Robert Brough Smyth

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Robert Brough Smyth

Robert Brough Smyth (born February 18, 1830 at Wallsend or in Carville near Newcastle upon Tyne , † October 9, 1899 in Melbourne ) was an Australian geologist and mining engineer.

Life

Smyth was the son of a mining engineer and his maternal grandfather Barnabas Brough was, like his brother William, a well-known engineer of his day. Smyth was educated in mining and metallurgy by his father, and was interested in science, chemistry, and geology. He was an assistant at the Derwent Iron Works and employee of the Consett Iron Works for five years before he emigrated to Victoria in 1852 , lured by the gold rush. He worked in road construction to the goldfields and became a draftsman in 1853 and soon afterwards chief draftsman for the chief surveyor in Victoria, Andrew Clarke . In addition, from 1855 he was responsible for meteorological observations. In 1858 he became secretary of the colony's Board of Science and from 1860 to 1876 secretary in charge of mining. From 1875 he was inspector general of mining and in 1871 reorganized the geological survey. Smyth had a dominant influence on the colony's mining policy for a time. In 1876 he resigned after a commission of inquiry investigated allegations of tyrannical treatment of subordinates. The commission found the allegations largely correct, but also praised his energy and determination in the positions he held.

From 1878 he created a report on suspected gold deposits Wynaad for the government in Madras , which he completed in 1880 and then worked for a local gold mining company as a mining engineer. The hoped-for finds did not materialize, however, and many investors lost their money. Smyth returned to Victoria, writing magazine articles on mining, geology, and ethnology, and running a mining school from 1883 to 1887.

Smyth was also a temporary member of the Board for the Protection of Aborigines and published a report on their situation (based on the work of a number of staff).

He was a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and the Linnean Society of London .

Fonts

Life

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Hoare: Smyth, Robert Brough (1830-1889) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 6. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1976, ISBN 0-522-84108-2 (English).
  2. ^ Philip Mennell: Smyth, Robert Brough . In: The Dictionary of Australasian Biography . Hutchinson, London 1892, pp. 425 (English, Wikisource ).
personal data
SURNAME Smyth, Robert Brough
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian geologist and mining engineer
DATE OF BIRTH February 18, 1830
PLACE OF BIRTH at Wallsend
DATE OF DEATH October 9, 1899
Place of death Melbourne