b'Australias natural resourcesFrom the mid- 1800s gold rush, to the mining booms of theyear and the first for a Bermuda- based company. John Harper twentieth century, Australias abundant natural resourcesand Ian Renard of Arthur Robinson & Co advised on the have been key to the nations prosperity. Australia is nowlisting and a few years later advised on the formation of the one of the worlds major producers and exporters ofsubsidiary, Weeks Australia.natural resources.Weekss success marked the start of a boom that saw the From the time it was founded, Arthur Robinson & Co adviseddevelopment of oil and bauxite discoveries and increasing some of Australias most influential resources companies.interest in coal and iron ore. In his last piece of legal work, In the early 1900s, as gold and metal exploration expandedWesley Ince from Arthur Robinson & Co led a delegation across Australia, the firms close connection with theof the major oil companies seeking to establish a modern Collins House group (including North Broken Hill, the Zinclegislative framework that would facilitate offshore Corporation and Broken Hill South), saw it play an importantexploration for oil and gas in Australian waters and on role in the development of Australias resources industry. the continental shelf. In 1966, on behalf of five leading companies in the oil industry, Ince presented a submission In the 1950s the Menzies government was concernedto prime minister Harold Holt and other cabinet ministers. about Australias lack of oil and gas production and, asThis was successful in convincing the government to enact a matter of national security, set about supporting thelegislation to establish the Bass Strait oilfield.development of the industry. BHP responded and in 1960 brought celebrated American geologist Lewis Weeks toWhile Weeks was searching for oil in Bass Strait, Australian Australia to prospect for oil and gas. Weeks soon foundgeologist Don King was looking for coal in Queenslands large quantities of oil in Bass Strait. BHP had offered Bowen Basin. He was employed by US miner Utah Weeks a 2 per cent royalty on any oil discovered in BassConstruction and Mining Company, and Feez Ruthning was Strait. His lawyer at the time, Dr Paul Temple (not part ofappointed to advise on legal matters, led by partner Peter the firm), encouraged Weeks to negotiate for more. WeeksRowland. When he was not onsite, King had a desk in the reluctantly agreed and said that Temple could take, as hisFeez Ruthning office. The coal industry grew quickly and by fee, anything more that BHP offered. Temple emerged withthe 1970s the firm was also advising Mount Isa Mines.a 0.5 per cent royalty for himself. Weekss 2 per cent turned into a lucrative income stream by 1985 the annual royaltyOver the following decades Queenslands mining industry payment was $67 million.became a major contributor to Australias economic growth, driven largely by the economic development of Japan. In Weeks invested his royalties in Bermuda and in 19721984 BHP acquired Utah International from General Electric decided to undertake his own explorations in Australiain what was at the time the biggest corporate takeover through Weeks Petroleum. It was the only ASX listing thatin Australias history. Arthur Robinson & Co advised BHP, 177'