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FRONTIERS &COLLECTORS
Exploring the pioneering spirit of Julian Hanna
s I think back, there were already a few pointers to
Julian Hanna’s generosity of spirit even before we met for
his
Minesite
interview. As I settled at the West Perth offices
of successful nickel miner Western Areas, the interesting
artefacts and artwork, which lifted the boardroom from
functional and accommodating to fascinating and inviting, were obviously
getting packed up. It transpired that a major office move was afoot,
but there was also a board meeting that afternoon, a staff interview,
it was Julian’s birthday, and he was imminently departing for an overseas
work trip. He was too much of a gentleman to tell me what else I might be
disrupting, but a lot – I suspect.
As my fact gathering gained momentum, and Julian shared charming
stories of an outdoorsy Kiwi childhood and a family steeped in the joys of
collecting ‘stuff’ from around the globe, the sense of this affable CEO’s nature
was reinforced time and again.
Julian Hanna has clearly relished a lifelong love for exploration, and in
this compelling interview he imparts the flavour of just what a motivating
force the thrill of the next drill-hole is. He captivates with tales of cutting
his geological teeth switching between the stylish suave of Franco-funded
Sydney living one minute, and the grime, flies and sunburn of the outback
Kimberley the next, as he and his increasingly feral workmates lived off the
back of a Toyota for weeks at a time conducting ‘real’ fieldwork, and trying to
outsmart the canny ore bodies.
Down-to-earth and passionate about his industry, Julian Hanna reveals an
enthusiastic personality, blending a gratitude for the significant support of
others with an honest appreciation for the extent the hand of luck has played
in the substantial successes he and Western Areas now enjoy. Underlying an
animated exterior is a commercially attuned and razor-sharp acumen, which
finds relaxation away from the office through a range of interesting activities.
WRITER & INTERVIEWER: JO ROLLINSON
A
MINESITE 2011
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