Director Shareholding

BHP Billiton Limited
4 January 2002

    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.


  Company Secretariat
  4 January 2002




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
                                                   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  3196029



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 new Listing Rules of the
ASX effective 1 January 2002, and the details are as at that date.



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             Mr B D Romeril
Date of appointment          BHP Billiton Limited  -      29.6.2001

                             BHP Billiton Plc      -      15.10.1999




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



10 000 ordinary shares in BHP Billiton Plc









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



Included in this Part is:

*     in the case of a trust, interests in the trust made available by the
responsible entity of the trust;

*     details of the circumstance giving rise to the relevant interest; and

*     the relevant interest of Connected Persons as defined in the United
Kingdom Companies Act, their identity and relationship to the director.  The
definition includes spouses and children under 18 years of age.


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





                     -                                       -









Part 3 - Director's interests in contracts other than as described in Part 4


Detail of contract                                                           -




Nature of interest                                                           -




Name of registered holder                                                    -

(if issued securities)


No. and class of securities to which interest relates                        -





Part 4  -  Director's interests in options or other rights granted by the
entities


Date of grant                                                                -




Period during which or date on which exercisable                             -




Total amount paid (if any) for the grant                                     -




Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price is to be -
fixed at time of exercise


Total number of securities over which options or other rights held at the    -
date of this notice


Any additional information                                                   -









Part 5  -  Contact details


Name of authorised officers responsible for making  Mr R V Taylor - BHP
this notification on behalf of the entities         Billiton Limited



                                                    Mrs M Taylor -  BHP
                                                    Billiton Plc

Contact details                                     Mr R V Taylor    Tel:
                                                    [phone]


                                                    Fax:    [phone]



                                                    Mrs M Taylor     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  Registered Office: 1-3 Strand   
Victoria 3000                                   London WC2N 5HA
                                                United Kingdom
Telephone [phone] Facsimile +61 3 9609  Telephone [phone]      
3015                                            Facsimile [phone]


             The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia