Brenton Siggs is a Geologist originally from South Australia, and has many years of experience in the Australian mineral resources industry. He has been engaged in all stages of near-mine and regional exploration project management especially in Western Australia. He has held senior exploration roles on a range of gold, coal, nickel-cobalt, petroleum, phosphate, and potash brine projects, and he came along to tell us about life as a geologist. Exploration geology is a lot of fun because it involves being in the beautiful wilderness, whereas mining geology is really just a daily grind. Brenton’s advice is that you should do your homework meticulously before setting out, as there are many hazards out there – some of which are life threatening. Brenton illustrated his talk with a range of pictures that he has accumulated over time, and he clearly has an affinity towards the wildlife that he has encountered. It is astonishing to realise that there are so many different species sharing the outback, including a goanna called Alf which responds to its name and looks after Brenton and his crew! Apart from encountering old shafts used by the early explorers, one also comes across vehicle wrecks, the remains of an old pub, and picks and shovels whose wooden handles have worn away over time. The latter tended to mark out the leases of the explorers and remain there to this day. Brenton declared that Marble Bar is the hottest place in Australia, and all present thoroughly enjoyed his summary of exploring the desert.
