Lexi Webster
BHP Group Limited, formerly known as BHP Billiton, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. BHP was founded in 1885 as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. The company specializes in mining and selling iron ore, copper, and coal, and is the largest mining company in the world by market capitalization. In 2015, BHP Billiton spun off some of its assets and subsidiaries to form a new company called South32, and in 2022, BHP relinquished its London Stock Exchange listing to become solely listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date founded | 13 August 1885 |
| Founder | Charles Rasp |
| Original name | Broken Hill Proprietary Company |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Type of company | Multinational mining and metals corporation |
| Listing | Australian Securities Exchange |
| Largest company in | Australia |
| Largest in the world | Mining company |
| Position in Forbes Global 2000 | 90th |
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What You'll Learn
BHP Group Limited is Australian-owned
BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. BHP was established in August 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. As of 2024, BHP was the world’s largest mining company by market capitalisation and the world’s third-largest by revenue.
The company's history began in the Barrier Ranges in New South Wales, Australia, where a boundary rider named Charles Rasp discovered rich deposits of silver and lead. This led to the establishment of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd, with its head office in Melbourne. Over the years, BHP expanded its operations and diversified its business portfolio, becoming a major player in the mining and metals industry, not just in Australia but globally.
In 2001, BHP merged with Billiton PLC, a British company established in 1860, to form BHP Billiton. This merger expanded BHP's reach and diversified its mining interests even further. Billiton had mining operations in Indonesia, South America, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, as well as interests in aluminium smelters, steel, and nickel operations. The merged entity, BHP Billiton, became one of the world's largest mining companies, involved in the production of iron, steel, copper, silver, aluminium, oil, and gas.
However, in 2015, BHP Billiton began to streamline its assets, spinning off some of its subsidiaries and rebranding itself as BHP. This transition started in Australia and then extended globally. As part of this rebranding, BHP adopted the slogan "Think Big" and rolled out an advertising campaign to reflect its new identity. In 2018, BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc became BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, respectively.
Today, BHP Group Limited remains an Australian-owned company, listed solely on the Australian Securities Exchange. As of 2022, it is the largest company in Australia and continues to be a leading player in the global mining industry. BHP's operations span various countries, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, the United States, and Brazil. The company specialises in mining and selling iron ore, copper, and coal, and continues to seek sustainable growth through its dedicated venture capital unit.
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BHP's history and headquarters
BHP, formerly known as BHP Billiton, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. It was founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company and incorporated on 13 August 1885, operating a silver and lead mine at Broken Hill, in western New South Wales, Australia. The Broken Hill group floated on 10 August 1885, and the first consignment of Broken Hill ore was smelted at the Intercolonial Smelting and Refining Company's works in Spotswood, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne.
In 1970, Shell acquired Billiton, which was founded in 1860 and had mineral rights to the Billiton (Belitung) and Bangka Islands in the Netherlands Indies archipelago off the eastern coast of Sumatra. BHP and Billiton merged in June 2001 to form BHP Billiton, trading on both the Australian Securities Exchange and London Stock Exchange as a dual-listed company.
In 2015, BHP Billiton spun off some of its assets in South Africa and Southern Africa to form a new company called South32. BHP Billiton also demerged and rebranded some of its remaining assets as South32, while a scaled-down BHP Billiton became BHP. In 2018, BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc became BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, respectively.
In January 2022, BHP relinquished its London Stock Exchange listing, becoming solely listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. As of 2022, BHP is the largest company in Australia and the largest mining company in the world by market capitalisation.
BHP's global headquarters are located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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BHP's mining and metals specialisations
BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. It was established in August 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. As of 2024, BHP was the world’s largest mining company by market capitalisation and the world’s third-largest by revenue.
The company specialises in mining and selling iron ore, copper, and coal. BHP has also been involved in the mining of silver, lead, zinc, bauxite, aluminium, manganese, nickel, and uranium. BHP has a diverse portfolio, ranging from iron and steel to oil and even diamonds. The company has operations in over 90 locations worldwide, including Australia, South America, the United States, and Canada.
The history of BHP dates back to the middle of the 19th century when people began to realise the potential of iron mining. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was incorporated in August 1885, operating a silver and lead mine at Broken Hill in western New South Wales, Australia. Charles Rasp, a boundary rider on a remote Australian sheep station, discovered rich deposits of silver and lead, leading to one of the biggest mining leases in Australia at the time.
