Whyalla’s 60-Year-Old Blast Furnace Retires After 20 Years of Neglect
KEY POINTS
- •South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas announced the closure of Whyalla's blast furnace built in 1965.
- •He expressed heartbreak yet optimism during a speech onsite, emphasizing the furnace hadn't been recapitalised in 20 years.
- •Malinauskas criticized Pauline Hanson's comments and agreed that real issues, like closing the gap, require discussion.
South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas delivered a stirring hi-vis speech from Whyalla — where the 1965 blast furnace, apparently the Energizer Bunny of steel, finally called it quits after a suspiciously miraculous 20 years sans recapitalization. Malinauskas lamented heartbreak and inevitability, because nothing says optimism like crying over a machine older than most millennials. He warned if the furnace dies, so does Australia's structural steel-making, which apparently is critical to national survival. Meanwhile, Pauline Hanson pitched America-style family feuds as a distraction, prompting Malinauskas to call her comments 'rotten' while oddly endorsing Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's demand to 'close the gap' instead. Meanwhile, the federal government quietly scopes out rescuing the 'miracle rust bucket.'
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Australia's steel industry refuses maintenance like millennials ignore oil changes, now we all get to watch a 60-year-old furnace die on live TV. Political blame game included because why fix steel when you can fix your soap opera?
Sixty years of steel magic powered by zero upkeep and sheer grit: now that’s how you NOT run an essential industry.
Only in Australia can a furnace work longer without a tune-up than most politicians last in office.
Source: Theguardian | Published: 9/15/2026 | Author: Krishani Dhanji
More Articles in Politics
Tech Billionaires Form AI 'Slowdown' Club to Block Everyone Else
Actors Battle Over Who Can Shine Brightest While Hugging Fabric Forever
Supreme Court Blocks USPS Mailballot Rewrite, Save Democracy From Tech Overload
Congress Agrees AI’s a Big Deal, But Don’t Panic, They’re Still on Break
Trump Rule Turns Immigrants Into Health Homeless Ninjas Vanishing Benefits
USPS Judges Block Mail Ballot Rules Because 0.014 Inches Is Electoral Treason
Trump Calls AI Race 'Whoever Wins Wins,' Experts Beg To Slow Down
