Murray, Russell Mervyn - Bright Sparcs Biographical entry

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Murray, Russell Mervyn (1877 - 1945)

Mining engineer

Born: 12 July 1877 Elliminyt, Victoria, Australia. Died: 22 January 1945 Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia.

Russell Mervyn Murray greatly changed the face of mining in Tasmania. During his forty-plus years in charge of Mount Lyell Mining he oversaw the construction of Australia's biggest underground mining operation - the Mount Lyell Mine - and he initiated a scheme which greatly improved the living conditions of miners and other Gormanston locals. In 1912 a fire swept through North Lyell killing forty-two people, but without Murray's calm and organised rescue plan the death rate may have been much higher. The Royal human Society awarded Russell Murray their Silver Medal for his life-saving efforts.

Career Highlights

Chronology
1900 Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE) completed at the University of Melbourne
1900 - 1906 Draftsman and Assistant Surveyor with Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. in Gormanston, Tasmania
1906 Acting Manager of Mount Lyell mines
1906 - 1922 Oversaw the development of the Mount Lyell mine complex
1907 - 1922 Engineer-in-charge at Mount Lyell mines
c. 1912 Royal Humane Society's silver medal received for implementing rescue operations during the North Lyell fire of 1912
1920 - 1945 Warden of Gormanston
1922 - 1944 General Manager of Mount Lyell mines
1927 President of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
1944 Retired due to crippling arthritis

Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.

Prepared by: McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993
Modified: 23 August 2005

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001258b.htm

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