Harry Page Woodward facts for kids
Henry Page Woodward (born May 16, 1858 – died February 8, 1917) was an important Australian geologist and mining engineer. He was born in Norwich, England, and later moved to Australia. He also worked as a public servant, meaning he worked for the government.
Henry Woodward was a respected expert in his field. He was a member of important groups like the Geological Society of London and the Royal Geographical Society. He also served as a justice of the peace in the Colony of Western Australia, which meant he had some legal duties. His father, also named Henry Woodward, was also a geologist.
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Discovering Iron Ore in Pilbara
Henry Page Woodward made a very important discovery in 1890. He was working as the Government Geologist for Western Australia. In his yearly report, he wrote about the Pilbara iron ore reserves. These are huge amounts of iron ore found in the Pilbara region.
Woodward's Prediction
Woodward was the first to realize how much iron was there. He wrote:
This is essentially an iron ore country. There is enough iron ore to supply the whole world, should the present sources be worked out.
This means he believed there was enough iron in Pilbara to supply the entire world if other sources ran out. Iron ore is a rock that contains iron, which is used to make steel for buildings, cars, and many other things.
The Report Was Ignored
Even though Woodward's report was very important, it was not acted upon at the time. People did not realize the huge value of the iron ore he had found. It took many years for his discovery to be fully understood and used.
Lang Hancock's Role
It wasn't until 1961 that another person, Lang Hancock, rediscovered the massive iron ore deposits. He was able to use new laws to start mining the iron ore. This made the Pilbara region a very important mining area for Australia. Woodward's early work laid the foundation for this huge industry.
