History

Western Desert Resources was established in 2006 and floated in 2007 by a group of geologists and businessmen with a long history of working together in the Territory, particularly on gold prospects around Tennant Creek.

Many of these founding directors remain on the board today, including Managing Director Norm Gardner, who has run successful civil and mining contracting businesses from Alice Springs, geologist Graham Bubner, businessman Mick Ashton and accountant David Cloke.

The company's initial focus was on gold and uranium prospects in Central Australia, such as the Rover Joint Venture with TNG near Tennant Creek. It bought into Thor Mining which has the Molyhil tungsten and molybdenum deposit and gained exploration licences for gold prospects such as Spring Hill, on historic goldfields at Pine Creek, south of Darwin. However, it was Western Desert's decision to search for iron ore in Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria region that saw the company hit pay dirt.

BHP had previously identified iron ore at nearby Roper River. However, the Roper Bar tenements were seen as too remote to be commercial. That was until Western Desert Resources flew over the hematite outcrops in 2008, got excited and started feasibility studies into how to dig up the iron ore and get it to markets in China.

Initial samples were sufficiently promising to give Western Desert confidence in its find and the company ultimately consolidated eight tenements at Roper Bar and Mountain Creek. Continued drilling has confirmed substantial reserves of high grade iron ore that Western Desert believes will generate sufficient cash flow to make the lesser grade tenements economic.

As the company has grown, so too has its board. In early 2011, Western Desert was proud to announce that its new Chairman was well-known businessman Rick Allert. Rick has a strong association with the Northern Territory as former Chairman of the AustralAsia Railway Corporation and remains a Director of Genesee and Wyoming Australia, which operates freight trains between Adelaide and Darwin.

In June 2011, the board was boosted by lawyer and businessman Scott Perrin after Scott and his business partner Bruce Mathieson scoured the country for good mining companies to invest in and determined that Western Desert looked the most promising.

The Board of Western Desert is driven by two immediate objectives.

The first is to unlock the riches of its Roper Bar iron ore province in time to capitalise on growing demand for steel in China and generate good returns for the shareholders of Western Desert Resources.

The second is to leave a positive legacy that will last decades beyond the life of the mine by opening up the Roper Region to create jobs, wealth and prosperity for the people of the region.