GEOLOGY AT ANU (1959–2009) Fifty years of history and reminiscences D. A. Brown Building 47, ANU E PRESS Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at: http//epress.anu.edu.au/geology_citation.html National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Rickard, M. J. (Michael John) Title: Geology at ANU (1959-2009) [electronic resource] : 50 years of history and reminiscences / Mike Rickard. ISBN: 9781921666674 (eBook : pdf) 9781921666667 (pbk.) Subjects: Australian National University. Dept. of Geology--History Australian National University. Dept. of Geology--Anecdotes. Dewey Number: 551.07119471 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Book design and layout by Teresa Prowse, www.madebyfruitcup.com Cover image: Weathered sandstone outcrop south of Darwin — painting by Glenys Eggleton Printed by University Printing Services, ANU This edition © 2010 ANU E Press GEOLOGY AT ANU (1959–2009) Fifty years of history and reminiscences Compiled by Mike Rickard Edited by Judith Caton Photographs by Richard Barwick THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY E PRESS Contents Plates vii Tables xi Abbreviations xiii Foreword xv Geology at The Australian National University, 1959–2009 xv Editorial and Acknowledgments xvii The Canberra Setting xix Historical Highlights xxi Appreciation xxiii 1. Introduction 1 2. The People 9 Teaching Staff 9 Technical and Administrative Staff 26 3. The Buildings 33 4. Teaching 41 Course Structure and Content 41 Student Fieldwork 50 5. Research 63 Staff Research 63 Research by Postdoctoral Fellows, Visiting Fellows and Research Assistants 87 Postgraduate Research 106 6. Major Research Projects 111 Geochemical Evolution and Metallurgy of Continents (GEMOC) 111 Australian Mining Industry Research Association (AMIRA) 113 Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Evolution and Mineral Exploration (CRC-LEME) 115 Hot-Fractured-Rock Project 118 The Australian Marine Quaternary Program 120 v Geology at ANU (1959–2009) 7. Administrative Work, Honours and Publicity 125 Faculty Service 125 Professional Bodies 126 Editorial Work 131 Honours 132 Publicity 137 8. Student Activities 141 Student Awards 141 Social Activities 143 Field Excursions 152 Graduate Destinations 154 9. The New Millennium 161 Course Structure 162 Current Research 164 Building and Equipment Support 166 The Departmental Review of 2007 167 10. The Reunion and the Future 169 11. Alumni News 173 Appendix 1 245 Visiting Fellows 245 Appendix 2 251 List of BSc Honours Theses 251 Appendix 3 265 List of Graduate Diploma Theses 265 Appendix 4 267 List of MSc and MPhil Theses 267 Appendix 5 271 List of PhD Theses 271 vi Plates Cover: Weathered sandstone outcrop south of Darwin Frontpiece: D. A. Brown Building 47, ANU 1 Science Faculty in 1960. 2 Tectonic Globe, Geology Department Foyer 3 William Smith Map, Geology Department Foyer 4 The Musical Buildings Cartoon 2.1 David Brown 2.2 Bruce Chappell 2.3 Ken Campbell 2.4 Allan White 2.5 Keith Crook 2.6 Ken Williams 2.7 Mike Rickard 2.8 Eric Conybeare 2.9 Tony Eggleton 2.10 John McDonald 2.11 Neil Williams 2.12 John Walshe 2.13 Warrington Cameron 2.14 David Ellis 2.15 John Tipper 2.16 Patrick De Deckker 2.17 Richard Arculus 2.18 Brad Opdyke 2.19 Leah Moore 2.20 John Mavrogenes 2.21 Stephen Cox 2.22 David Tilley 2.23 Prame Chopra 2.24 Jonathon Clarke 2.25 ‘Bear’ McPhail 2.26 Ian Roach 2.27 Daniella Rubatto 2.28 Ken McQueen vii Geology at ANU (1959–2009) 2.29 Michael Elwood 2.30 Sara Beavis 2.31 Andrew Christy 2.32 Brian Kennett 2.33 Brian Harrold 2.34 Maree Coldrick 2.35 Ross Cliff 2.36 Henry Zapasnik 2.37 George Halford 2.38 Gill Lea 2.39 Zbigniew (Jack) Wasik 2.40 Tony Phimphisane 2.41 Jack Pennington 2.42 Ross Freeman 2.43 Tim Munson 2.44 Robin Westcott and John Vickers 2.45 Ulrike Troitzsch 2.46 Nigel Craddy 3.1 Campus map showing buildings occupied by the Geology Department 3.2 The Old Geology Building on University Avenue 3.3 Museum showcases in the foyer of the Old Building 3.4 Firemen visit the Old Building 3.5 The new wing of the Old Geology Building under construction 3.6 The flume in the Old Building 3.7 The New Geology Building: the D. A. Brown Building 3.8 The tearoom in the New Building on the occasion of Professor Campbell’s seventieth birthday party 4.1 Manduramah field excursion, 1968 4.2 First-year excursion, 2003 4.3 David Ellis poses in front of the famous unconformity at Myrtle Beach 4.4 Students mapping at Bermagui 4.5 1968: Neil Williams leading his group underground at Broken Hill 4.6 Relaxing after fieldwork: students at the Silverton Pub, Broken Hill, ca 1994 4.7 The Golden Volcano, Tilba Tilba 4.8 Map of field camp locations in