In this episode, Craig Nealon (BlueScope Company Historian) speaks with former iron-maker Jerry Platt, who, in 1996, was recognised for his work with the honour of lighting Port Kembla's then-brand-new No. 6 Blast Furnace for the first time. Although retired, Jerry maintains a keen interest in the industry and now jointly runs a popular Facebook group, Iron & Steel in Australia, which includes numerous historical accounts and images. Sitting together for a conversation in Western Port, Victoria, he reflects with Craig on his own journey to the Port Kembla Steelworks and the various industrial, technological, social and intercultural changes that have occurred over the decades.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Becoming a Metallurgist: 2:03
3. Moving from Newcastle to Port Kembla: 6:09
4. Recording History and Remembering Blast Furnaces: 12:36
5. Ladles, Locos and Facebook: 29:27
6. People and Processes: 37:57
7. Conclusion: 42:53

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Browse a Flickr album of photos that show the lighting of No. 6 Blast Furnace, Newcastle Steelworks from above and Craig and Jerry together on the day of the interview.
• Iron & Steel in Australia group on Facebook
• Ferromanganese
• United Steel
• Australia House
• The book to which they refer is Ironmaking in Australia 1848–1914 (J.L.N. Southern and J.E.A. Platt, 1986).
• Staff at the Lithgow Ironworks in 1909
• History of Lysaght
• Mini mill
• Comsteel
• Videos of Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS), the Hot Strip Mill and the No. 6 Blast Furnace reline project on TVBlueScope

Connect with Us

• Website
• LinkedIn
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Interview by Craig Nealon
• Recorded and edited by Martin Feld

In this episode, we’re featuring an audio-only version of a speech that Mark Vassella, BlueScope’s Managing Director and CEO, made at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra on the 8th of October, 2025, in which he explained how gas plays a unique and essential role in both manufacturing and the energy transition. Mark’s address to an audience of key influencers and decision-makers across media, government and academia was also broadcast live on ABC TV and was delivered on behalf of Manufacturing Australia, a member group that represents 12 of Australia's manufacturers, all of which work with governments to support the nation's manufacturing sector.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Mark Vassella's Speech: 1:04
3. Conclusion: 27:31

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Meet Mark Vassella, Managing Director and CEO of BlueScope.
• Learn more about Acknowledgements of and Welcomes to Country.
• Learn more about the Ngunnawal People, who are the Traditional Custodians of the Australian Capital Territory and region.
• National Press Club of Australia
• Fair Gas Prices website by Manufacturing Australia
• Further information about gas on the BlueScope website
• 'BlueScope leads international steel consortium to review options for Whyalla Steelworks'
• COLORBOND® steel
• TRUECORE® steel
• Watch the full speech on TVBlueScope.
• Watch an event recap video on TVBlueScope.
• Browse a dedicated photo album of the event on Flickr.

Connect with Us

• Website
• LinkedIn
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld

On Friday, 29 August 2025, we were excited to host the team from 97.3 ABC Illawarra for a live broadcast of their breakfast-radio show at the front of the Hot Strip Mill at our Port Kembla Steelworks in Australia. The special event was planned to coincide with the 70th anniversary celebration of the Hot Strip Mill, including dedicated interviews with leaders and current and former employees of BlueScope, while also providing a platform for members of the local community to share their memories and family stories linked to the steelworks.

This edited episode includes the full series of interviews and listener contributions from the live breakfast-radio show, all of which has been adapted specifically for the podcast experience.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Welcome to ABC Illawarra Breakfast with Mel James: 1:45
3. Greg Baldock on the Hot Strip Mill: 3:26
4. Grant Neilsen on Generations of Steelmakers: 13:33
5. Craig Nealon on 100 Years of Iron- and Steelmaking in Port Kembla: 18:09
6. Listener Stories: 30:00
7. Poppy, Russell and Terry Pollock on Being a Steel Family: 31:10
8. Tony Donnelly inside the Hot Strip Mill: 38:07
9. Listener Stories: 44:35
10. Tania Archibald on BlueScope Now and in the Future: 51:22
11. Shannon Ballard on the Plate Mill Upgrade: 1:05:40
12. Michael Yiend on the Port Kembla Land Transformation: 1:11:15
13. Listener Stories: 1:21:18
14. Rebecca Shaw on Quality Control: 1:23:12
15. Listener Stories: 1:25:57
16. Justin Reed on the No. 6 Blast Furnace Reline Project: 1:26:42
17. Nikki McCarthy-Hicks on Tours with Inside Industry: 1:32:06
18. Final Listener Stories and Breakfast Outro: 1:36:29
19. Conclusion: 1:38:14

