Background
He graduated in 1965 with a BSc. Hons (Geology) and joined the Rhodesia Geological Survey for ten years, where he mapped Archaean granite-greenstone and granulite metamorphic terrains, completed his PhD in 1973 and gained significant field geological experience.  In 1975-1980 he was involved in exploration-related research with Johannesburg Consolidated Investments Ltd, investigating base metal and aluminium deposits in Natal and the Transvaal. 

He came to Australia in 1980 and began with CRA Exploration in Cobar, moving to their Exploration Research Unit in Canberra (1981-1985) where he developed interests in primary geochemical halos around base metal deposits using multi-element geochemistry.  He spent two years at the Australian National University, studying the mineralogy and microscopy of regolith materials prior to joining CSIRO in Perth in 1987. 

CSIRO activities
He was involved with several regolith-related AMIRA projects where his skills with field geology, geochemistry and the petrology of rock weathering have been put to good use.  He has produced four picture-rich atlases of regolith materials to allow these difficult materials to be more easily recognised and applied more readily to exploration.

His research interests involved application of fresh and weathered rock geochemistry to detect ore deposits, and application of petrography and geochemistry to determine bedrocks from regolith materials.  His interests span all aspects of practical exploration geochemistry in the regolith, including sample preparation, statistical data analysis and presentation of multi-element data sets.  He lectures at Curtin University in practical application of geochemistry to mineral exploration.  He was co-editor of and a significant contributor to ‘Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems’ and was a member of the Editorial Board of Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis. He retired from CSIRO in 2009 to persue his other interests.

Awards
Co-winner of the Jubilee Medal of the Geological Society of South Africa for the paper of greatest merit of 1976.
Co-winner of the CSIRO Sir Ian McLennan Achivement for Industry Award for 1994.
Co-winner of the CSIRO Occupational Health and Safety Achievement award for 2002 'Field Safety Initiative Team'.

Publications
He has published extensively throughout his career.

Professional Societies
Association of Applied Geochemists - Fellow - Retired
Australian Institute of Geoscientists - Fellow - Retired