Community & Business
10 March, 2026
Mt Molloy’s labour of love recognised
A PROPERTY owner has been recognised for the completion of a massive local land rehabilitation project at a former copper smelter site at Mt Molloy.
Member for Cook David Kempton has acknowledged the work done by landowner Peter Brown, presenting him with a Queensland flag during a visit to the property.
When Peter acquired the former copper smelter site in 1989, the land was in a dire state.
“Apart from the house, the former site resembled a moonscape after being affected by sulphur and copper oxide and compaction of the land by steam tractors, horses and general operations,” he said.
Mt Molloy Copper Smelters employed 100 people and operated from 1904 to 1908 when the copper ore petered out. Another 100 people were employed at the adjacent copper mine.
Initially, the smelters site operators manufactured their own bricks and eventually produced around 1500 tonnes of slag.
“Three massive on-site steam engines powered the equipment, one operated the blast furnace, one powered the sawmill and one powered the dynamo that supplied electricity, when the operations were working, but after four years, and the ensuing time after that, the site became degraded,” Peter said.
However, thanks to focus on a well-designed plan of action and 15 years of dedicated work, all that was about to change.
“First, we brought in a bulldozer and ripped the 30 acres, then we spread around 300 bales of hay in the ripped rills as part of a soil improvement plan,” Peter explained.
The total plant establishment project and site rehabilitation and regeneration was conducted over six separate stages.
Ever a keen and resourceful operator, the next move was to establish an on-site nursery of local indigenous plants, the seeds for which Peter collected from locally established trees.
As the seedlings reached maturity, drip line irrigation was then installed along the now mulch-enriched ripped soil prior to planting out.
“In all, 10,000 trees were planted out over the 30 acre site over a decade and a half to rehabilitate the affected area,” Peter said.
To say he was amazed that his efforts had been recognised and appreciated by the State government is an understatement.
“I was honoured and grateful when our Member for Cook David Kempton presented me with a Queensland flag in recognition of our efforts,” Peter said.
The flag can be seen proudly flying at the property as a tribute of appreciation of the massive change one thoughtful and active local shire resident has made after a decade and a half of effort.