Links

• 97.3 FM Illawarra on ABC Listen
• FocusOn Hot Strip Mill video on TVBlueScope
• Photos of the opening of the Hot Strip Mill in 1955
• Photos of the live radio broadcast and 70th anniversary celebration in 2025
• Exploring Lindenfels and Port Kembla History with Craig Nealon (WIN News) on TVBlueScope
• Focus On video and accompanying photos of Poppy Pollock and her fellow UOW engineering cadets
• Tania's first interview on the podcast in episode 35 (plus a video excerpt)
• Plate Mill Modernisation Announcement in Port Kembla, NSW on TVBlueScope
• Microsite for the Port Kembla land transformation and rezoning proposal video on TVBlueScope
• No. 6 Blast Furnace Reline Updates on TVBlueScope
• Inside Industry

Connect with Us

• Website
• LinkedIn
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Produced and presented by the ABC Illawarra Breakfast team, including Mel James, Jen Courtney, Amy Duggan, Rory McDonald, Nick McLaren and Peter Riley
• Interviews organised by Tim Robinson
• Edited by Martin Feld

Auto-transcript on Apple Podcasts, edited PDF coming soon

We're pleased to feature one-on-one interviews with two key stakeholders who have long collaborated with and provided expert guidance to New Zealand Steel on Māori culture, history, local community and sustainability. They are Piki Jakeman (Cultural Adviser to New Zealand Steel) and Riki Minhinnick (Chief of Ngāti Te Ata), and both generously share their personal stories and explain how they've worked with the company to encourage employment opportunities, enhance intercultural understanding through open dialogue and jointly learn from and improve on a challenging history of Western colonialism.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Piki Jakeman: 1:50
3. Riki Minhinnick: 17:39
4. Conclusion: 51:02

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode, which includes te reo Māori definitions.
• Māori People (Te Ara  encyclopaedia listing by Manatū Tonga | NZ Ministry for Culture & Heritage)
• Learn about Ngāti Te Ata at Te Puni Kōkiri and in Te Ara.
• Iwi
• Waiuku and its meaning and history
• Maioro
• Marae
• Te Ara Rangitahi
• Tuwhera
• Manukau Harbour
• Huakina Development Trust
• Waikato River
• Resource Management Act 1991
• Watch a FocusOn video on TVBlueScope about ironsand operations in Waikato North Head.
• Sustainability Snapshot by New Zealand Steel
• Sustainability reporting suite by BlueScope
• Browse a Flickr album of our participants and the surrounding area.

Ethical Note

The conversations were recorded in February 2023 in Waiuku and published in August 2025 after an ethical review with participants. Such a review is known as the collaborative podcasting process and was pioneered by Day et al. (2017) in their study, The Expanding Digital Media Landscape of Qualitative and Decolonizing Research: Examining Collaborative Podcasting as a Research Method (key diagram on p. 209). All episodes are subject to the same process; however, in the case of such personal and historically significant First Nations accounts, it is important to highlight here.

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld
• Interviews organised by Vicki Woodley and recorded in Waiuku by Craig Nealon and Tim Robinson

On Saturday, 26 July 2025, New Zealand Steel celebrated its 60th anniversary! Vicki Woodley (External Affairs Manager) joins the podcast to discuss this significant milestone in a dedicated interview.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Meet Vicki: 1:00
3. A Unique Manufacturing Process: 7:00
4. External Affairs and Community Engagement: 10:56
5. Job Opportunities and Leaders over Time: 18:04
6. Commemoration and the Future: 24:36
7. Personal Reflections: 29:52
8. Conclusion: 33:45

