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Jim Graham (1929-2001)

Jim Graham, UWA, received a Hackett Research Scholarship in 1953 to study for a PhD at the U. of Birmingham. He completed his PhD in Physical Metallurgy, under the legendary Gilbert V. Raynor, Professor of Physical Metallurgy.

He returned from Australia to work as a Research Officer in the Cement and Refractories Laboratories of the CSIRO Division of the Industrial Chemistry, Melbourne and to Perth in 1964 to set up microprobe, micro analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) facilities in the new Secondary Industry laboratories of the Div. of Applied Mineralogy.

He published over 100 papers and technical reports, in crystallography, solid state physics and chemistry of minerals, particularly those hosting the nickel, tantalum and titanium deposits of WA, applied mineralogy, physical methods of analysis and characterization of minerals, including XRD, electron beam and magnetic methods, quantitative analysis by XRD, and trace analysis using the electron microprobe analysis.

He was a Founding Member of the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and a member of the Committee that organized the IUCr Congress and General Assembly (1987).

With his long academic and industrial research experience, quick brain, good nature and judgment and calm temperament, he was a wonderful mentor to students, colleagues and industry collaborators.

Frank Lincoln, SCANZ Newsletter June 2001