East Kimberley, Western Australia

The Argyle diamond mine is located on the traditional country of the Miriwoong, Gija, Malgnin and Wularr people in Western Australia. We acknowledge the Dawang / Daam groups who are the Traditional Owners of the Barramundi Dreaming – the Tiltuwam, Mandangala, Yunurr / Yalangga, Neminuwarlin, Balaburr, Bilbildjing and Upper Jimbila people. 

Argyle was one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and the largest supplier of natural coloured diamonds – including white, yellow, brown, blue, violet and the rare and the highly-coveted Argyle pink and red diamonds. 

Mining ceased at Argyle in November 2020, after 37 years of operation.  

We are committed to respectfully closing and rehabilitating the mine and returning the land to its traditional custodians. 

 

Mine closure 

The last day of mining at Argyle was 3 November 2020. This marked the beginning of the transition to the decades-long closure process, following a 6-month “make safe” period.  

We expect it will take 5 years to dismantle the operational infrastructure, reshape the land and begin revegetation, allowing a natural and self-sustaining ecosystem to reestablish that resembles the area surrounding the lease.  

We’ve engaged a number of contractors to rehabilitate the site with a strong focus on local employment and contracting. More than 35% of the total site works and services scope are being delivered by Traditional Owner businesses. 

We are now rehabilitating the site and are on track to complete removal of infrastructure, landform profiling and revegetation by the first quarter of 2026. After this, we’ll manage the site during a monitoring and maintenance period expected to take at least 10 years. 

We have worked closely with local communities, businesses and government to understand the impacts of closure and prepare with communities for the transition after almost 4 decades of mining. 

We are working closely with the 7 Traditional Owner family groups who are signatories to the Argyle Participation Agreement throughout the closure project, recognising their deep connection to country and the importance of delivering sustainable, long-term outcomes for future generations. 

Engaging with communities

The Argyle Diamond Mine worked with the local community throughout 37 years of operation, contributing to employment and social investment opportunities. Now in closure, we are working hard with the community to develop a shared understanding of mine closure from a technical, environmental and social perspective.  

Cultural heritage

Located in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia, the former Argyle diamond mine was located at Barramundi Gap, a cultural landscape associated with the Ngarranggarni Dreaming – a creation story about how the area’s geography was formed. Barramundi Gap is one of the most culturally significant sites belonging to the Miriwoong and Gija people.  

At Argyle, we recognise the deep spiritual and cultural significance of the land and respect the cultural heritage of the Traditional Owners and local Indigenous people. Traditional Owners welcome workers and visitors to site through a Manthe ceremony, conferring safe passage through traditional lands. This welcome is also a formal component of our Health and Safety induction at Argyle.  

The Argyle Participation Agreement is the formal mechanism to ensure that cultural heritage is protected.  

In addition, every year, a Traditional Owner annual tour is held on site, during which Traditional Owners have the opportunity to visit and discuss any part of the mine where cultural heritage issues are present, including caves, rehabilitation sites and water sources. 

Agreements

The Argyle mining lease area is on the traditional country of the Miriwoong, Gija, Malgnin and Wularr peoples. In 2005, following several years of relationship building and negotiation, the Argyle Participation Agreement was registered as an Indigenous Land Use Agreement, superseding the 20-year-old Good Neighbour Agreement and acknowledging Traditional Owners as the custodians of Country and the Traditional Owners, in turn, recognising Rio Tinto’s right to mine at Argyle.  

In 2022, Stage One of the Mine Closure Agreement was signed between Rio Tinto and the Traditional Owners, providing a financial contribution to the Traditional Owners to assist to mitigate the impacts of the Argyle mine closure. 

Argyle Pink Diamonds  

Argyle Pink Diamonds™ are highly coveted as the world's most sought-after diamonds. While operating, the Argyle Diamond Mine produced more than 865 carats of rough diamonds – including more than 90% of the world's pink diamond supply, which were sold in a range of colour grades and sizes to an international customer base. 

When the Argyle Diamond Mine ceased mining in 2020, we retained the Argyle Pink Diamond brand and continue to carefully place the last of the mine’s precious cache of rare diamonds, as well as undertaking a number of other activities as custodian of the precious legacy of Australia’s finest luxury export. 

Learn more about Argyle Pink Diamonds