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Waiuku meaning and history
• Glenbrook, New Zealand
• The History of Ironsand (with further information about titanomagnetite)
• Māori People (Te Ara  encyclopaedia listing by Manatū Tonga | NZ Ministry for Culture & Heritage)
• Iwi
• Maioro
• Information about Ngāti Te Ata from Te Puni Kōkiri and in Te Ara
• Marae (meeting grounds)
• True Grit (listing in the National Library of New Zealand)
• Waiuku sculptures by Fred Graham
• 60 Years Strong video by New Zealand Steel on LinkedIn
• Here is a list of related TVBlueScope videos on YouTube, which show manufacturing processes that are mentioned on the podcast, along with our people at sites in New Zealand and community initiatives with which Vicki has been involved directly:
  • Understanding the Electric Arc Furnace
  • Electric Arc Furnace Announcement at New Zealand Steel
  • FocusOn Ironsands at Waikato North Head, New Zealand
  • Visiting the Te Whāngai Trust
  • 'RYDA' Road Safety Education Program
  • Kariotahi Surf Lifesaving Club
  • What Leadership Means with Robin Davies
  • Vox Pop: Pineapple on Pizza (a bit of fun with employees!)
• Browse a 60th anniversary photo album on Flickr.

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld

In this episode, we're featuring two extended excerpts of an event at the Inside Industry Visitor Centre in Coniston, New South Wales, which was all about understanding neurodiversity and -divergence in the workplace.

The first conversation is between Mitchell Connelly (Digital Finance Analyst) and Stephannie Jonovska (Head of Finance Operations and Transformation); Mitchell shares his experience of living on the autism spectrum and Stephannie discusses her personal shift in understanding how collaboration with neurodiverse people can benefit everyone at work.

The second conversation features Victoria Chapman (Paint Analyst) and her manager, Libby Ackers (Coatings Development and Governance Team Leader). Vicky explains what it was like to receive a diagnosis of autism and ADHD later in life and offers insights into women's experiences with neurodiversity and -divergence. They are joined by event coordinator, Adam Theodossiadis (Materials Evaluation Technologist) and Matthew Craig, a neurodivergent advocate with Bundjalung heritage and the Managing Director of NeuroKind.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Mitchell and Stephannie (with an Intro by Adam): 1:49
3. Vicky, Libby, Matthew and Mitchell (with a Q&A): 12:54
4. Conclusion: 34:05

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Neurodiversity
• NeuroKind
• What is autism?
• 'Macca's' is the Australian nickname for 'McDonald's'.
• Formula One
• Analytics
• 'ERP' stands for 'enterprise resource planning'.
• Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)
• Microsoft Copilot
• 'B-flex' is a BlueScope program for formally and transparently arranging flexible working arrangements.
• What is ADHD?
• Asperger's syndrome
• Hormone replacement therapy
• CliftonStrengths
• Watch Zac's Faces of BlueScope episode on TVBlueScope.
• Watch Mitchell's Faces of BlueScope episode on TVBlueScope.

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld

This episode features a recording of the ASPire Women's Network panel discussion that was held in front of a live audience of employees and streamed online from the Inside Industry Visitor Centre. Organised in line with International Women's Day, the initiative connects all women and existing networks at BlueScope, with the aim of creating accessible opportunities for development and supporting career-growth aspirations and confidence.

We thank our participants, including panel host Kylie MacKenzie (General Manager, BlueScope Building Components), Corinne Diedericks (Head of Finance, BlueScope Building Components), Marijana Upton (National Manager, Marketing) and Sophie Boss (Blast Furnace Operations Manager) for sharing their career experiences during the event.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Panel Opening: 1:20
3. March Forward: 16:43
4. Mentorship and Networking: 23:18
5. Beyond Your Comfort Zone: 30:48
6. Intention: 36:57
7. Personal Development: 40:40
8. Q&A: 44:39
9. Conclusion: 52:56

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• International Women's Day
• Learn about Dharawal language and culture.
• BlueScope's Australian business portfolio
• FMCG = fast-moving consumer goods
• VIC/TAS = Victoria and Tasmania
• Interested in hearing more about the cadetships that Sophie mentioned? Listen to our earlier podcast episode on the topic.
• TAFE NSW
• DEI = diversity, equity and inclusion
• Corinne's reading list (no sponsorship affiliations):
  • Psychology of Money
  • Surrounded by Idiots
  • Clear Thinking
  • The Diary of a CEO
  • Good to Great
  • Think and Grow Rich
  • The 5 AM Club
  • Atomic Habits
  • How to Talk to Anyone
  • 48 Laws of Power
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People
  • CEO Excellence
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
  • Deep Work
  • Make Your Bed
  • The Power of Habit
  • Daring Greatly
  • The Art of Letting Go

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld

Continuing a theme from episode 34—sharing corporate knowledge—we acknowledge and celebrate the experience of some of our longest-serving employees in Australia, as part of a campaign called MoMENtous, which ran internally at BlueScope during November 2024 in line with International Men’s Day and Movember.

