AIG is intersted in hearing from explorationists who were involved in diamond exploration in Western Australia’s Kimberley region and the discovery of Argyle.
Work has commenced on a new book collecting the experiences of geologists and exploration support staff, presenting a mixture of technical descriptions of exploration strategies and techniques, the work that went into organising exploration programmes in a relatively remote region of Australia and descriptions of what life was like for those in the field conducting exploration work. CRA Exploration’s discovery of Argyle created a rush that attracted a number of explorers, big and small, all looking to make the next discovery.
Contributions describing the evaluation and development of the Argyle and Ellendale mi.nes will also be sought from those involved in these projects.
The style of the proposed publication will follow that of the volume commemorating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Mount Fubilan copper-gold deposit which went on to form the basis of the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea, published by AIG last year.
The editorial panel for the new volume comprises Mike Erceg, Grant Boxer and Andrew Waltho, assisted by AIG’s publications editor Fiona Czuczman and the AIG publications team.
Five papers have been received to date:
These papers have been used to produce a mock-up of the proposed publication, to assist in its ongoing development. The volume will be fully indexed to help facilitate its use as a reference text.
Several excellent technical publications related to Argyle already exist, including a special publication describing the geology of Rio Tinto’s diamond discoveries published several years ago by the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). This volume aims to capture the stories of diamond exploration in the region, to add a human and social dimension to the information already in the public domain.
The editorial panel will be approaching potential authors over the next few months and welcome submissions from anyone involved in any aspect of exploration during this era. Anyone intersted in contributing a story or photographs for inclusion in the volume can contact any member of the editorial panel.
Mike Erceg Email michael.erceg219@gmail.com
Grant Boxer Email boxerg@iinet.net.au
Andrew Waltho Email andrewwaltho@me.com
Regular updates on progress can be received via email, the AIG website or AIG News over coming months, as the volume is assembled.
Suggestions and support for the preparation of similar volumes, to help capture first hand accounts and build a living history of mineral discovery in Australia are also welcome.