Over the years, BHP expanded its operations and diversified its portfolio. In 1915, the company ventured into steel manufacturing at the Newcastle Steelworks. BHP also played a significant role during World War II, with its bauxite mines supplying lightweight aluminium, which was in high demand for aircraft production. BHP led the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, producing planes such as the Wirraway and Boomerang.
In June 2001, BHP merged with the Anglo-Dutch company Billiton plc to form BHP Billiton. This merger expanded BHP's global presence and diversified its mining and metals specialisations further. In 2015, BHP Billiton spun off some of its assets into a new company called South32, focusing on aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel, and silver. BHP has continued to evolve, recently announcing its intention to exit the oil and gas industry and focus on its core mining and metals businesses.
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BHP's global expansion and subsidiaries
BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. BHP was established in August 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. As of 2024, BHP was the world’s largest mining company by market capitalisation and the world’s third-largest by revenue.
BHP has expanded globally and now operates in more than 90 locations worldwide, including Australia, South America, the United States, and Canada. The company's products are sold globally, and it has a presence in various industries, including mining, metals, oil and gas, and aviation. BHP's global expansion has involved mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures with companies around the world.
One of the key moments in BHP's global expansion was the merger with Billiton plc in June 2001. Billiton, an Anglo-Dutch company, brought with it mining and metals stakes in 15 countries, including Indonesia, Suriname, and the Netherlands Indies archipelago. This merger created BHP Billiton, which traded on both the Australian Securities Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. In 2015, BHP Billiton demerged and rebranded, spinning off some of its subsidiaries in South Africa and Southern Africa to form a new company called South32, while the remaining entity became known simply as BHP.
BHP has also expanded through joint ventures and acquisitions. In 2011, BHP Billiton acquired Petrohawk Energy of the United States for approximately $12.1 billion, expanding its shale natural gas resources. The company has also been involved in joint ventures, such as Samarco, a joint venture with Vale in Brazil, which unfortunately led to an environmental disaster in 2015.
In recent years, BHP has continued to streamline its business and focus on its core operations. In 2017, BHP began to rebrand itself as BHP, dropping the "Billiton" from its name, and in 2021, it announced plans to exit the oil and gas industry by merging its hydrocarbon business with Woodside Energy, Australia's largest independent gas producer. In 2022, BHP relinquished its London Stock Exchange listing, becoming solely listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
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BHP's environmental impact and sustainability efforts
BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. BHP was established in August 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. As of 2024, BHP was the world's largest mining company by market capitalisation and the world's third-largest by revenue. The company specialises in mining and selling iron ore, copper, and coal.
BHP acknowledges that the nature of its operations can have significant environmental impacts. It depends on obtaining and maintaining access to environmental resources such as land and water. BHP's business, its suppliers, customers, and the local communities where it operates all depend on and enjoy nature and the ecosystem services it provides. The company recognises the deep connection of Indigenous peoples to their land and waters and considers them vital partners in the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of nature.
BHP's vision is to contribute to global efforts to halt and reverse nature loss and achieve collective goals on water security, environmental resilience, business resilience, and social value. The company aims to create nature-positive outcomes by having at least 30% of the land and water it stewards under conservation, restoration, or regenerative practices by FY2030. To achieve this, BHP takes an integrated, risk-based approach to managing any actual or foreseeable impacts on biodiversity, land, water, and air. The company establishes and implements monitoring and review practices to ensure the continued management of environment-related risks within its risk appetite.
BHP is committed to finding new ways of operating more sustainably while supplying products essential for the global transition towards a more sustainable future. The company recognises that sustainability must be integral to how it does business and that its business activities can contribute positively to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BHP works to understand the linkages between its activities and the SDGs, managing and mitigating any adverse impacts and determining how it can make a positive contribution.
In addition to its sustainability efforts, BHP also has a philanthropic arm, the BHP Foundation, which funds various projects worldwide. As of October 2023, the foundation was funding 38 projects in 65 countries, with a focus on Indigenous Australian self-determination and youth.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, BHP Group Limited, founded as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, is an Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, and was founded in August 1885.
BHP is the largest mining company in the world. It specialises in mining and selling iron ore, copper, coal, silver, aluminium, oil, and gas.
BHP was formed in 2001 through the merger of the Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) and the Anglo-Dutch Billiton plc. In 2015, BHP Billiton spun off some of its South African and Southern African subsidiaries to form a new company called South32. In 2018, BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc became BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, respectively.
