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History
The township of Iron Knob was surveyed and established to support the iron ore mining that began there in 1880. It is generally regarded as the first iron ore mine in Australia and the ‘company town’ established there by Broken Hill Proprietary Ltd from 1899 originally supplied ironstone as flux to smelt the silver-lead ores at Port Pirie. Until the huge ore reserves of the Pilbara of Western Australia were discovered in the 1960s, Iron Knob supplied all BHP’s major steel-making operations at Newcastle, Port Kembla and Whyalla. In its hey day Iron Knob was home to over 2 000 people.
The ore mining operations have now ceased, much of the infrastructure removed and the administration of the town handed back to a small resident population. There remain however a number of residential allotments in the township occupied by people who appreciate a comparatively unregulated lifestyle only 55 km and 75 km by sealed road from Whyalla and Port Augusta respectively.
Special attractions
The township provides a good depiction of the infrastructure and lifestyles (including iron clad dwellings) that were features of the ore mining towns established and then sometimes abandoned in Australia’s outback. Art depictions and interpretive tours are available and there is a tourism information centre run by the Iron Knob Progress Association.
Tourist services
There is seven-day petrol and services available and a motel. Overnight accommodation is also available at Whyalla or Port August – both within an hour’s drive and there is a camping and caravan facilities on Pandurra Station between Iron Knob and Port Augusta.
Community Economic Development Plan 
PDF
Iron Knob Community Website 
http://au.geocities.com/iktourism/