New South Wales 4.9 Allan White ‘fishing’ in Tuross Lake 4.10 Field camp at Wee Jasper, 2005 5.1 International Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the ANU, 1983 5.2 Ken Campbell and Dick Barwick on a fossil-collecting trip at Wee Jasper viii Plates 5.3 Professor Chappell (centre) after the award of his DSc in 1990 5.4 Bruce Chappell modelling the latest in makeshift wet-weather gear to study granite 5.5 XRF analyser with modern automatic sample changer 5.6 A geologist at work 5.7 Mike Rickard ‘examining’ undeformed sediments at Merimbula 5.8 Ken Williams on fieldwork in western Tasmania 5.9 The GEROC logo designed by Dick Barwick for the group of retired palaeontologists working in the Geology Department 5.10 Picnic at Wee Jasper while on a fossil hunt in 1971 5.11 Fossil lungfish Barwickia( downunda) 5.12 Judith Caton and subject at Perth Zoo 5.13 Stone Flowers: paintings of early fossil angiosperms by Liz Truswell 5.14 Èva Papp in Antarctica 6.1 Cover of GEMOC second report 6.2 CRC-LEME poster 6.3 First-year students examine weathered granite at Island Bend in the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales 6.4 The Hot-Fractured-Rock Project explained 6.5 Lunch at Darling Harbour sponsored by CSIRO Marine Laboratories following the visit of the RV Southern Surveyor as part of the Geol 3018 Marine Geology Course held in August 2004 in Sydney 6.6 RV Franklin at Macquarie Wharf, Hobart, 1992 6.7 Emptying the box corer on the rear deck of RV Franklin 6.8 Map showing the location of many of the cores studied by members of the group 7.1 Dr Mike Rickard as University Marshall 7.2 The D. A. Brown Medal 7.3 Cover of the 1991 Annual Report 7.4 Cover of the 1992 Annual Report 8.1 Honours year 1987 outside the Old Geology Building 8.2 1993 Geology honours graduates with the ANU Marshall 8.3 Student Geological Society newsletter, September 1984 8.4 Wanted dead or alive: Tipper Dr J.C. 8.5 Examples of student T-shirt logos 8.6 Keith Crook in his field hat 8.7 ANU Australian Rules team, Perth Intervarsity, 1964 8.8 David Brown and Allan White in party mood 8.9 Cross-dressing: Warwick Crowe and Greg Miles 8.10 Honours Class of 1969 reunion plaque in the Geology Department foyer ix Geology at ANU (1959–2009) 8.11 Mt Tarawera, New Zealand: end-of-year field excursion, c. 1992 9.1 Bachelor of Global and Ocean Sciences 9.2 The Geology Department’s largest honours class—in 2001 10.1 Heads of department past and present 10.2 Early students and staff at the reunion dinner, University House, ANU 11.1 The Grogans in 1974 11.2 The Grogans in 2008 11.3 As President of the Peugeot Association of Canberra, Brad Pillans sometimes poses as Napoleon at the car club’s ‘Battle of Waterloo’ 11.4 Richard Lesh, Simon Beams and Dave Jenkins, Directors of Terra Search Proprietary Limited Back piece: End-of-year field excursion to Chile, January 2008: Jorisques Volcano with Licancabur Volcano behind on the left x Tables 2.1 Geology Department teaching staff 2.2 Technical and administrative staff in approximate date order 4.1 The 1990 course structure serves as an example of the Geology Degree course and the subject offerings for several years 5.1 Research assistants 5.2 National Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows 7.1 Editorial work undertaken by staff members of the Geology Department 7.2 Honours conferred on members of the Geology Department 7.3 Recipients of the Stillwell Medal 7.4 Recipients of the A. B. Edwards Medal 8.1 Prizes awarded for outstanding achievement by undergraduate Geology students 8.2 Geology student prizes A. First-year geology B. Second-year geology C. Third-year prizes 1. Anthony Seelaf Prize for fieldwork 2. Irene Crespin Prize 3. The Geophysics Prize D. The Ampol Prize for a student entering honours year, and the Western Mining (WMC) and Conzinc Riotinto (CRA) awards for honours fieldwork 8.3 The K. S. W. Campbell Prize 8.4 University awards A. ANU Medals awarded for exceptional achievement at honours level B. The Priscilla-Fairfield-Bok Prize for excellent achievement in science by a female student 8.5 The Robert Hill Memorial Prize 9.1 Geology courses offered in 2006–07 10.1 Attendees at the Geology Reunion Dinner 11.1 Contents of Alumni News in date order of graduation xi Abbreviations Actew Australian Capital Territory Electricity and Water AGSO Australian Geological Survey Organisation AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Science AJES Australian Journal of Earth Sciences AMIRA Australian Mineral Industry Research Association ANSTO Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation ANU Australian National University Anutech Australian National University