George Munro
Born 1935. Passed 18th Feb 2022
We have recently learned of the passing of one industry’s favourite inspectors.
After Graduation from Strathclyde University in Glasgow as a Mining Engineer, George obtained a seven year contract with ANGLO AMERICAN GOLD MINING COMPANY in South Africa.
1963 – 1964 George met and married South African Merle (Pearl) Bevan. After 6 months abroad, including 3 months working as Planning Engineer at a gold mine in Ghana, West Africa, he returned to South Africa, where he was employed by Department of Mines as Inspector of Mines – a coal mining district Eastern Transvaal.
In 1968, George left South Africa with his wife and two children to settle in Western Australia. He was employed again as Inspector of Mines in the North West iron-ore mining territory.
After 2 and half years in this position, George made the move to a position as Mining Consultant with an investment company in Perth. When this company crashed during the big boom-crash, George returned to the North West to the position of Planning Engineer with the Mt Newman iron-ore mining company.
When the two eldest of four children reached school-age, George obtained the position of Lecturer at the School of Mines in Kalgoorlie, Due to the uncertainty of the School of Mines’ change in employment contract conditions, George obtained the position of Inspector of Mines, Quarries and Petroleum with the Ministry of Energy in New Zealand in 1978. George was appointed to take over the Palmerston North office at that time, with the oil, gas and iron-sand mining operations in the southern North Island, as well as a range of quarrying operations.
As the appointed inspector, and given the range of his experience George was welcomed into the Institute of Quarrying Inc as an Honorary Fellow.
He quickly involved himself in the activities of the New Zealand Branch and later, when appointed as Chief Inspector of Mines, Quarries & Tunnels, assisted in the transition from the Institute being a branch of the IOQ to the fully fledged Institute of Quarrying New Zealand (Inc), that we are today.
In 1979 at the IOQNZ Dunedin Conference, just one year after his inspectors appointment in NZ he gave a really interesting paper titled “ Aspects of Design for Large Open Pit Mines” . The paper can be found in the IOQNZ CONFERENCE PAPERS SECTION
George retired in 2005, but was retained “part time” by OSH and then Worksafe on various advisory roles for the Government during the transition from OSH to Worksafe, and the legislative changes that were taken at that time.
George and Pearl retired fully to Gisborne, where they have had an active retirement and involvement in their local community.
As a fine gentleman with a typical, dour Scottish humour, and a very faithful and loving husband and father, he will be sadly missed.