Formation of the WA Mining Club
The WA Mining Club came into existence in 1972 when a few
dedicated mining industry players got together to discuss the
concept of a regular meeting. The idea was for people involved in
the mining industry to meet in a forum of ‘informal conversation
over a few beers, to keep up with industry happenings’.
Little has changed in 40 years of the Club’s history in that
delivering a forum for networking still remains one of the key
objectives of the Club. These frequent meetings are enhanced by
the inclusion of presentations from high profile guest speakers.
Today the Club’s membership includes representatives from
all facets of the mining and resource industries, including mining
company representatives, geologists, metallurgists, engineers,
accountants, economists, lawyers, journalists, technical and
drilling company representatives, suppliers and others.
Advancing WA mining
After 40 years, the WA Mining Club’s charter continues to be to
advance the West Australian mining industry. The Club achieves
this by providing a forum for the dissemination of general and
technical information among people employed in the sector. On
the last Thursday of each month, members and guests meet to mix
socially and listen to guest speakers talk on topics of interest to
the industry.
In addition, other annual events, which afford members and
their invited guests the opportunity to catch up with colleagues and
to network, are the WA Mining Club Gala Ball, Golf Day and the
St Barbara’s Day luncheon.
As highlighted in the previous pages, another key goal of the
WA Mining Club is to encourage young people to study and qualify
for a career in the mining industry.
Growing with the industry
Over the four decades of its operation to date, the Club has steadily
built a solid reputation as one of the most effective networking
organisations in Perth. Membership numbers have dramatically
risen in the last few years, from around 200 in the 1980-90s to
over 800 members today, and the Club now regularly sees record
attendances at their events.
It is the role of consecutive WA Mining Club Committees to
chart the path of the Club to meet the changing requirements and
needs of its members, and to encourage initiatives to assist in
the progression of the mining industry in Western Australia. The
Club Presidents from available records are listed below, followed
by the Club’s Life Members. We acknowledge each and every
member of the Club, whether a President or Committee member,
Life Member or those with memberships of less longevity.
Members are the life-force of the WA Mining Club, and it is their
commitment, interest and input that are at the heart of the Club’s
enduring success.
FOURDECADESOFPROUDHISTORY
From its rather modest beginnings, the WA Mining Club has experienced remarkable growth in its four decades of operation. Today it boasts regular networking events that attract audiences in the
hundreds, and it also holds other events so popular that tickets to them sell out within hours. As illustrated in the previous pages, the Club also helps to deliver a number of educational scholarships,
each of which assists the development of some of the potential future leaders within the industry. The Club has certainly chalked up some significant achievements, but one of the key contributors to
the Club’s success is its singular focus on its reason for being: namely to advance the WA mining industry.
Anthony Van Toll
Evan Biggs
Tad Watroba
Robert Farrell
Steve Cowley
Bernard Siddall
Vic Bullo
Mike Cippitelli
Peter Parkinson
1978, 1979 (
Est.)
Hector Ward
1980
Anthony Van Toll 1981, 1982
Alan Dickson
1983
Rob Ryan
1984, 1985
Evan Biggs
1986, 1987
Rod Dale
1988, 1989
Vivienne Snowden 1990
Ross Mathewson 1991, 1992
John Barton
1993-1995
Tad Watroba
1996-1999
John Barton
2000
Bernard Siddall
2001, 2002
Steve Cowley
2003-2005
Robert Nash
2006, 2007
Mike Cippitelli
2008, 2009
Jennifer Abols
2009, 2010
Neil Watson
2011, 2012
'
Celebrating 40 Years' publication, 2012
WA Mining Club Presidents
Life Members
MINESITE 2012
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