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Lang Hancock

Overview

Lang Hancock

birth name	Langley Frederick George Hancock
birth date	June 10, 1909
birth place	Perth, Western Australia
death date	March 27, 1992
death place	Prix D'Amour, Mosman Park, Western Australia
known for	Discovery of the world's largest iron deposit; Western Australian secessionism; other business and mining interests
boards	Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd
occupation	Mining magnate
spouse	Susette Maley (m. 1935-1944) Hope Nicholas Clark (m. 1947-1983) Rose Lacson (m. 1985)
children	Gina Rinehart

Langley Frederick George Hancock (10 June 1909 – 27 March 1992) was an Australian iron ore magnate from Western Australia who maintained a high profile in the spheres of business and politics. Famous initially for discovering the world's largest iron ore deposit in 1952 and becoming one of the richest men in Australia, he is now perhaps best remembered for his marriage to the much-younger Rose Porteous, a Filipino woman and his former maid. Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, was bitterly opposed to Hancock's relationship with Porteous. The conflicts between Rinehart and Porteous overshadowed his final years and continued until more than a decade after his death.

Early life

Langley ("Lang") Hancock was born on 10 June 1909 in Leederville, Perth, Western Australia. He was the eldest of four children born to Lilian (Prior) and George Hancock. His mother had been born in South Australia and his father in Western Australia. His father's great-aunt was Emma Withnell, while a cousin was Sir Valston Hancock.[1]

Lang spent his early childhood on the family station, Ashburton Downs, run by the three Hancock brothers. His interest in mining was sparked by his uncle John, who lived at Ashburton Downs and was a keen prospector. Hancock later moved to Mulga Downs Station in the north-west after his father, George Hancock, bought a farming property there.

The Pilbara discovery

On 16 November 1952, Hancock claimed he discovered the world's largest deposit of iron ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Hancock said he was flying from Nunyerry to Perth with his wife, Hope, when they were forced by bad weather to fly low, through the gorges of the Turner River. In Hancock's own words,[10] "In November 1952, I was flying down south with my wife Hope, and we left a bit later than usual and by the time we got over the Hamersley Ranges, the clouds had formed and the ceiling got lower and lower. I got into the Turner River, knowing full well if I followed it through, I would come out into the Ashburton. On going through a gorge in the Turner River, I noticed that the walls looked to me to be solid iron and was particularly alerted by the rusty looking colour of it, it showed to me to be oxidised iron."

The story is widely accepted in modern descriptions of the discovery, but one biographer, Neill Phillipson, disputes Hancock's account. In Man of Iron he argues that there was no rain in the area of the Turner River on 16 November 1952 or indeed on any day in November 1952, a fact the Australian Bureau of Meteorology confirms. Hancock returned to the area many times and, accompanied by prospector Ken McCamey, followed the iron ore over a distance of 112 km. He soon came to realise that he had stumbled across reserves of iron ore so vast that they could supply the entire world, thus confirming the discovery of the geologist Harry Page Woodward, who after his survey asserted: "'[t]his is essentially an iron ore country. There is enough iron ore to supply the whole world, should the present sources be worked out'. – Annual General Report of the Government Geologist, 1890 But overseas demand at that time was negligible and development of the formations was uneconomic.[11][12][13]"

After 1920 development of the Yampi Sound deposits started but exports to Japan were curtailed by the Commonwealth Government in 1938. Prospecting and exploration of other ore deposits continued until 1952 where an agreement between the Government of Western Australia and BHP to build a steel mill and smelter in Kwinana was established. All other iron ore, known or unknown, was reserved to the Crown for 9 years. Representations were made to the Commonwealth Government to have the embargo lifted and in 1960 limited approval was granted for the export of iron ore from non-BHP deposits. This sparked a wave of intensive prospecting and exploration concentrated in the North West, the Hamersley Ranges in particular, where formation had been known but ore bodies not yet delineated. At this time Hancock revealed his discovery. Hancock had lobbied furiously for a decade to get the ban lifted and in 1961 was finally able to reveal his discovery and stake his claim.[12][13]

