b'PeopleNewsVale: Sydney Hall (1923-2022)programming, to field geophysics. This degree and its successors have provided a steady stream of highly capable geophysical graduates, who as a group have contributed significantly to the profession.Sydney retired from UQ in 1988. Up until very recently he participated in regular so-called AGMs with former students, where over leisurely refreshments, the topics of conversations ranged across the spectrum of all the geophysical techniques and beyond, into politics and music. Sydney possessed a refined sense of humour and participated enthusiastically in endless amusing anecdotes ranging from the character-forming qualities of spherical-harmonics to field-trip misadventures.Sydney was perhaps, at heart, a mathematician, which helps explain why his technical capabilities and knowledge were so diverse. At DSIR he was a gravity specialist. His PhD was in seismic modelling. His subsequent work at Imperial College concentrated on geomagnetics. At UQ he worked initially on potential field methods, before moving on to electromagnetics, perhaps drawn to the mathematical challenge. His very recent work, done Sydney Hall within the past few years, was on EM modelling - analytical of course. His level The end of a geophysical era has comehis PhD was seismic scale modelling. Heof theoretical understanding is evident in with the recent death of Sydney Hallreceived his PhD in 1954, returned toa preprint describing this recent research at the age of 99. Amongst a range ofNZ briefly, and then rejoined Imperial(https://zenodo.org/record/7349429#.geophysical achievements, Sydney willCollege as a lecturer. His research intoY32OO3VfgzN).be remembered by numerous alumnithe Earths magnetic field took him to from University of Queensland from theScandinavia, and also gave him a taste forSydney actively encouraged students to late 60s, 70s and 80s, who were trainedAustralia, with research at the Woomerajoin ASEG. He was involved in technical and influenced by Sydney and histest site. committees for ASEG Conferences in longtime colleague, the late John (Jack)1992 (Gold Coast) and 2001 (Brisbane) Webb. In 1968, Sydneys contribution toand served on the Editorial Panel of Australian geophysics began inExploration Geophysics from 2000 to Sydney was born in Wellington NZ inearnest when he took a position as2008.1923 and developed his interest in theSenior Lecturer in the Department of natural world by participating in theGeology and Mineralogy at University ofSydneys much-loved wife Noeline died Boy Scouts and other outdoor activities.Queensland. Thus began two decadeslast year. He was immensely proud of his In 1942 he started a Science degree atduring which he taught and mentoredchildren Philippa and Nicholas, and his Victoria University, emphasising maths,numerous geophysical students at UQ.grand-children Catrin, Sarah, Madeleine physics and geology. He graduated inAlong with Jack Webb, Sydney drove theand Oliver.1947 and proceeded to obtain a Mastersintroduction of the BScApp (Geophysics)Sydney Hall, directly and through degree in physics. degree, which became the flagship forhis students, had a major impact on education in applied geophysics at UQ. ItAustralian geophysics.Sydney worked for a few years in NZsincluded strong theoretical components Department of Scientific and Industrial(including those taught by Sydney), butVale Sydney.Research, before moving to the UK wherealways with an eye to the demands of he started a PhD at the School of Mines,the geophysical profession, with practicalSteve Hearn Imperial College London. The topic ofcomponents from applied maths, tosteveh@velseis.comDECEMBER 2022 PREVIEW 12'