Historical review of Linden…The “mining town’ celebrates one hundred years

Feb 25, 2013 News

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Part Two

By Enid Joaquin

It was easy to see how Bauxite discovery and its mining had changed both the economic and physical landscape of Mackenzie, over the years.
More money was circulating, and people were drawn to the area like bees to a honey pot. Bauxite had become “king”, and Demba would become the main employer of residents at Mackenzie, over a prolonged period.
But at the beginning Demba had practically no employees, just a few geologists and mining engineers, who were exploring ways to ‘bring value’ to the bauxite deposits that lay dormant, covered by overburden at Mackenzie.

However, by 1969, the company had employed almost five thousand persons on a permanent basis, while ‘other thousands’ were employed sporadically as the industry was built.
The company’s first official sales record reportedly began in the year 1919,according to the Demba booklet, “Where did the Money go?” which showed sales revenue of $30,000 for that year.
Half a century later in 1969, revenues had reportedly jumped to $99M.
Some $81 M, which represented a portion of Demba’s profits over its 50-year history, would go to its owners, out of the $905 M total sales revenue.
For that period, 1916-1969, the company would pay to the Guyana Government $116 M. in taxes.
Of the total principal exports of the country in 1969, which amounted to $259 M in total revenues, Demba alone had accrued $120.3 M; almost half of the country’s total revenues.
Sales
Only metal grade bauxite was shipped by Demba in 1919, but the company later diversified and expanded to cater to the needs of its buyers.
So it was that by 1969, both alumina and calcined bauxite had greatly exceeded the sale of metal grade bauxite. That year, Alumina accounted for 42 percent of total sales revenue, calcined bauxite 38 percent and metal grade 20 percent.

Alumina accounting for the highest sales, was generally sold on the world market on long term contracts.
Calcined bauxite, the second biggest seller, was reportedly sold to 30 countries at competitive rates, which were negotiated by ALCAN.
Where did the money go?
Between the period 1919 to 1969 wages/ salaries and other benefits to employees, would amount to $208 M. Supplies and services would account for $325mil and Plant investment $175M, which amounted to a sub total of $708M.
The balance out of the total $905mil went to Government-$116M and Demba’s owners, $81M. It is therefore easy to see how Mackenzie became known as the bread basket of the country, in those days.
Settlements proliferate
Settlements such as Cockatara, Spieghtland, Kara Kara and Watooka were amongst the first, to be established on the Mackenzie shore, after bauxite mining began.
A guest house was built at Watooka, and was named the Watooka Club. It was built to accommodate the ‘industrial customers’ and shareholders of the Company who sojourned there while on business.
The influx of these visitors greatly increased with the demand for aluminum increasing significantly after the beginning of world war two.
Houses were also built by the company at Watooka, and later Fairs Rust, Noigtdacht, and Richmond Hill for its white expatriate staff. These communities became the preserve of this elite group, as locals were strictly forbidden, unless one was a constable, gardener or a maid.
The Watooka club later had a swimming pool added and the company acquired two white motor launches- the Dorbecee and Polaris to cater for the recreational and business needs of the expatriates, as well as distinguished guest who visited the facility.
Demba also built wooden range houses, which were referred to as logies, for the local staff in the ‘village’ at Mackenzie, and a few zinc houses at Retrieve.
Several zinc houses were also built at Silvertown Wismar, for its workers, on that shore. The community derived its name from the silver zinc sheets used to construct the houses.
Meanwhile other people were also building elsewhere, like the people at Canvas City, on Wismar, whose dwellings were built primarily of canvas.
Continued population growth saw other communities being established at Blue Berry and Wismar Hill on Wismar and Spieghtland and Kara Kara at Mackenzie.
Around this time (early 1920’s) the population at Mackenzie had grown to 6000, while Wismar/ Christianburg was 17,000.
An increased population of course necessitated the building of a hospital, which saw the opening of the old Mackenzie Hospital in the year 1925.
The recreation Hall at Mackenzie was constructed that same year.
Famous for dances in those days, the building presently houses the Linden Museum.
Development of the community would escalate between the years 1939 to 1961, with the opening of Christ the King Church, Crescent Cinema, the Wismar Market,
installation of a pure water plant and the opening of the Public Free Library and Mackenzie Sports Club. There was also the commencement of a Self-help Housing scheme at Wismar. Completed in 1959, it was reportedly the largest self-help scheme to be established in British Guyana, at the time. The Christianburg Primary School, the first school to be established in the area was also rebuilt that very year, and the Wismar/Christianburg  Electricity Supply Cooperative Society formed to service residents on the West Bank.
The Cooperative still exists to this day, but has diversified and thus changed its name to the Linden Utility Services Cooperative Society LTD. It is presently considered the best managed in the country.
Even more development would occur between the years 1961- 1971, but the single event that would dwarf all others during this period would be the opening up of the Alumina Plant at Spieghtland.
Alumina Day
“Alumina Day has made history!” screamed the bold headline on the front page of the Demba Digest of Friday March 31st 1961.
It was indeed an historic day, which saw hundreds flocking the brand new Alumina Plant for its official opening by Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
An article in the said digest captioned “The Alumina Venture” noted that the 1,700 men who labored for four and a quarter years to build the facility, did “a stupendous and splendid job!” The article further pointed out, “Where there was a swampy waste, they have erected a vast and complex plant that is producing Alumina for Aluminum smelters in Canada, Norway and other parts of the world”.
Built with a capital investment tab of $65M, the venture was described as the “Biggest single industrial undertaking in the history of British Guiana.”
For Demba, which was considered one of the most important subsidiaries in the Aluminum Group of Companies, it was a ‘monumental leap’. It was described as the greatest day in the then 45-year history of the Company.
The “Digest” further elaborated, ‘Success (of the Alumina venture) will be invaluable to the people of British Guiana, coming at a time when the country is on the threshold of industrial revolution”.
It posited that the product (Alumina) would put ‘solid cash’ into the country’s coffers.
The Alumina Plant was constructed using workers from Sprostons Construction Ltd and Demba.
It was indeed a monumental challenge as 420,000 square yards of swamp and bush had to be converted to a solid foundation, to accommodate the huge silos and equipment that would become the plant.
One thousand men reportedly worked for six weeks, to do the initial clearing of the site, before bulldozers could gain access to remove the huge trees.
After the clearing was complete, and the land was drained and compacted, “bauxitic” rock was used for the construction of seven miles of access road.
A temporary wharf, which would soon be replaced with a permanent one, facilitated the movement of equipment from ships, to the site.
The permanent wharf, which was later constructed, and stands to this day, ostensibly required five hundred green heart piles to secure its foundations.
Additionally, thousands of piles would be used on the plant site itself.
Forty eight miles of piles were reportedly driven into the ground, and it was noted that upon completion, the Alumina Plant extended and contained more steel below ground, than above! The pipelines used would be about 36 miles long or the distance from Mackenzie to Ituni, if they were laid out ‘end to end’.
The electrical cables meanwhile would cover a distance of about ninety miles.
A million cubic feet of reinforced concrete slabs, was utilized as bases for the numerous steel tanks, which are the “dominant features” of this colossal Plant.
The Alumnina Plant, which as stated earlier helped to significantly augment the country’s treasury, and considerably raised the economic fortunes of Mackenzie, would also play a major role in its eventual economic nosedive, after its closure years later.
But during its heyday, Mackenzie prospered as never before, and no one would have envisaged the tumultuous times that lay ahead as the stability of the community was fractured by the volcanic political climate of the early 1960’s, that eventually exploded with two debacles that would remain etched in the memories of residents for decades to come.

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