Wehr Bros Processing Plant

Statement of Significance

The Wehr Bros, fourth generation Australians, whose parents had come from South Australia were born in
Albany. They were described as resourceful, had a winning quality, independent and without fanfare. In
1945 ■ 1950 brothers Hans and Werner set up a processing plant near the Cordingup Dam when they
transferred their operation to Ravensthorpe at the end of 1942 from Southern Cross. All buildings were
constructed from second hand material as there was no other at the time. They travelled many miles to
procure second hand machinery and equipment from other mining areas, which they carted back on an old
lend/lease truck powered by a gas producer. It look them a week to bring a big round crusher from Esperance
to Ravensthorpe. They removed the Metallurgical Institute building from Ravensthorpe to Cordingup for a
laboratory in 1944. They removed one furnace from the No 2 Government Smelter. Hans studied until he
qualified as an assayer and in 1953 the Wehr Bros offered trace elements for trial plots on farms.
They succeeded in separating copper sulphate from the ore. This was sold to copper deficient agricultural
areas, such as Corrigin and Ml Barker. Later it was used on new land farms in the Ravensthorpe Shire
together with zinc and molybdomen. Hans worked out his own process and proved that gold could be
separated from copper ore. They eventually sold the processing method to a mining company for twenty
thousand pounds. His method was used at Elverdton Copper Mine when it was reopened 1956-1971.

Physical Description

The Web- brothers had three treatment processes - a crushing plant, a small smelting plant and an oil flotation
process. They also had a set of Wilfley tables. The froth flotation plant extracted 100%of the ore treated.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Ruins

Condition

Ruins

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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