“In iron ore and coal, we are the world’s leading exporters. In 2022 we were second to China as the world’s great gold producer. We mine far, far more gold annually than in any year of the 19th century,” adds Blainey. “I think we rank about second as an alumina exporter. And so on.” The most recent gains have been attributed to the reopening of the Chinese economy, while the price of gold has benefited from a weaker US dollar. Geoffrey Blainey. Paul Jeffers Over the years the relative size of the Australian resources and the industrial sector has fluctuated...