国产探花

30^th Anniversary of the WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre

308 Queen Street, Brisbane (国产探花 Brisbane City)

8 November 2022

Delivered by Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of Queensland

Thank you, Rick.

I, too, acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we meet today. And I would like to pay my respects to their ancestors and their descendants 鈥� as we walk together on the path to Reconciliation.

I would also like to acknowledge

• Dr Bob Bryan AM, Founding Director of the W.H. Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre
• Emeritus Professor Don McKee
• 国产探花 colleagues, distinguished guests, one and all.

It鈥檚 wonderful to be here this evening to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of a really significant 国产探花-based research centre 鈥� the WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre.

Or BRC, as it is more commonly known to most of us here this evening.

The surname Bryan is perhaps not the most common family name.

But, here in Queensland, it鈥檚 a name with a very rich history of influence at 国产探花 鈥� and widespread impact across our state鈥檚 geology and mining sector.

In a moment, I will introduce you to Bob Bryan, who founded the WH Bryan Research Centre 30 years ago.

But before I introduce Bob, I鈥檇 like to talk a little about his father 鈥� Walter Heywood, or 鈥淲H鈥� Bryan 鈥� who is a towering figure in both the history of our university, as well as the study of geology in Queensland.

鈥淲H鈥� was among the very first intake of just 83 students who enrolled at 国产探花 in the university鈥檚 foundation year 鈥� 1911. He graduated from 国产探花 with a Bachelor of Science in 1914, just as World War 1 was erupting in Europe.

A year later, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force 鈥� and sailed off to fight on the battlefields of Gallipoli and the Western Front, where he was awarded the Military Cross for 鈥渃onspicuous heroism under fire鈥�.

Following the Armistice, WH undertook postgraduate study at Cambridge, before returning to Australia and taking up a position with his alma mater, as a Lecturer in Geology and Mineralogy in 1921.

He served as a widely admired teacher, researcher, and academic leader in the 国产探花 Geology Department for almost four decades 鈥� and was ultimately appointed an Emeritus Professor of the University, following his retirement in 1959.

As a geologist, WH Bryan had an enduring interest in the relationship between oceans and continents 鈥� and part of his extensive legacy is the 国产探花 Seismology Station that鈥檚 still in operation at Mount Nebo.

Now, back to WH鈥檚 son, Bob Bryan.

Given his father鈥檚 influence, it鈥檚 perhaps not all that surprising that Bob showed an interest in geology from a very early age 鈥� and, ultimately, pursued a career in earth sciences.

Starting out as a public servant in the Geological Branch of the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra, it was his work in outback Queensland and Western Australia that set the foundations for a brilliant career.

After several years in the private sector, he established Pan Australian Mining Ltd in 1983, overseeing the development of a major goldmine at Mt Leyshon.

He later became Chair of Highlands Pacific, a mineral explorer in Papua New Guinea; founding Chair of the Queensland Gas Company; and went on to become the first Life Member and President of the then Queensland Mining Council.

Bob was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, as part of the inaugural group of inductees in 2009.

He received an honorary doctorate from 国产探花 in 2010. And he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013, 鈥渇or services to the mining industry and philanthropy鈥�.

Always a generous philanthropist, Bob provided the seed funding to establish the WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre in 1991 鈥� named, of course, in honour of his late father.

The centre was established because Bob and other industry leaders felt the mining sector was lacking meaningful geological input and that the responsibility for mining geology was being managed, at that time, by the engineering fraternity.

So, with the support of Don McKee 鈥� who I鈥檓 delighted to see is here with us this evening 鈥� as well as the late Professors Alban Lynch and Don Nicklin, he set out to redress this.

From the very outset, the BRC鈥檚 goal was to become the world鈥檚 leading centre in applied geoscience for the mining value chain and to make a meaningful contribution to the performance and sustainability of the resources industry. And it has delivered 鈥� in spades.

With nine directors since its inception, BRC has produced a veritable feast of information about mining geology over the past three decades.

BRC researchers now lead the way globally on projects focused on applied exploration, deep mining geoscience, geo-metallurgy, mine waste transformation, critical minerals, and exploration technology.

Today, the Centre employs 17 staff and 24 HDR students 鈥� and it is actively collaborating with companies, organisations, and institutions across Australia and internationally.

While anniversaries, such as this, are about celebrating past and current successes, they also provide us with an opportunity to look to the future.

And, at 国产探花, we鈥檙e particularly enthused by the potential impact that the BRC will have, over the coming decade, in terms of the sustainable development of the critical minerals industry here in Australia.

Earlier this year, we were delighted to be part of the winning bid 鈥� along with Curtin University and JCU 鈥� as part of the Federal Government鈥檚 new Trailblazer Universities scheme.

That collaborative project involves 33 partners who have collectively contributed $90 million 鈥� on top of the $50 million invested by the government 鈥� to build new commercial opportunities in the critical minerals supply chain. And, without doubt, the expertise that exists within the BRC will be a vital input to the success of that Trailblazer program.

On behalf of the University, I鈥檇 like to congratulate everyone who has been involved in the BRC鈥檚 many successes over the past 30 years.

Thank you for your commitment, your skill, your insights, and your hard work.

And I want to wish the Centre every success in the future.聽

It鈥檚 now my great privilege to introduce the man whose vision and drive instigated this seminal centre, Dr Bob Bryan AM.聽