CSBP

En 1927, Cuming Smith, Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company y Westralian Farmers Superphosphates establecieron una nueva empresa conjunta , Cuming Smith Mount Lyell Farmers Fertiliser Limited (CSML). Cada una poseía una participación de un tercio. La creación de CSML se produjo en un momento en que el sector agrícola de Australia Occidental se expandía rápidamente. Con una capacidad de producción de 240 000 toneladas anuales, la empresa produjo casi todo el superfosfato utilizado en Australia Occidental: un total de 1 925 000 toneladas en sus primeros 20 años de funcionamiento. ^{[ 2 ]}

CSML commissioned new plants in Bunbury and Geraldton in 1930, in order to reduce the distribution distance for their products. A plant in Albany was commissioned in 1954, and at the same time CSML and Cresco Fertilisers (a South Australian firm) formed a new joint venture, the Albany Superphosphate Company. Albany Superphosphate operated both in Albany and in Esperance, where a plant was established in 1962.^[2]

In 1963, Boral (which had acquired Mount Lyell's interest) transferred that share to BP, and in 1964 the venture was renamed Cuming Smith British Petroleum & Farmers Ltd (commonly abbreviated to CSBP & Farmers) to reflect the new ownership by Cuming Smith, BP and Westralian Farmers.^[4][5][6]

CSBP commissioned superphosphate and sulphuric acid plants in Kwinana in 1967. The Kwinana Nitrogen Company was established the following year, as a joint venture between CSBP (20 percent) and BP (80 percent). In 1970, CSBP also took over its main rival, Cresco Fertilisers. As a result of these changes, the company's plants in Bassendean and North Fremantle ceased operations in 1971. Three additional plants in Kwinana were commissioned in the 1970s.^[2]

In October 1977, Wesfarmers launched a takeover bid for CSBP, valuing the company at $60 million. Driven by John Bennison, the deal did not go through until September 1979, after two years of protracted negotiations. At the time, it was the largest corporate takeover in Australian history.^[7][8]

During the 1980s, CSBP began to increase its emphasis on industrial chemicals. In 1986, Wesfarmers acquired BP's one-third shared in CSBP, becoming the sole owner. The following year, Wesfarmers also bought out BP's share in the Kwinana Nitrogen Company. In 1988, CSBP formed Australian Gold Reagents Limited (AGR) as a joint venture with Coogee Chemicals and the Australian Industry Development Corporation (AIDC). AIDC withdrew in 1997, leaving CSBP with a 75 percent share. CSBP began trading as Wesfarmers CSBP in 1995, being rebranded CSBP in 2003.^[2]