Two of Australia’s foremost proponents of better ways to discover our natural resources using great science have been honoured in Adelaide by Australia’s Geoscience sector.
The title of “National Geoscience Champion” has been bestowed by the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) on each of Dr Marita Bradshaw of Canberra and Emeritus Professor David Groves of Perth, at an industry peer dinner in Adelaide hosted as part of the AGC’s inaugural four-day Convention last week in Adelaide.
The AGC’s Executive chose the two finalists from a list of nominations provided by its eight Member Organisations that represent the full spectrum of Geoscience in Australia.
The Awards recognise each recipient’s contributions to Geoscience through their leadership, mentorship and technical achievements. Dr Bradshaw and Professor Groves join Roy Woodall AO, the inaugural National Geoscience Champion, as two of a select few honoured in this way.
Dr Marita Bradshaw
Dr Bradshaw is a leading petroleum geologist who has worked tirelessly in developing and providing relevant, high-quality data and analysis for the oil and gas industry. She has made significant contributions to Australian geology by developing the Australian petroleum systems framework and by building new understanding of the petroleum geology of the southern margin, North West Shelf and Lord Howe Rise.
Dr Bradshaw is an effective and engaging communicator, as well as a highly-regarded mentor and educator. She is an outstanding role model for industry-government cooperation for the betterment of Australia. Her enthusiasm, passion and commitment have helped promote Australia’s oil and gas potential both nationally and internationally, and have especially helped in the search for new petroleum provinces in the country’s offshore sedimentary basins.
Emeritus Professor David Groves
Professor Groves is a pre-eminent Australian academic economic geologist. He passionately harnesses the outcomes of research to directly support the discovery of minerals in Australia, while instilling in others the importance of the big picture in trying to understand mineral systems.
He was at the centre of successful efforts to better understand komatiite nickel deposits in the 1970s and Archean gold deposits in the 1980s and 1990s, effectively leading and inspiring diverse teams of researchers. The results of his research are now embedded in standard mineral industry exploration practice.
Over his 45-year academic career up until 2016, Professor Groves supervised a remarkable number of students including the successful completion of 91 PhD, 53 MSc and 118 BSc (Honours) degrees. His ideas have inspired and shaped several generations of leading Australian geoscientists.
Roy Woodall
The Australian Geoscience Council’s inaugural National Geoscience Champion in 2015, Roy Woodall AO, was recognised for his contribution to geoscience in Australia. His scientific approach to exploration contributed to many significant ore discoveries in Australia including the Kambalda nickel field (1966), uranium at Yeelirrie (1971), the Olympic Dam copper-gold-uranium deposit (1975), the St Ives gold field (1980), the East Spar oil-condensate field (1993), plus contributions to many others.
He set high scientific standards for the recording of scientific data, using the best equipment and analytical facilities available at the time, leaving a significant legacy of scientific methodologies and successes. Roy’s standard of training and mentorship of other geoscientists has advanced the capabilities of Australia’s mining and exploration industries and the development of our nation.
