Today, Orica is one of the leading publicly-owned companies, ranked among the top 40 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

We have come a long way and have undergone several transformations since we started operating more than 130 years ago as a supplier of explosives to the Victorian gold fields in Australia.  The original company, Jones, Scott and Co, was bought by Nobel which went on to merge with Brunner Mond and Co, United Alkali Company and British Dyestuffs Corporation to form Imperial Chemical Industries Plc (ICI Plc).

In 1928, Imperial Chemical Industries of Australia and New Zealand (ICIANZ) was incorporated to acquire and coordinate all the Australasian interests of ICI Plc.  In 1971, the company became ICI Australia.

In July 1997, ICI Australia became an independent Australasian company after its parent company, ICI Plc, divested its 62.4 per cent shareholding in the company.

As a result of the selldown ICI Australia was required to change its name and on 2 February 1998 we became known as Orica.

The name Orica was selected following extensive research, workshopping and feedback from stakeholders that included employees, customers and shareholders.  The aim was to find a short, sharp and memorable name that gave an impression of the business.  Feedback indicated that the name Orica evoked words such as the future, knowledge, expertise and technology, all of which were considered positive attributes.

Since 1998, Orica has pursued opportunities for organic growth, category expansion, mergers and acquisitions, including:

• Orica’s acquisition of the global explosives interests of ICI Plc in 1998, beginning our transformation into a global company.
• Several acquisitions by Orica’s Chemnet business that have taken the business into new categories and new geographies.
• Significant capacity expansions at our Yarwun and Kooragang Island ammonium nitrate plants.
• The acquisition of parts of Dyno Nobel’s commercial explosives business.
• The acquisition of Minova, the global leader in specialist chemical products for underground mining and civil engineering activities.
• Minor acquisitions by our Watercare business that have broadened the range of our water treatment technologies.
• The acquisition of Excel Mining Systems that expands the breadth of stabilisation systems being offered to customers in the underground mining industry.
• The Demerger of DuluxGroup in 2010, continuing Orica's transformation into a focused mining services business supplying the global mining and infrastructure industries with critical consumables

As Orica has evolved into the multi-billion dollar, global company that it is today, we have maintained proud traditions of leadership, innovation, quality and safety.

Orica now employs more than 13,000 people, has operations approximately 50 countries and services customers in around twice that number.