Snr. Appt - Co. Secretary

BHP Limited
10 April 2001






Release Time     IMMEDIATE

Date          10 April 2001

Number     35/01

                  BHP SENIOR APPOINTMENT - COMPANY SECRETARY


BHP Limited (BHP) today announced the appointment of Karen Wood as Company
Secretary, effective 1 June this year. Ms Wood is currently Company Secretary
and General Counsel at Bonlac Foods Limited.

Ms Wood will be a member of the BHP Management Committee and will report
through BHP Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel John Fast to the BHP
Chairman Don Argus and BHP Managing Director and CEO Paul Anderson.

Mr Fast said: 'Ms Wood will be responsible for advising and assisting the BHP
Board and senior management team in ensuring the continuous improvement of
Board operating practices and the Company's corporate governance framework.

'Ms Wood will also have a key role in advising the BHP Board in the lead-up to
the Company's planned merger with Billiton. After approval of the merger by
shareholders of both companies, she will be responsible for assisting with the
successful integration of board activities and processes,' he said.

Ms Wood has been employed as Company Secretary and General Counsel at Bonlac
Foods Limited since 1996 and has been responsible for advising and assisting
the Bonlac Board with the Company's proposed alliance with the New Zealand
Dairy Board.

She is a Member of the Corporations & Securities Panel (Takeovers Panel), a
Fellow and Branch Council Member of Chartered Secretaries Australia and a
member of several other industry professional associations.

Prior to her employment at Bonlac, Ms Wood was a Senior Associate at Deacons
Graham & Jones law firm.

                                     ****

Further information can be found on our Internet site: http://www.bhp.com









Media Relations

Mandy Frostick Manager Media Relations

Ph: 61 3 9609 4157 Mob: [phone]

Investor Relations

Andrew Nairn, Senior Investor Relations Analyst

Ph: 61 3 9609 3952 Mob: [phone]



                                      CV





                        Wood, Karen

                            Company Secretary BHP, June 2001

                        Career

                            Company Secretary and General Counsel, Bonlac
                            Foods Limited 1996 -; Senior Associate Deacons
                            Graham & James law firm (formerly Weigall &
                            Crowther) 1995-1996; Academic Member Faculty of
                            Law, Monash University 1993-1996; Various
                            positions including Practising Solicitor at
                            Weigall & Crowther law firm (now Deacons Graham &
                            James).

                        Committees & professional associations

Member, Corporations & Securities Panel (Takeovers Panel); Fellow, Chartered
Secretaries Australia; Member, Branch Council Chartered Secretaries Australia;
Committee Member, Education and Profile Committees, Chartered Secretaries
Australia; Member, Law Institute of Victoria; Member, Australian Corporate
Lawyers Association; Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors.


                        Personal

                            Born: 21 February 1956, Australia.

                            Education: Monash University, Bachelor of Laws
                            (Honours) 1984; Melbourne State College, Bachelor
                            of Education 1977.

                    Marital Status: Married with two children.

                    Recreation: Reading, cooking and travel.

END