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Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting

responsibility of the geologist. The rising curve of expenditure on exploration should be matched by a comparable increase in the employment of geologists and associated specialists and services.

Under present conditions funds can be raised quickly to finance exploration, but the additional large numbers of geologists required can by no means be so readily obtained. Although statistics are lacking there can be no doubt that the ratio of number of geologists to expenditure on exploration has fallen. This fall must be limiting the effectiveness of the exploration effort and increasing the cost of funds, Few foresaw the rapid increase in exploration activity and it is not surprising that it has found Australia seriously short oi geologists, especially of experienced geologists to lead the work and geologists well-trained in the most modern exploration methods.

The census conducted by the Geological Society of Australia in 1967 found the total number of geoscientists to he about 1,720 including 1,130 geologists, 340 geophysicists and 50 geochemists; some 200 were at universities, 550 in Government employment and 970 in industry. This is a small number considering that the demands on geology are basically related to the size of the country rather than to its population.

The geological profession has to service a continent of three million square miles,

comprising 5 per cent of the land surface of the world, with a present average population density of geologists of one per 2,600 square miles.

Geologists cannot be produced quickly. Firstly a sufficient number of students must be motivated towards making a career in geology. Then a minimum of three and preferably four years of tertiary education must be allowed followed by several years in which to gain professional proficiency through practical experience.

Demand now far exceeds supply, and there is intense competition for those available. This in turn is having a serious effect in other fields where geologists are employed. One undesirable consequence is that it has caused severe difficulties in maintaining adequate numbers of staff with sufficient experience in the State Geological Surveys and the Bureau of Mineral Resources. This is occurring at a time when not only is there an increasing requirement for their indispensable traditional services, particularly regional mapping, but also when there are great masses of new information flooding in from the work of the exploration groups which require to be evaluated and incorporated in the general geological records. It is essential that these services be operated efficiently and in fairness to the dedicated and loyal staff who are keeping the surveys going it is to be hoped that the authorities will take realistic steps to restore and stabilize the situation.

Details for this article:

Geology in Practice

X

Author: Moye, D.G. (1970)

Article Title: Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting

From: Australian Journal of Science 32(12)

Other Available Articles

Engineering geology for the Snowy Mountains Scheme

Moye, D.G. (1955)

Engineering geology for the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

J.I.E.Aust., Vol. 27 No.10 pp287–298

Rock Mechanics in the Investigation and Construction of T.1 Underground Power Station, Snowy Mountains, Australia

Moye, D.G. (1958)

Rock Mechanics in the Investigation and Construction of T.1 Underground Power Station, Snowy Mountains, Australia

In Engineering Geology Case Histories No.3 123–54 Geological Society of America 69 (12) p.1617

Existence of high horizontal rock stresses in rock masses.

Moye, D.G. (1962)

Existence of high horizontal rock stresses in rock masses.

Proc. Third Australia-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. pp 19–22

Seismic Activity in the Snowy Mountains Region and its Relationship to Geological Structures

J. R. Cleary, H. A. Doyle, D. G. Moye (1964)

SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS REGION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES

Journal of the Geological Society of Australia

Unstable rock and its treatment in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Moye, D.G. (1965)

Unstable rock and its treatment in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Proc. 8th Commonwealth Mining and Metallurgical Congress, Australia & New Zealand. Vol. 6, p. 423–441.

Diamond drilling for foundation exploration

Moye, D.G. (1967)

Diamond drilling for foundation exploration.

Paper 2150 presented at I.E.Aust. Site Investigation Symposium, September 1966. In Civil Engineering Transactions, with Discussion, April 1967.

Geology in Practice

Moye, D.G. (1970)

Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting.

Australian Journal of Science, 32 (12) June, p454–461.

* This paper was presented when Dan had been Director of Exploration of BHP for 3 years.

Field and Laboratory Tests in Rock Mechanics

Alexander, L. G (1960)

Field and Laboratory Tests in Rock Mechanics

Proceedings, 3rd Australian-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Sydney Australia, 1960, pp. 161–168.

Discussion at Technical Session No. 9—Rock Mechanics

Alexander, L. G. Moye, D. G. (1960)

Discussion at Technical Session No. 9—Rock Mechanics

Proceedings, 3rd Australian-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Sydney Australia, 1960, pp. 254–250