January - February 2014
MODERN QUARRYING
27
corporation tax; however, one requirement is that
meetings are open to non-members.
In 1960, less than three years after the death of
his father, John McPherson also died. He was suc-
ceeded as Secretary by Miss Mary Roberts who had
been personal assistant to Simon McPherson since
before the war. It was recognised that the Institute
also needed a member of the permanent staff
with a technical training and thus the following
year Brian Fish, a mining engineer formerly on the
scientific staff of the National Coal Board, joined
as technical officer and editor of the journal. Five
years later he was made director, a position he was
to hold until his retirement in December 1984.
During this period considerable advances were
made in the field of education in quarrying coupled
with a substantial growth of membership in the
overseas branches. In 1967, in close cooperation
with the Institute, a Diploma course in Quarrying
was established at the Doncaster Technical College
in South Yorkshire. This was followed three years
later by the Assisted Private Study (correspon-
dence) course leading to the Institute’s Associate
Membership (now Professional) examination. The
teaching material developed at Doncaster was later
to form the basis of a course established at the Box
Hill College in Victoria which has become the cen-
tralised teaching facility for the industry in Australia.
In 1974 an arrangement was made with the Mining
Department of Leeds University whereby success-
ful Diploma Course students from Doncaster could
continue their studies for an extra year to obtain
a degree in quarrying. These courses provide the
backbone of the expanding corporate membership
in the UK and are a solid foundation for the future.
In 1965 Brian Fish made the first of his over-
seas tours. His visit to New Zealand, where there
were only seven members at the time, stimulated
local interest and in March 1968 the New Zealand
branch was formed with Dick Hassed as Chairman.
Today, with the UK Institute consists of 13
branches. The Institute of Quarrying is represented
in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New
Zealand, and Southern Africa.
The Institute has individual members all over
the world. Where these are most numerous –
Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Southern Africa and the United Kingdom –
national sections are constituted as ‘not-for-profit’
organisations. These sections co-ordinate country-
wide programmes which are largely centered on
the activities of locally-based branches or groups.
Most recently, the branches in Australia, New
Zealand, Malasia and Southern Africa have become
Affiliated National Institutes or Branches and exer-
cise considerable independence.
These branches are run by an elected com-
mittee and they arrange their own programme
of meetings, visits and social events and are rep-
resented on the national committee or council.
Also it goes without saying that branch officers are
always pleased to see new faces at their meetings,
seminars, dinners etc it which a warm welcome is
extended to everyone. The largest membership
group remains in the UK, where today it has some
3,000 members throughout England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
Australia, with 1,300 members, constitutes the
largest group in the Pacific region and close ties
are maintained with its neighbours in New Zealand
and Malaysia, which both have around 350 mem-
bers. To the north, 150 members are based in Hong
Kong, operating both in the territory and the adja-
cent area of the People’s Republic of China. The
Institute’s activities in southern Africa are centred
on South Africa which provides support for mem-
bers in other countries of the region.
Liaison at international level takes place
through the Presidents’ Committee meeting annu-
ally in conjunction with one of the national con-
ferences (this year being hosted by the Institute of
Quarrying Southen Africa).
For more information visit
or our
own site:
Report by Dale Kelly
Brian Fish, a mining engineer
formerly on the scientific staff of
the National Coal Board, joined
as technical officer and editor of
the journal. Five years later he
was made director, a position he
was to hold until his retirement
in December 1984.
INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTE FOCUS
