THE opening of a new four-level, 9850 square metre manufacturing plant and imminent appointment of a new chief executive at the Gold Corporation mark an exciting new phase for the Perth Mint.
THE opening of a new four-level, 9850 square metre manufacturing plant and imminent appointment of a new chief executive at the Gold Corporation mark an exciting new phase for the Perth Mint.
THE opening of a new four-level, 9850 square metre manufacturing plant and imminent appointment of a new chief executive at the Gold Corporation mark an exciting new phase for the Perth Mint.
The $15 million facility, adjacent to the Corporation’s Hay Street head-quarters, was constructed over the past two years by Entact Clough.
Campbell-Forrest House, named in honour of the Perth Mint’s two founding fathers, Sir John Forrest and the mint’s first chief officer, John Campbell, was designed by Perth architects Cox Howlett and Bailey Wood-land Architects and Planners.
The building houses the platinum and gold blank manufacturing lines, weighing facilities, metallurgical testing equipment and the coin presses. It also houses the mint’s customer service, sales administration and fulfilment divisions. Silver and base metal coin production is continuing in the old pre-mises next door.
The new building comes as the State celebrates 100 years since the completion of the 560-kilometre Gold-fields Water Supply Scheme between Perth and Kalgoorlie.
Designed by Charles O’Connor, the project cost 2.6 million pounds, equivalent to the State’s total budget of the day.
Mr Campbell was sent to Perth by the British Royal Mint to oversee the four-year construction of the original buildings between 1896 and 1899, and served as its deputy master for 29 years.
With the new building comes a new face, following the appointment of Edward Harbuz as chief executive officer designate.
Mr Harbuz joins the corporation on March 1, initially working under Don Mackay-Coghill, who retires on July 1 after 17 years at the helm.
Mr Harbuz was managing director of the South African Mint Company (Pty) Ltd for seven years until 2001 and was the former group managing director of South African industrial company Cullinan Holdings Limited.
Mr Mackay-Coghill was also lured from South Africa in 1986 after running the International Gold Corporation Ltd (Intergold).