Remembering Bob Carter A GSNZ Tribute

ecounts the many times she was on her hands and knees bagging and labelling
fossil specimens in such exotic locations as vineyards in France, precipitous slopes
in the Dolomite mountains in Italy and hot, dusty deserts in Turkey. Anne’s knees tell
the story!
Over his 50-year career of teaching, research, lecturing and academic leadership,
Bob has travelled the world, often with Anne and their two children (when they were
younger) by his side. He has studied, done field research and/or lectured in Australia
and New Zealand (e.g. Fig. 3), the UK and most of Europe, North and southern
Africa, parts of the Middle East and Asia (including Japan and China), Antarctica and
across the USA and Canada. His scientific papers are almost endless and he wrote
and had published two climate books to boot. What energy that man had!
Not many of you may know that at the tender age of 21 he joined a scientific
expedition to Pitcairn Island and was the first ever geologist to map that remote
terrain. Rumor has it that he also acted as part-time cook on the island. That’s Bob
Carter!
Over the years Bob has mentored hundreds of students, has been honoured with
many awards and, judging by the avalanche of tributes that have come in following
his death, he is renowned, respected and loved across the globe.
Helen and I accompanied Bob and Anne to three International Climate Conferences
in recent years where we witnessed first-hand Bob’s extraordinary reputation
amongst his peers. At the Heartland Climate Conference in Washington DC in June
2015 he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. That was quite an
emotional evening for us all.
To sum up, Bob has had a distinguished and very productive academic career,
supported by Anne and family, and as our brother-in-law and long time friend and the
uncle to our children, he has always been a stimulating companion and mentor. Our
eight year old grandson likes to call Bob “Uncle Fossil”.
His family, relatives and friends will all hugely miss Bob’s quick wit, the twinkle in his
eye, his mischievous grin, his infectious laugh, his generosity and gentle nature, his
sense of fairness and, above all, the sheer pleasure of his company.
#2 - A supreme field geology mentor
Steve Abbott
Geoscience Australia
GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
steve.abbott@ga.gov.au
My involvement with Bob began in 1987 at James Cook University (JCU) when I was
a newly arrived student in search of a PhD project. I recall meeting a welcoming,
although slightly officious, individual whose appearance (walk shorts, long socks and
immaculately groomed beard) contrasted with the colourful tee shirt and jandals
8 Issue 19A Supplement