In the mid-1960s Hancock turned once more to Peter Wright and the pair entered into a deal with mining giant Rio Tinto Group to develop the iron ore find. Hancock named it "Hope Downs" after his wife. Under the terms of the deal Rio Tinto set up and still administer a mine in the area. Wright and Hancock walked away with annual royalties of A$25 million, split evenly between the two men. In 1990, Hancock was estimated by Business Review Weekly to be worth a minimum of A$125 million.[14]

Political activity

Although Lang Hancock never aspired to political office, he held strong conservative political views and often entered the political arena. In addition to his activities in the 1950s, lobbying against government restrictions on the mining of iron ore, Hancock donated considerable sums of money to politicians of many political stripes. His political views aligned most closely with the Liberal and National Parties of Australia. He was a good friend and strong supporter of Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen and donated A$632,000 to the Queensland National Party while Bjelke-Petersen was in charge. He gave A$314,000 to their counterparts in Western Australia, but also gave the Western Australian Labor Party A$985,000; because "at least they can't do any harm". Hancock had had a falling-out with Sir Charles Court and the Western Australian Liberals and was adamant that the Liberals should be kept out of power as long as possible.[15]

Hancock also offered strong advice to the politicians he favoured. In 1977 he sent a Telex to the then-Treasurer of Australia Sir Phillip Lynch, telling him he needed to "stop money coming in to finance subversive activities, such as Friends of the Earth, which is a well-heeled foreign operation." He also suggested to Bjelke-Petersen that the Federal Government should attempt to censor the works of Ralph Nader and John Kenneth Galbraith, lest they "wreck Fraser's government".

In 1969 Hancock and his partner Peter Wright commenced publication in Perth of a weekly newspaper, The Sunday Independent, principally to help further their mining interests. Faced with strong competition, the newspaper is thought never to have turned a profit, Hancock largely relinquishing his interest in it in the early 70s and Wright selling it to The Truth in 1984.

Hancock was a staunch proponent of small government and resented what he considered to be interference by the Commonwealth Government in Western Australian affairs. He declared before a state Royal Commission in 1991 that "I have always believed that the best government is the least government", and that "Although governments do not and cannot positively help business, they can be disruptive and destructive."[16]

Hancock bankrolled an unsuccessful secessionist party in the 1970s,[17] and in 1979 published a book, Wake Up Australia, outlining what he saw as the case for Western Australian secession. The book was launched by Gina Rinehart and Bjelke-Petersen.

Rose Porteous

In 1983, the same year as Hope Hancock's death, Rose Lacson (now Porteous) arrived in Australia from the Philippines on a three-month working visa. By the arrangement of Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, Porteous began working as a maid for the newly widowed Lang Hancock.[20]

Hancock and Porteous became romantically involved over the course of Porteous' employment and they were wed on 6 July 1985[20] in Sydney. It was a third marriage for each of them. Porteous, who was thirty-nine years younger than her husband, was often accused of gold digging because of their age disparity, as well as being unfaithful and promiscuous. As Porteous later stated: "I have been accused of sleeping with every man in Australia ... I would have been a very busy woman."[21] Hancock's daughter, Gina Rinehart, who stood to inherit his entire estate, did not attend the wedding.

Although the marriage would later prove tumultuous, early on Hancock was clearly infatuated with his young wife. He gave her money and investments in real estate in the Sydney area. Porteous, in turn, helped Hancock to look and act like a much younger man, belying his eight decades. As The Age put it, "Rose made Lang feel younger, sprucing up his wardrobe, dyeing his hair and getting rid of his cane."[22] Together they built the "Prix d'Amour", a lavish 16-block mansion overlooking the Swan River. The mansion, which was modelled after Tara, the plantation mansion from the movie Gone with the Wind, was the setting for many large parties at which Hancock and Porteous would "dance into the night".[22]

As the marriage wore on, however, the relationship between Lang and Rose began to break down. Rinehart would later claim that Hancock's bride had paid little attention to his worsening health, but had instead "screeched at him for money".[22] Although there were many quarrels, the Hancocks remained married until Lang's death in 1992.[20]

On 25 June 1992, less than three months after Hancock's death, Porteous married for the fourth time, to Hancock's long-time friend William Porteous.[20] Rinehart was indignant at the haste with which her stepmother had remarried.

