Dividend Notification Declaration

Rio Tinto PLC
15 June 2000

                                                                  
Coal & Allied Industries Special Dividend                                     
                
The Board of Coal & Allied Industries Limited has today declared a
special dividend of 200  Australian cents per ordinary share.
Preference shareholders will be paid the usual interim dividend of
1.75 Australian cents per preference share. The special ordinary
dividend will be franked to 55 Australian cents per share and the
preference dividend will be fully franked. The special ordinary
dividend and interim preference dividend payments will amount to
Australian $173.2 million. In declaring the special dividend, the
Board took into account the strength of the company's balance
sheet.

The dividends will be paid on 28 June 2000 to ordinary and
preference shareholders registered at close of business on 27 June
2000.

Rio Tinto has a 70.9 per cent interest in Coal & Allied
Industries.

For further information, please contact:

Media Relations                    Investor Relations

Lisa Cullimore                     Peter Jarvis
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2305              + 44 (0) 20 7753 2401

Website: www.riotinto.com