TAG - Geological Society of Australia

Newsfrom the Specialist GroupsCoal Geology GroupCoal Geology Group at the 34th IGCThe GSA Coal Geology Group made its presence felt at the 34thInternational Geological Congress (IGC) in Brisbane, 5–10 August, withthe surprise attendance of the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt at the booth.Lost for many years, he was tracked down by a member of the CanadianMounted Police visiting with the Canadian contingent, and invited toattend the booth to celebrate his discovery, in 1845, of coal in the BowenBasin (McKenzie River). [The accompanying photo does show a ratherstrong resemblance between Mr Leichhardt and Jim Beeston—Ed.]Other famous discoveries of coal around Australia also featured. Ahighlight of the booth was the announcement of major publications nowavailable for download at http://www.cgg.gsa.org.au.The GSA Coal Geology Group also helped with the organisation ofthe International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP),which gave a short course the week before the IGC, featuring ProfessorEmeritus Claus Diessel and Dr Walter Pickel. There were 50 internationaland Australian participants, including about ten students. The coursewas hosted by CSIRO and the University of Queensland (UQ).Wes Nichols, Past Chairman and committee member, ran a successfulfield trip on behalf of the GSA Coal Geology Group and the BowenBasin Geologists Group to the Clarence Moreton Basin Jeebropillycoalmine. About 40 international and local people attended to view thehighwall exposures of the Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures.The IGC Coal Symposium, Coal — a Myriad of Resources, was wellattended. There were two themes: ‘Finding resources, making reserves’and ‘Coal — a record of change’. Visitors included from Mozambique,South Africa, Russia, India, China, Hungary and the USA. There was astrong contingent of papers from Australia. An afternoon seminardedicated to age dating, isotopes, palynostratigraphy and paleoclimaticchanges in the Bowen Basin was headlined by Professor Ian Metcalfefrom the University of New England (UNE), Armidale.JIM BEESTONChair, Coal Geology GroupJim BeestonJim started his geological career while attending Salisbury High Schoolin the southern suburbs of Brisbane. He entered the University ofQueensland, St Lucia, in 1967 and joined the Geological Surveyof Queensland (GSQ) as a scholarship holder the following year. Hegraduated with a BSc in 1972, at the same time taking over the handsonrunning of the Coal Petrology Laboratory of the GSQ Coal Section atRedbank.Nine years later the Coal Group moved to Brisbane. By this time Jimhad 20 published papers under his belt, largely to do with coal, includinga major examination of coal rank variation in the Bowen Basin. This workstood the test of over 30 years of coal exploration in the Basinand gained him a Master of Science degree from the University ofQueensland in 1981.Fifteen years later he received an extension of responsibilities fromcoal to include basin studies and editing. During that time he produceda further 41 papers on coal, basin studies and paleobotany. In 1988he published a major contribution to a study of the Denison Troughcombining coal petrology, paleobotany and palynology with sedimentologicalobservations.An extension of this work was prepared and submitted to theUniversity of Queensland as a submission for a Doctor of Philosophydegree. The thesis includes a re-look at aspects of coal deposition, andthe origin of petroleum. Jim was awarded his PhD in 1998 and receivedthe Zinc Corporation Prize for best thesis of the year.Jim’s editing responsibilities took over more and more of his time,particularly when combined with the duties involved in promoting andmarketing the GSQ.Jim is mostly known in geological circles for his establishment ofthe Geological Society of Australia Coal Geology Group in 1978 asInaugural Chairman. His other titles include Honorary Editor of thegroup’s journal Australian Coal Geology since 1986.He has also been active in the Bowen Basin Geologists Group,editing and producing the Bowen Basin Symposium Proceedings volumesevery five years over several decades.In 2011 the Bowen Basin Geologists Group awarded him theLeichhardt Award, given to those who have made a lasting contributionto coal geology.Jim retired in August 2011 but still retains an interest in coal geologyand paleobotany. He currently holds the position of Chairman/HonoraryEditor of the Coal Geology Group.Jim Beeston, Chair of the Coal GeologyGroup, with the Canadian Mountie.Image courtesy Jim Beeston.20 |TAG December 2012