The Prix d'Amour, built in 1990, was bulldozed in March 2006.[23] Western Australian finance minister Max Evans mourned the loss of the home as the excavators moved in and recalled Hancock had been bemused by his wife's desire for the sprawling mansion:

"He'd say, 'Mr Evans, I don't know why Rose wants this house, I'd be happy sleeping in a transportable.' "

Mrs Porteous told him she'd always wanted to live in Prix D'Amour, "but I don't want to clean it", she had added quickly.[24]

References

Melville J. Davies, 'Hancock, Langley Frederick (Lang) (1909–1992)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hancock-langley-frederick-lang-17492/text29181, published online 2016, accessed online 15 August 2018.^
"That's iron", he said The Australian Women's Weekly, 15 August 1962, retrieved 14 January 2011^
Maiden, Malcolm. Case of Wrights – but any wrong? The Age, 13 July 2005, retrieved 10 September 2011^
HANCOCK, LANGLEY GEORGE World War II Nominal Roll, Commonwealth of Australia, 2002, retrieved 26 December 2008^
Lang Hancock's love child reveals secrets Courier Mail, 2012, retrieved 19 February 2015^
Rinehart's 'half-sister' speaks out on family The Sydney Morning Herald, 2012, retrieved 19 February 2015^
Hancock casts doubt over Rinehart 'half-sister' claims The Sydney Morning Herald, 2012, retrieved 19 February 2015^
Lang Hancock, 1909–1992 Mining Hall of Fame biography, retrieved 5 September 2005^
The Wittenoom Tragedy Asbestos related information, Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, 2004, retrieved 5 September 2005^
Lang Hancock Chronology: 50 Years Commemoration Hancock Prospecting, retrieved 5 September 2005^
Private Members Business: Hancock, Mr Lang House of Representatives, Hansard, 3 March 2003, retrieved 5 September 2005^
Lagan, Bernard. Holes in the Fabric of the Hancock Legend The Global Mail, 3 September 2012, retrieved 14 January 2015^
Mineral Resources of Western Australia Department of Mines, 1980, retrieved 23 November 2021^
Lang Hancock Business Review Weekly, 6 April 1990^
Light, Deborah. Why Hancock Gave Millions For Nothing The Age, 6 June 1991^
Beyer, Mark. Hancock: The Enigmatic Tycoon The Australian Financial Review, 30 March 1992^
Walker, Frank. West of a Greater Divide? The Sun-Herald, 20 February 1994, retrieved 10 September 2011^
The Oz Factor: Who's Doing What in Australia 1990^
Couldn't Be Fairer (1984)^
Timeline: Events in the war between Rose and Gina The Age, 26 April 2002, retrieved 10 September 2011^
Quotes from the inquest The Age, 26 April 2002, retrieved 10 September 2011^
The maid who married the boss The Age, 26 April 2002, retrieved 10 September 2011^
Socialite's Perth home to be razed The Mercury, 10 February 2006^
Liza Kappelle. How to downsize your home in the style of Rose Porteous The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 March 2006, retrieved 14 January 2015^
McGeough, Paul. Test of Wills The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 1995^
Weber, David. Lang Hancock – final chapter ABC News, 22 May 2003^
Wainwright, Robert. The Rose and Gina show ain't over The Age, 27 April 2002, retrieved 10 September 2011^
Grimm, Nick. Hancock heirs settle inheritance dispute PM (ABC Radio), 25 September 2003, retrieved 10 September 2011^
Cadzow, Jane. The iron lady The Age, 21 January 2012, retrieved 17 February 2012^
Thomson, James. Gina Rinehart's great resources rush SmartCompany, 7 February 2011, retrieved 2 February 2012^
Jackson, Sally. The $29.17 billion woman: Gina Rinehart tops BRW's Rich List The Australian, retrieved 23 May 2012^
Geographic Name Approvals in Western Australia Geographic Name Approvals in Western Australia, December 1999^