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WHEN Gladstone was reeling from the closure of the city's biggest employer, the meatworks, in 1962, the announcement of Queensland Alumina Limited raised community spirits.
After competing with 11 other locations, the port city was chosen as the site for a refinery to process significant alumina deposits discovered at Weipa, far-north Queensland.
Gladstone was favoured as a site due to its deep water harbour and the proximity of rail access.
Information provided by QAL shows the refinery was built by a consortium of organisations - Comalco, Kaiser, Alcan and Pechiney.
The construction was the biggest engineering feat of its time ever in the sunshine state.