The founder of The University of Queensland’s WH Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre has been honoured in this year’s Australia Day Awards. Mr Robert ‘Bob’ Bryan was named a Member (AM) in the General Division in recognition of his service to the mining industry and to the community through philanthropic contributions to the arts, and heritage and educational organisations.
Mr Bryan provided the initial funding toestablish the WH Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre (BRC) in 1991 in honour of his father who had been his Professor of Geology at The University of Queensland. The BRC is based within the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) and brings together mining engineering and geological expertise to address the complex challenges facing the global mining sector.The BRC is recognised internationally for developing new technologies and engineering solutions that target effective and more sustainable industry practice.
With expertise in mass mining, deposit knowledge and rock behaviour, and ore extraction optimization,BRC exploits synergies of expertise that are too often considered in isolation. Its current focus is on deep cave mining and ultra deep open pit development; rock blasting models that improve efficiency of the blasting process; and software that captures the performance of the mining process, from plant throughput to product recovery, energy and emissions. Mr Bryan sits on the BRC Advisory Board and has previously served on the SMI Advisory Board and on the University Senate. Mr Bryan is also regarded as a leader of the mining industry in this country.
He was the founding Chair of the Queensland Gas Company, which is one of the largest coal seam gas producers in Australia, and founded several other successful mining companies. He was also instrumental in merging the Queensland Coal Association and Queensland Chamber of Miners, and was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2009 in recognition of his efforts. “Bob has made a life-long contribution to the mining industry in Australia and through this has brought wealth to the broader community,” said BRC Director, Professor Margie Scott.“As important, however, has been his tireless advocacy of education. Bob’s charity work is not about sitting on boards because it looks like the right thing to do – his support is targeted to make a real difference, an example being his support of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience.”
According to Mr Bryan, there is every bit as much satisfaction to be gained in assisting others in our community as there is in accumulating the personal wealth in the first place.
