b'PeopleNewsDepartment of Geophysics. Somestudents primarily had to have aexisting schools where geophysical students remember that Ron began hissolid understanding of physics andsubjects were being taught became lecture on continental drift warningmathematics. While the applicationmore oriented towards meeting this that the theory was controversial,of geophysics may well have beendemand. In contrast to Rons model, this and that the student should ask him/ to assist geological investigationsdemand was generally perceived to be herself, the question "Do I agree withfor which a knowledge of geologicalmost readily met by offering geophysical that statement or do I disagree with it?subjects was an advantage, knowledgeexploration courses to students If you agree you will remember it, andand understanding of maths/physicsmajoring in geology. Both models if you disagree make a note to checkwas imperative. For most students itwere successful! There was a place in it out - get some numbers you canwas not practical to major in physics,the exploration industry for geologists rely upon. Also, Ron liked questionsmathematics and geology, and whileknowledgeable about, and familiar from students. If a student asked a sillylearning physics and maths was bestwith, geophysical tools. But with few question, his standard reply was "I amfacilitated in a university environment,exceptions, these staff were constrained glad that you asked that, it gives megeological insights could be acquiredto a textbook application of off-the-shelf an opportunity to clear up a commonthrough work experience and fieldwork.technologies with limited opportunity misunderstanding. So, Ron made the call, the pre-requisiteto advance these technologies when With hindsight, and now knowingfor his Honours Geophysics degreeshortcomings were encountered. And, in all the facts, Rons students are quitewas maths and physics with geologicalthe Australian environment, there were rightly dismayed he never received thesubjects listed as optional. many challenges encountered. Rons recognition he deserved and made aRons Honours degree course had fourstudents, in fact, excelled in exploration full professor while at UNE! However, inmain components: as they were invariably part of a team 1980 Ron was awarded DSc from UQ foreffort that benefitted from the input of Geophysical Investigations. He is now aGraduates in physics were to be givena strong physics-based understanding retired FIEAust, CPEng, College ITEE andbridging coursework specifically inof the geophysical response from a committee member of Engineeringthe application of their undergraduatecomplex geological structures. No Heritage of SA. studies to a crustal/geologicalreal-world geological environment can environment. be represented by simplified models Their undergraduate studies were to betaught from textbooks. As Rons students The focus of the new Departmentsupplemented with an intensive coursesubsequently proved, a training in of Geophysics at UNE. in the Fourier transform and its dataproblem solving with a sound grounding and signal processing applications. in the fundamentals of the physical What ambitions did Ron have for hisStudents were to write up asciences was a base from which almost new department? In 1967 there was angeophysical topic researched fromanything could be achieved. Those of emerging boom in mineral exploration inpublished literature. his students working in mineral or oil Australia, but geophysical technologiesStudents were to conduct appliedexploration very quickly rose to high and to assist in near-surface exploration forresearch into a geophysical problem. successful positions. Others excelled in minerals were all being developed inthe application of geophysics to regional, the formerly glaciated environmentsThose students who may have doneenvironmental and archaeological of Canada and Sweden. They werethe bridging geophysical coursework asmapping, palaeomagnetic and global failing in our ancient, deeply weathered,an undergraduate were encouraged tocrustal studies, instrumentation ferruginous and highly conductivereplace this component with geologicaldevelopment, geomechanics, project and crustal environments. ANU had alreadysubjects. resource management, education and established pre-eminence in crustaleven resource industry stock broking. In geophysics and continental drift. So RonMany of the applied research topicsthe first ten years, Rons department saw identified different priorities. These wereundertaken by his students were30 students graduate with Honours.directed towards producing graduatesexploration and instrumentation that were equipped to becomeoriented. But Ron recognised that theIn the 1970s the exploration industry geophysical problem solvers, capableNew England environment also presentedwas hampered by the lack of of advancing any branch of geophysics.a unique opportunity, and that was toinstrumentation capable of exploring He would establish the first specialiseddevelop a geophysical observatory forthrough ferruginous and highly department in Australia to encompasscrustal studies, deep underground in aconductive regolith. Indeed, this very both global and applied geophysics, withnearby disused gold mine at Hillgrove.Australian problem was the driving an emphasis on applied. Within three years of establishingforce behind the establishment of the his department, Ron had negotiatedCSIRO Division of Mineral Physics under The department Ron establishedaccess to a suitable mine tunnel andDr Ken McCracken (1989 ASEG Gold primarily targeted post graduatewas developing a laboratory for theMedallist) in 1972. At the same time, activities. While geophysical subjects,measurement of crustal tilt and strain. it was recognised that the per-capita including crustal and inner Earthcost of educating the relatively small physics and near surface explorationAs the mineral exploration boomnumber of post-graduate students and mapping, were taught at 3rd yearaccelerated in the 1970s, industryin Rons department, of giving them undergraduate level, Ron focussed hisrequired graduates capable of applyingtraining access to the latest exploration attention upon an Honours year course,geophysical methods to exploration.equipment and of funding their research complemented by Masters and PhDEarth science schools that includedprojects, was quite high. To address programmes. He recognised that toa geophysics capability were soonboth these problems, a proposal for a solve future problems in geophysics,established in other universities, whileGeophysical Research Institute (GRI) 9 PREVIEW AUGUST 2020'