Boddington

Boddington is one of Australia's largest gold mines, located south-east of Perth in Western Australia.

History

The Boddington gold mine was originally developed in the 1980s as the Boddington Gold Mine, processing oxide ore. After the oxide resource was depleted, the operation was redeveloped in 2009 as a large-scale open-pit mine targeting fresh sulphide ore. A significant underground expansion was approved in 2022, making Boddington one of the few Australian gold mines with both major open-pit and underground operations.

Why It's Iconic

Boddington is one of the largest gold producers in Australia, combining open pit and underground mining.

Scale and Production

Boddington is one of Australia's largest gold producers, with annual production exceeding 700,000 ounces of gold and significant copper by-product. The underground expansion is expected to extend mine life well into the 2030s.

Equipment

Technology and Autonomous Systems

Processing Infrastructure

Boddington processes ore through a large conventional SAG and ball mill circuit followed by flotation and CIL recovery. The plant has a capacity of approximately 12 million tonnes per annum, producing gold doré and a copper-gold concentrate.

Workforce

Approximately 2,000 employees and contractors, with a mix of FIFO from Perth and residential workers. The operation is approximately 130km south-east of Perth, making it one of the closer FIFO gold mines to the capital.

Major Milestones

• 1980s: Original Boddington Gold Mine developed
• 2009: Redeveloped as large-scale open-pit sulphide operation
• 2022: Underground expansion approved
• Ongoing: One of Australia's largest gold mines

Interesting Facts

• Boddington produces both gold and copper
• One of the few Australian mines with both open-pit and underground operations
• Located approximately 130km from Perth — closer than most WA gold mines
• The underground expansion is one of the largest gold mine development projects in Australia