SYDNEY (Reuters) - BHP has moved on to focus on other growth opportunities after shareholders of Anglo American voted against its takeover approach earlier this year, the company chairman said on Wednesday.

"We made an approach to Anglo American earlier this year ... we thought there was an opportunity here to create something unique and special, a bit of a sort of a one plus one equals three opportunity," Chairman Ken MacKenzie told BHP's annual shareholder meeting.

"Unfortunately, Anglo American shareholders had a different view, and they thought there was more value in the plan that their management wanted to execute. And so they moved on. And quite frankly, so have we."