Person

Smith, Raymond Ernest (Ray)

Occupation
Geochemist and Geologist

Summary

Ray Smith is considered one of Australia's leading exploration geochemists and regolith geoscientists. In his research he has pursued innovative approaches to the locating and recovering of Australian mineral resources, and is an expert in identifying mineral resources within Australia's extremely weathered landscapes. His work exploring regolith land-mapping and geochemical mapping in lateritic terrains changed the mining industry's approach to mineral exploration.

He was director and chief executive officer of both the CRC for Landscape Evolution and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME-1, 1995-2001) and its successor the CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME-2, 2001-2008).

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Details

Smith received the following CSIRO awards:

1994 - Sir Ian McLennan Impact from Science and Engineering Award (with colleagues) for significantly changing exploration strategies in the mining industry, particularly in regions where mineral deposits are concealed beneath laterite;

1997 - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (with colleagues in the Lateritic Environments Team) for their contributions to mineral exploration.

Chronology

1963
Education - Bachelor of Science (Hons 1), University of Sydney
1967
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in geology and geochemistry, University of Sydney
1967 - 1968
Career position - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
1968 - 1969
Career position - Research Associate, Faculty of the State University of New York at Binghamton
1970 - 1973
Career position - Research Manager, then Exploration Manager for Union Miniere Development and Mining Ltd, Western Australia
1973 - 1978
Career position - Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Mineralogy
1978 - 1984
Career position - Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Mineralogy
1984 - 1995
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Mineralogy and Geochemistry
1985 - 1987
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Minerals and Geochemistry
1988 - 1993
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Exploration and Geoscience
1990 - 2009
Career position - Adjunct Professor in Exploration Geochemistry, Curtin University of Technology
1991
Award - Gibb Maitland Medal, Geological Society of Australia
1993 - 1998
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Exploration and Mining
1994
Sir Ian McLennan Impact from Science and Engineering Award (with colleagues), CSIRO
1995
Award - President's Award, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
1995
Award - Gold Medal, International Association of Exploration Geochemists
1995 - 2001
Career position - Chief Executive Officer, CRC for Landscape Evolution and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME-1)
1997
Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (with colleagues in the Lateritic Environments Team)
1998 - 2004
Career position - CSIRO Fellow
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in geology
2001 - 2002
Career position - Chief Executive Officer, CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME-2)
2004 -
Career event - Appointed to position of Emeritus CSIRO Fellow

Published resources

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

Rebecca Rigby

Created: 29 May 2012, Last modified: 28 March 2024

EOAS ID: biogs/P005111b.htm

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"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260