Rio Tinto Company (RTZ) formed in London in 1873 to open a disused copper mine in southern Spain. During the next couple of decades, lead, zinc and silver deposits were discovered in Broken Hill, New South Wales; which lead to the subsequent formation of North Broken Hill and Broken Hill South and the floating of Zinc Corporation in Melbourne in 1905. Zinc Corporation emerged as a major player in the early stages of mining at Broken Hill and later became Consolidated Zinc. In 1962 Consolidated Zinc merged with the Australian branch of Rio Tinto Company to form Conzinc Rio Tinto (CRA). During the next thirty years the duel companies invested or co-invested with many other companies who have played a major role in the story of Australian mining during the twentieth century. Rio Tinto (RTZ) and Conzinc Rio Tinto (CRA) were duel listed, until 1995 when they formed one company publically listed as Rio Tinto.

• Zinc Corporation
• North Broken Hill Limited
• Australian Mining and Smelting Limited
• Comalco Limited
• Mary Kathleen Uranium Limited