Purchase of Own Securities

Rio Tinto PLC
15 June 2000

                                 
          Shares purchased in the market for cancellation
                                 
Rio Tinto plc announces that Rio Tinto Limited has today
purchased, in the market for cancellation, 539,756 ordinary shares
in Rio Tinto Limited at an average price of A$24.91 per share.


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