IN 100 WORDS
Morland Smith is a retired exploration geologist who in recent years has become an author. He received his university training at the University of Queensland in Brisbane and Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Following a short academic career at the University of Ottawa, he commenced mineral exploration work in Canada and Australia. He has always been keenly interested in genealogy and family history. On retirement from geology, he embarked on an ambitions project to research and self-publish the biographies of his four great grandparent families. Three of these books featuring his Smith, Collins and Faulkner ancestors have been completed.
FULL BIO
Morland Smith is a retired mineral exploration geologist who in recent years has become an author. Born and bred in southeast Queensland, his initial tertiary education was at the University of Queensland where he obtained a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Geology) degree with First Class Honours, followed by a Master of Applied Science degree. He was runner-up for a Rhodes Scholarship in 1961, and was successful in obtaining a Canadian Government Commonwealth Post-graduate Scholarship in 1962 for doctorate studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
On completion of his Ph.D. degree, he was appointed an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa teaching petrology and geophysics. After a brief career in academia, Morland switched to one in mineral exploration. His first project was in the highlands of New Brunswick working for The Hanna Mining Company in a search for base metal deposits. In 1968 after five years in Canada, he returned to Australia to take part in a nickel exploration program based in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. In joint venture with Homestake Mining and the Union Oil Company, this consortium was successful in discovering the South Windarra Nickel Deposit near Laverton.
In 1971, he joined the exploration staff of Texasgulf Australia Limited (Tg) based initially in Canberra exploring for base metal deposits in the eastern states. He then moved to the company’s Perth headquarters and became the Vice President Exploration in Australia for Tg. He was responsible for projects on base metals, nickel, gold, uranium, coal and platinum group metals. Following the demise of Tg in 1982, Morland was mainly involved with gold exploration and mine development as either a consultant to or employee of small to mid-sized mining enterprises.
His work has taken him to many overseas countries including Canada, the USA, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaya, New Guinea, Japan, Mali, Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Georgia.
Upon retirement from paid employment in 1998, he pursued his goal of researching and self-publishing biographies of his four great grandparent families. Three of these books featuring his Smith, Collins and Faulkner ancestors have been completed.
His interests include genealogy and family history, earth sciences, cosmology, evolution, anthropology, history, photography, health and athletics (middle distance running).