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I lived for six months in a town called Leinster, a company town 1000km from the nearest major city (Perth, Australia). It was run to support a nickel mine, ba

I lived for six months in a town called Leinster, a company town 1000km from the nearest major city (Perth, Australia). It was run to support a nickel mine, back before FIFO (fly in, fly out) rosters were commonplace and everyone lived in the city. Interesting place. You weren't supposed to drink the water so people would go to town and get distilled water (though I was at school and we just drank from the water fountains connected to mains water). In general though it had much better facilities than similar towns of that size due to being funded by the mining company. Wikipedia says it still has about 700 people - though I believe the town was shut for several years while the mine was in care and maintenance (the nickel price is not high enough to justify mining at the time so they operate on barebones staff doing equiment maintenance and dewatering) - and by the sounds of things that is happening again now so I'm not sure what it's like.

CatsoCatsoCatso 10y ago
Were the shops and local conveniences (pubs, bars etc) company owned & run or contacted out to other companies? How free was a private business able to establish a means of supplying services to those who lived and worked in the town?
- compiler-guy 10y ago
  Another question: Are you paid in cash, or in company scrip?
  - batiudrami 10y ago
    My parents were teachers at the school (it was a 6 month posting while the permenant Principal took long service leave) so they were paid by the government. I would be very surprised to hear that people were paid in anything other than cash, though wages would have taken into consideration that accommodation and food was free (as it does with all on site mine workers). Mine workers in Australia are paid very well in comparison to a lot of other industries so a debt cycle mentioned by others probably didn't apply as much.
- batiudrami 10y ago
  The main food/eatery "the mess" was operated by Agnew/BHP but was accessible to anyone who lived there, employed by the site or not. There are a few cafes and shops which are privately owned. It operates like a functioning small town, just with the extra money behind it. The downside is that when BHP closes the site (temporarily or permenantly, as is happening now), the primary workforce is moved out and the secondary businesses (school/shops/cafes) become unfeasible - not a good place to build a long term business!

CatsoCatsoCatso 10y ago

Were the shops and local conveniences (pubs, bars etc) company owned & run or contacted out to other companies? How free was a private business able to establish a means of supplying services to those who lived and worked in the town?

compiler-guy 10y ago
Another question: Are you paid in cash, or in company scrip?
- batiudrami 10y ago
  My parents were teachers at the school (it was a 6 month posting while the permenant Principal took long service leave) so they were paid by the government. I would be very surprised to hear that people were paid in anything other than cash, though wages would have taken into consideration that accommodation and food was free (as it does with all on site mine workers). Mine workers in Australia are paid very well in comparison to a lot of other industries so a debt cycle mentioned by others probably didn't apply as much.
batiudrami 10y ago
The main food/eatery "the mess" was operated by Agnew/BHP but was accessible to anyone who lived there, employed by the site or not. There are a few cafes and shops which are privately owned. It operates like a functioning small town, just with the extra money behind it. The downside is that when BHP closes the site (temporarily or permenantly, as is happening now), the primary workforce is moved out and the secondary businesses (school/shops/cafes) become unfeasible - not a good place to build a long term business!