Port Kembla & Hill 60

Port Kembla's steelworks — established in 1928 by Hoskins (later Australian Iron & Steel, then BHP, now BlueScope) — transformed a quiet port into the industrial engine of the Illawarra, producing the steel that built much of modern Australia. During World War II, the strategic importance of the steelworks demanded protection: in 1942, the Australian military installed coastal defence guns on Hill 60, a headland overlooking the port. To make way for the gun emplacements, an Aboriginal settlement that had existed on Hill 60 for decades was forcibly evicted — residents were given just days to leave. Before the war, Port Kembla had already made international headlines: in 1938, dockworkers refused to load pig iron onto the Dalfram, a ship bound for Japan, fearing the metal would be made into weapons used against China. The 'Dalfram Dispute' lasted months and sparked a national debate about trade with militarist regimes. Today, Port Kembla is poised for transformation again: the Australian government has designated it as the future homeport for nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact, expected in the 2030s.