Foundations
Economic Geology at UWA: Origins and Evolution
The development of economic geology at the University of Western Australia (UWA) is closely tied to the vision and leadership of a small number of individuals who shaped not only the discipline within the University but also, ultimately, its national and international reputation. A pivotal moment came in 1971, when Professor Rex Prider—Head of the Geology Department from 1946 to 1975—appointed a young and exceptionally promising lecturer in Economic Geology, Dr. David I. Groves. A long overdue appointment for UWA.
The Foundations: Professor David Groves and the Gold Group
1971 – 1988
Professor Groves soon emerged as the foundational figure of economic geology at UWA and in Western Australia more broadly. His early work on tin and nickel deposits quickly gained international recognition. However, the dramatic rise in gold prices in the late 1970’s and during the rapid expansion of Western Australia’s gold exploration and mining sector in the early 1980s created new research imperatives.
Responding to this need, Groves established the influential Gold Group, whose members included amongst others Neil Phillips, Suan Ho, Mark Barley, Andreas Mueller, Burkhard Eisenlohr and Marian Swanecki. Under his leadership, the group became a focal point for cutting-edge research on Archean gold systems, attracting both students and industry engagement.
The Key Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits
1988 – 1994
This was Australia’s first ARC Key Centre for Teaching and Research in Strategic Mineral Deposits, funded by ARC infrastructure fund plus matching funds from UWA, which was leveraged up with income from ARC grants and industry.
Its mission was “to provide a critical mass of expert personnel and sufficient resources to facilitate the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students to meet the requirements of an increasingly sophisticated mining and exploration industry in Australia.” The research strengths of the Key Centre were at this time understanding the genesis of gold deposits and constraining the tectonic evolution and metallogeny of Precambrian terranes.
Founding Cohort: Prof. David Groves (Economic Geology), Prof. Nick Rock (Igneous Petrology & Mathematical Geology), A/Prof. Neal McNaughton (Isotope Geochemistry), Dr. Charter Mathison (Petrology), Prof. Mark Barley (Archaean Geology & VHMS deposits).
Additional Expertise (1988–1990): Dr. Julian Vearncombe (Structural Geology), Dr. Mike Dentith (Geophysics), Dr. John Ridley (Structural Geology & Metamorphic Petrology).
The Centre for Global Metallogeny
1994 – 2005
In 1994, a change in national funding models prompted a major structural transformation. The Key Centre was reconstituted as the Centre for Global Metallogeny (CGM), with financial support derived entirely from corporate partners, the State Government and the University. This shift reinforced the Centre’s industry-facing orientation while preserving its strong academic foundations.
Founding Cohort:
Prof. David Groves (Director), A/Prof. Neal McNaughton (Deputy Director), Prof. Mark Barley and Prof. Mike Dentith and Dr. Charter Mathison.
In 1997, the Centre strengthened its expertise in hydrothermal systems with the appointment of Dr. Steffen Hagemann, whose research on fluid inclusions and Archean gold systems added a new dimension to CGM’s portfolio.
By the early 2000s, however, it had become increasingly clear that the funding mechanisms that had supported the Key Centre and CGM since 1988 were no longer adequate to sustain both world-class research and the growing expectations of the mineral exploration and mining sectors. A new organisational model was required—one that could ensure long-term sustainability and a deeper alignment with evolving industry needs.