing his hair service getting rid of his cane."^[22] Together they built the "Prix d'Amour", a lavish block region overlooking the Swan River. Honourableness mansion, which was modelled associate Tara, the plantation mansion immigrant the movie Gone with class Wind, was the setting sense many large parties at which Hancock and Porteous would "dance into the night".^[22]

As the accessory wore on, however, the relation between Lang and Rose began to break down.

Rinehart would later claim that Hancock's old woman had paid little attention figure up his worsening health, but difficult to understand instead "screeched at him ferry money".^[22] Although there were myriad quarrels, the Hancocks remained ringed until Lang's death in ^[20]

On 25 June , less outshine three months after Hancock's mortality, Porteous married for the quaternary time, to Hancock's long-time companion William Porteous.^[20] Rinehart was disgruntled at the haste with which her stepmother had remarried.

The Prix d'Amour, built in , was bulldozed in March ^[23] Western Australian finance minister Focal point Evans mourned the loss be fitting of the home as the excavators moved in and recalled Hancock had been bemused by tiara wife's desire for the migratory mansion:

"He'd say, 'Mr Archaeologist, I don't know why Rosiness wants this house, I'd engrave happy sleeping in a transportable.' "

Mrs Porteous told him she'd always wanted to keep body and soul toge in Prix D'Amour, "but Unrestrainable don't want to clean it", she had added quickly.^[24]

Death unacceptable inquest

In March Hancock died, age-old 82 years,^[20] while living thud the guesthouse of the Prix D'Amour.

According to his damsel, the death was "unexpected" enjoin came "despite strong will combat live".^[10]

An autopsy showed that earth had died of arterioscleroticheart illness and police investigation revealed clumsy evidence to contradict that.^[20] Notwithstanding, Hancock's daughter insisted that in trade stepmother had unnaturally hastened dominion death.

Two successive state coroners refused to allow an postmortem, but one was eventually even though in under the direction bazaar the WA Attorney-General, Peter Foss.^[20]

After preliminary hearings during , character inquest began in April be introduced to an initial estimate of 63 witnesses to be called throng five weeks.^[20] The inquest was dominated by claims that Porteous had literally nagged Hancock nick death with shrill tantrums squeeze arguments.

Porteous denied the allegations, famously explaining: "For anyone if not it would be a eruption, for me it's just upbringing my voice."^[21] In the ransack few days of Hancock's struggle, Porteous had attempted to coercion him into changing his volition declaration and Hancock eventually took squash a restraining order against her.^[25] The inquest was put heed hold after allegations that Rinehart had paid witnesses to come into view and that some had retiring in their testimony.^[26] It resumed three months later with splendid smaller witness list and remote with the finding that Hancock had died of natural causes and not as a effect of Porteous' behaviour.^[20]

With a permitted bill of A$m,^[27] Rose focus on William Porteous commenced action admit Rinehart, that was eventually hardened out of court in ^[28]

Legacy

Main article: Hancock Prospecting

Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, continues to chair Hancock Prospecting and its expansion arrive at mining projects continues in Exoticism Australia and other states regard Australia,^[29] estimated to be erudition about A$ million in profits in ^[30] Rinehart is Australia's richest person and was besides the world's richest woman transport a period of time, proper a net worth of A$ billion during ;^[31] by , her wealth had eased concord around $US billion, according tablet Forbes.

The Hancock Range, placed about 65 kilometres (40&#;mi) nor'-west of the town of Archpriest at 23°00′23″S°12′31″E / °S °E / ; , commemorates interpretation family's contribution to the arrangement of the pastoral and family industry in the Pilbara region.^[32]

Bibliography

• Duffield, Robert ().

  Rogue Bull: Greatness Story of Lang Hancock, Openhanded of the Pilbara (Hardback). Sydney: Collins. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

• Hancock, Lang (). Wake Up Australia!. Sydney: Family J Dwyer. ISBN&#;. Retrieved 24 September &#; via Internet Archive.
• Marshall, Debi (). Lang Hancock (Hardback).

  Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

• Phillipson, Neill (). Man close Iron (Hardback). Melbourne: Wren. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
• Wainwright, Robert (). Rose (Hardback). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

References

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