Person
Ball, Lionel Clive (1877 - 1955)
- Born
- 12 January 1877
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- February 1955
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Occupation
- Geologist
Summary
Lionel Ball worked briefly as a metallurgist with Broken Hill Proprietary before joining the Geological Survey of Queensland in 1900, ultimately becoming Chief Government Geologist in 1931. He became a noted authority on the rare mineral ore deposits in north Queensland. During his time as Deputy Chief, Ball was heavily involved in investigating Queensland's oil potential. Other interests included fossil footprints of probable Jurassic theropods. As Chief, Ball instigated program of decentralisation, establishing district offices at Rockhampton and Charters Towers. From 1934 he played a central role in the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of North Australia, a joint surveying venture of the Queensland, Western Australian and Australian federal governments. Ball published prolifically, with nearly 200 papers in the Queensland Government mining journal. For extended periods he was also his department's representative on the Artesian Water Supply Committee and the Great Barrier Reef Committee.
Details
Chronology
- 1890s
- Education - Mining and metallurgical engineering studies at the University of Sydney
- c. 1899
- Career position - Metallurgist, Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited
- 1900
- Career position - Assistant Government Geologist, Geological Survey of Queensland
- 1921
- Career position - Deputy Chief Government Geologist, Geological Survey of Queensland
- 1931 - 1946
- Career position - Chief Government Geologist, Geological Survey of Queensland
- 1934 - ?
- Career position - Queensland Representative, Executive Committee, Aerial, Geological, and Geophysical Survey of North Australia
Related entries
Archival resources
Geological Survey of Queensland
- Lionel Clive Ball - Records, 1931 - 1946; Geological Survey of Queensland. Details
John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland
- Lionel Clive Ball - Records, 1900 - 1901, OM70-27; John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland. Details
- Lionel Clive Ball - Records, 1948 - 1949, OM65-6/2; John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland. Details
- Lionel Clive Ball - Records, 1949 - 1951, OM64-28/2; John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland. Details
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Denmead, A.K., 'The Chiefs of the Geological Survey of Queensland From 1899 to 1955', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, lxviii (10) (1956), 51-60. Details
Resources
- 'Ball, Lionel Clive (1877-1955)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1475736. Details
Resource Sections
- Fuerst, John A., 'Ball, Lionel Clive (1877 - 1955)', in People Australia, National Centre of biography, Australian National University, Canberra, 2022. https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/ball-lionel-28643. Details
Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 6 October 2023
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