Director Shareholding

BHP Billiton Limited
05 February 2003

     BHP Billiton Limited is issuing this announcement to fulfil disclosure
  obligations arising from its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

    The text of this release is identical to that issued by BHP Billiton Plc
                                    earlier.



5 February 2003


To:      Australian Stock Exchange             cc:  New York Stock Exchange
         Companies Announcements Office             Swiss Stock Exchange
                                                    New Zealand Stock Exchange
         London Stock Exchange                      Johannesburg Stock Exchange
         Companies Announcements Office             Paris Bourse (Euronext)
                                                    Deutsche Bank


                    Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX)

                        Appendix 3X of the Listing Rules

      Initial Notification of Interests of Directors and Connected Persons

Name of entities               BHP Billiton Limited     BHP Billiton Plc
                               ABN 49 004 028 077       REG NO 3196209

As part of a dual listed company structure, the BHP Billiton Group has agreed to
adopt the better of the existing governance practices between BHP Billiton Plc
and BHP Billiton Limited. As a result, the Group voluntarily notifies all stock
exchanges on which either BHP Billiton Plc or BHP Billiton Limited have primary
or secondary listings, all those interest of directors of both entities in the
securities of both entities (and changes to those interests) which are required
to be disclosed under the ASX Listing Rules, the Listing Rules of the United
Kingdom Listing Authority, the Australian Corporations Act, the United Kingdom
Companies Act and the Group's Securities Dealing Code.

This Initial Notification is filed in consequence of Listing Rules of the ASX
which requires the following information concerning a director on appointment to
that office.

We (the entities) advise the following information under ASX Listing Rule
3.19A.1 and as agent for the director for the purposes of section 205G of the
Australian Corporations Act and otherwise in accordance with the foregoing
policy .


Name of Director                           Dr J Buchanan

Date of appointment                        1 February 2003

Part 1 - Director's relevant interests in securities of which the director is
the registered holder

In the case of a trust, this includes interests in the trust made available by
the responsible entity of the trust

Number & class of securities
     Nil

Part 2 - Director's relevant interests in securities of which the director is
not the registered holder

In the case of a trust, this includes interests in the trust made available by
the responsible entity of the trust

Name of holder & nature of interest      Number & class of securities
                         _                               _


Part 3 - Director's interests in contracts

Detail of contract                                       _

Nature of interest                                       _

Name of registered holder                                _
(if issued securities)

No. and class of securities to which interest relates    -

Part 4 - Contact details

Name of authorised officers responsible for making     Mr R V Taylor -     BHP Billiton Limited
this notification on behalf of the entities            Ms E A Hobley -     BHP Billiton Plc     BHP Billiton Plc
                                                       
Contact details                                        Mr R V Taylor     Tel:     [phone]
                                                                         Fax:     [phone]

                                                       Ms E A Hobley     Tel:     [phone]
                                                                         Fax:     [phone]


BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                     BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                     Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: 600 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria     Registered Office: 1-3 Strand London WC2N 5HA United Kingdom
3000                                                        Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]
Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]

              The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange