Mt fitton

The Mount Fitton talc mine is situated about 130 kilometres north east of Leigh Creek which is north of the Flinders Ranges. The talc deposit at Mount Fitton is of a high grade and one of the largest in the state. It is currently owned by Sibelco Australia, the parent company, Sibelco, being established in Belgium in 1872.

Talc has Been Mined at Mount Fitton Since 1945
The talc deposit at Mount Fitton was first discovered by the Adnyamathanha indigenous people who shared their knowledge with Europeans. This eventually led to the mining of the mineral. Talc has been mined at Mount Fitton since 1945 and the product, that is quite fine and pure, is used in the cosmetic, paint, paper, plastic pharmaceutical and ceramic industries.

Mount Fitton Talc Deposit now Part of the Mount Freeling Sheep Station
The open pit talc mine at Mount Fitton is now part of the Mount Freeling Sheep Station. The road leading to the mine is quite basic and deteriorates into a track that leads to the Mount Fitton homestead.

Ownership of Mount Fitton Talc Mine has Changed Hands Several Times
The ownership of the talc deposit has changed hands several times over the years after the original owners Joe Ford, Reg Sprigg and Gordon Greenwood valued the deposit and decided to begin the quarrying of the talc. The last ownership change occurred in 2012 when one of the world's largest mineral suppliers to industry, Sibelco, took over the operation. Sibelco took over the mine from Unimin as a result of Unimin being acquired by Sibelco. Unimin had earlier acquired the mine from joint owners, Steetley Industries Limited and Normandy Industrial Minerals.

Talc Taken From Mine by Outback Mailman
The talc produced from the Mount Fitton open cut mine used to be taken to Adelaide by the mailman who once serviced the outback stations in the area. This postman was named Cornelius Alferink who, over time, became widely know as Talc Alf. Talc Alf used to select particular specimens of talc that were suitable for carving when he called into pick up his loads. He became well known for the carvings that he eventually sold from his gallery at Lyndhurst. Talc Alf was born in Holland in 1945 and is a self taught sculptor among his other artistic pursuits. His talc carvings are in the main modern impressionist with a realistic touch.

Sibelco began Business in Australia in 2000
Sibelco Australia commenced Australian operations in 2000 when it acquired Commercial Minerals, this was soon followed up with the acquisition of David Mitchell and ACI Industrial Minerals. These companies have given Sibelco Australia a long standing foothold in Australia with firms that can trace their company histories back more than 130 years. Sibelco now employs almost 1,000 people throughout Australia and New Zealand and operates a network of more than 30 mines, warehouses, plants and sales offices.

Mount Fitton is a highly mineralised area as despite the talc mine there is also the nearby Mount Fitton mines complex that is noted for its range of secondary minerals along with small deposits of zinc, lead, silver and copper. However, despite considerable activity over the years all ventures intimately became uneconomical because of the complex nature of the ore.
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