1982
CITATION
THE OPEN COUNTRY THAT STRETCHES SOUTHWARDS FROM THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA WAS NAMED THE PLAINS OF PROMISE BY CAPTAIN STOKES OF THE BEAGLE AS EARLY AS 1841. THE PLAINS LED TO THE RED RANGES OF NORTH WEST QUEENSLAND WHICH HA VE ATTRACTED MINERAL PROSPECTORS FOR OVER A CENTURY WITH THE MIRAGE OF EASY WEALTH. BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1923 THAT THE GREATEST OF THE MINES - MOUNT ISA - WAS DISCOVERED, AND MUCH LATER BEFORE IT PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT DNIDENDS.
JIM FOOTS CAME TO MOUNT ISA MINES AS GENERAL MANAGER IN 1955 AND HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MJ.M. EVER SINCE. HE HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE IN THE MINE'S SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT TO BECOME THE SECOND LARGEST COMP ANY IN AUSTRALIA.
SIR JAMES GRADUATED AS A MINING ENGINEER AT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY IN 1937 AND SPENT MUCH OF HIS EARLY CAREER WITH NORTH BROKEN HILL. SECONDED TO DARWIN IN 1943, HE WORKED WITH SIR GEORGE FISHER TO CONSTRUCT THE UNDERGROUND FUEL RESERVOIRS - THE TUNNEL PROJECT. THOSE OF YOU WHO READ THE ARTICLE ON DARWIN IN THE COURIER MAIL LAST SATURDAY WILL HA VE SEEN A PHOTO OF THE BOMBED POST OFFICE, WHICH WAS TO BECOME JIM FOOTS' OFFICE SOME WEEKS LATER.
ONLY HE CAN TELL WHETHER IT WAS THESE PALATIAL QUARTERS OR THE GENTLE DARWIN CLIMATE THAT ATTRACTED HIM BACK TO THE NORTH, TO MOUNT ISA, TWELVE YEARS LATER!
AS DIRECTOR AND THEN MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MOUNT ISA MINES, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, AS THE CHAIRMAN AND, UNTIL 1981, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OF MJ.M. HOLDINGS LTD., SIR JAMES HAS BEEN A MAJOR FORCE IN THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY FOR OVER A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. DURING THIS TIME HE HAS HELD OFFICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY COUNCIL AND PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY. SINCE 1970, SIR JAMES HAS ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND SENATE.
AP ART FROM HIS PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES AS AN ENGINEER, SIR JAMES HAS RECEIVED AW ARDS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MANAGEMENT. I AM TOLD THAT HIS SUCCESS IN THIS AREA IS RELATED TO HIS IMMENSE CAPACITY AND DRIVE TO COMPLETE THE TASK IN HAND AND HIS DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH SUBORDINATES - HE NEEDS NO MIDDLEMAN TO ALLOCATE CRITICISM WHERE HE FEELS IT IS DUE. A MAN WITH NO "TOO-HARD" BASKET. IT WAS NATURAL, THEREFORE, TO INVITE HIM TO SERVE AS FOUNDING CHAIRMAN OF OUR UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND FOUNDATION, TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT MONTH.
MOUNT ISA MINES HAS THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE MOST RESEARCHORIENTED MINING COMPANY IN THE COUNTRY AND ITS INTERACTIONS WITH THIS UNIVERSITY HAVE BEEN MUTUALLY REWARDING. THE FOUNDING OF THE JULIUS KRUTTSCHNITT CENTRE IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING BY MOUNT ISA MINES IN 1970 HAS LED TO A MOST PRODUCTIVE TEACHING AND RESEARCH RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE MINING INDUSTRY.
WITH HIS TALENTS AND ENERGY SIR JAMES HAS BEEN CALLED ON TO SERVE ON MANY BOARDS, ADVISING GOVERNMENTS,BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY,AS WELL AS SERVICE AGENCIES DEVOTED TO THE BETTERMENT OF SOCIETY.
MR CHANCELLOR, I HAVE THE HONOUR TO PRESENT TO YOU JAMES WILLIAM FOOTS, KNIGHT BACHELOR, BACHELOR OF MINING ENGINEERING, DISTINGUISHED MINING ENGINEER, INDUSTRIALIST AND FRIEND OF THE UNIVERSITY, FOR ADMISSION TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING,HONORIS CA USA.