Ward, Leonard Keith (1879 - 1964)

Summary

Keith Ward was a geologist who became Assistant Government Geologist and Inspector of Mines in Tasmania after four years teaching at the School of Mines in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. In Tasmania he focussed on the State's tin, silver-lead and copper deposits. In 1912 he became Government Geologist in South Australia, with additional responsibilities from 1916 as director of mines and supervisor of boring and from 1919 as secretary to the Minister of Mines. Ward's interests ranged over mineral and hydrological investigations, petroleum exploration, and coal resources. He worked to integrate the mining industry with the South Australian economy, initiated a systematic examination of South Australia's mineral and underground water resources, and established a department of chemistry to conduct systematic chemical industrial research on South Australia's natural resources. He served on a number of commissions related to petroleum exploration, the production of oil from hydrogenation of coal, and underground water supplies. His work was recognised by being awarded the Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales and the Verco Medal of the Royal Society of South Australia, of which he was President 1929 - 1930.

Details

Chronology

1900

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Sydney

1903

Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE), University of Sydney

1903 - 1906

Career position - Lecturer, Western Australian School of Mines in Kalgoorlie

1907 - 1912

Career position - Assistant Government Geologist and Inspector of Mines, Tasmania

1912 - 1944

Career position - Government Geologist, South Australia

1921 -

Career position - Foundation Councillor (Geology), Australian National Research Council

1923

Career position - President, Section C (Geology and Mineralogy), Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science Conference, New Zealand

1925 - 1931

Career position - Consultant Geologist for the Northern Territory

1926

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Adelaide

1926 - 1944

Career position - Member, State Advisory Committee, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1928

Career position - Chairman, Interstate Artesian Water Conference

1928 - 1931

Career position - Member, Executive Committee, Imperial Geophysical Experimental Survey

1929 - 1930

Career position - President, Royal Society of South Australia

1929 - 1930

Career position - Member, Australian Royal Commission on the Coal Industry

1930

Award - Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales

1930 - 1931

Career position - President, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch

1936 - 1940

Career position - Member, Commonwealth Oil Advisory Committee

1937 -

Career event - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS)

1943

Award - Imperial Service Order (ISO)

1955

Award - Sir Joseph Verco Medal, Royal Society of South Australia

1955 - 1964

Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of South Australia

Related entries

Archival resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Library

• Bass Strait oil and gas records assembled by Dr Tony Krins, 1964 - 1987, BSAR03890; Krins, Anthony (Tony); Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Library. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• O'Neil, Bernard, 'Ward, Leonard Keith (1879-1964), geologist and public servant' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 16: 1940 - 1980 Pik-Z, John Ritchie and Diane Langmore, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2002), pp. 489-490. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ward-leonard-keith-11961. Details

Journal Articles

• L. W. P. [Parkin, L. W.], 'Obituary: Leonard Keith Ward, B.A., B.E., D.Sc., I.S.O. 1879 - 1964', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 89 (1965), 291, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41031557. Details
• Miles, Keith R., 'Memorial to Leonard Keith Ward (1879 - 1964)', GSA Bulletin, 76 (6) (1965), 83-6. Details
• Ward, L. Keith, 'Section C - Geology and Mineralogy. The investigation of the physiclal basis of primary production Australia [presidential address]', Report of the 16th meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1923 (1924), 262-83. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6525448. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/16799377. Details
• 'Ward, Leonard Kenneth (18790217-19640930)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1772589. Details

Resource Sections

• Gerali, Francesco, 'Arthur Wade: biography', in Engineering and Technology History Wiki. [Online], Engineering and Technology History Wiki, USA, 2020. https://ethw.org/Arthur_Wade. Details