We include five extended individual and group interviews from that initiative, with each discussion capturing the personal narratives and corporate knowledge of our participants, preserving their experiences and legacies for their family and friends, along with current and future BlueScope employees.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Mike McDonagh: 1:21
3. Stephen Scanlan: 13:35
4. Gino Milan, Bob Prince and Xavier Garcia: 18:09
5. Marvin Hicks: 36:51
6. Michael Churches and John Ziegelaar: 45:17
7. Conclusion: 1:10:16

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Discover two additional MoMENtous video interviews with BlueScope Western Port people Tony Eramo and Ron Bange at TVBlueScope on YouTube, which were recorded in-house by Dan Mason.
• Lysaght
• Fielders
• KLIP-LOK®
• Port Kembla, New South Wales
• CRM = Commonwealth Rolling Mills
• Penrith Panthers
• Blast furnace
• Coke (fuel)
• ABB
• Australian Iron & Steel
• TWiki
• Photo: Galloway Steam Engine
• Photo: cricket match at Port Kembla No. 1 Works
• View a screenshot of the editing timeline for this episode.

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld
• Interviews by Craig Nealon and Tim Robinson

We explore BlueScope's program for the continuing improvement of workplace culture in Australia, named Respect Is How We Work. The episode features Laura Towey (National Employee Relations and Experience Manager) holding extended interviews with Sanam Sharma (Manager People) and Cynthia Gallina (Shift Supervisor) in Western Port, Victoria. They share their own professional experiences, views on how to create respectful workplaces and specific examples from BlueScope's program of work.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. Interview with Sanam Sharma: 2:34
3. Interview with Cynthia Gallina: 14:14
4. Conclusion: 26:50

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• Watch an accompanying interview compilation at TVBlueScope on YouTube, which features three further participants from Port Kembla in New South Wales.
• Respect@Work
• Understanding intersectionality
• Psychosocial hazards
• Discover our ASEAN businesses.
• ASP = Australian Steel Products
• Western Port

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld
• Interviewing by Laura Towey

We’re pleased to feature Jane McAloon, AM (Chair of the BlueScope Board of Directors), including her first address at the 2024 BlueScope Annual General Meeting and a special interview after the event with Michael Reay (Head of Corporate Affairs at Australian Steel Products). Altogether, Jane gives an overview of BlueScope's global performance and its work towards a low-carbon future, while sharing her personal experience as Chair.

Chapters

1. Introduction: 0:00
2. The Chair's AGM Address: 1:28
3. Interview for 'Michael's Minute': 14:00
4. Conclusion: 19:33

Links

• Read a transcript of the episode.
• BlueScope Annual General Meeting 2024 (TVBlueScope video)
  • Related LinkedIn post
• BlueScope Calendar and AGMs webpage
• Find information about BlueScope that was mentioned in the episode:
  • Our Leadership;
  • Where We Are — follow the preceding link to explore various mentioned businesses around the world; and
  • Our Purpose & Our Bond.
• TRIFR - total recordable injury frequency rate
• COLORBOND® steel
• TRUECORE® steel
• EAF = electric arc furnace
  • Watch a video update on the construction of the new EAF at New Zealand Steel in Glenbrook.
• Port Kembla Steelworks (BlueScope in the Illawarra)
• No. 6 Blast Furnace Reline in Port Kembla
• Watch No. 6 Blast Furnace Reline Updates (TVBlueScope series):
  • Episode 1: The Stockhouse;
  • Episode 2: Automation Systems; and
  • Episode 3: Gas System.
• Plate Mill Modernisation Project in Port Kembla
• Watch an example of engagement with cadets during their 2024 networking day (TVBlueScope video).
• BlueScope, BHP and Rio Tinto Partnership Announcement (TVBlueScope video)
• Michael's Minute is a long-running internal video series at BlueScope, in which Michael Reay interviews various employees, leaders and special visitors at events and sites across the company.

Connect with Us

• Corporate website
• LinkedIn page
• TVBlueScope on YouTube

Credits

• Edited by Martin Feld
• Interviewing by Michael Reay