Charles Rasp

Prospector, born in Stuttgart, SW Germany. Illness forced him to emigrate to Australia in 1869, and he became a boundary rider in New South Wales, at a time when considerable discoveries of tin were being made. He pegged the very first claim on the ‘Broken Hill’ in 1883. Two years later further tests indicated not tin but rich silver ore. The Broken Hill Proprietory Company was formed, and he became a rich man. Now known as BHP Ltd, the company is the largest industrial company in Australia, with wealth founded on lead, coal, iron ore, and silver.

Charles Rasp is known as the first to indentify the economic potential of the ore deposits at Broken Hill. Inspired by the silver rush to nearby Silverton he developed an interest in prospecting and began to prospect in the area of the Broken Hill in September 1883.

Combining with local contractors David James and Jim Poole they took out a mining lease on part of Broken Hill and sank a small shaft. Discouraged by early assay results they persisted and were later joined by four others (all working on Mount Gipps) to form the Syndicate of Seven. It was not until late 1884 or early 1885 that rich quantities of silver were found and Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) was floated to mine the leases.

Rasp moved to Adelaide, married and dabbled in mining interests until his death on 22nd May 1907.