The Australian Geoscience Council’s Roy Woodall Medal seeks to recognise scientific excellence in both mineral exploration methodology and the documentation of world-class mineral deposits. Specifically the background work that increases the chances of discovery.

This award honours the extensive contribution to scientific excellence in Mineral Geoscience that the late Roy Woodall AO made over his lifetime.  Roy Woodall’s high scientific standards, innovative approach to exploration and use of the latest geoscientific techniques have left a enormous and lasting legacy of improved scientific methodologies and exploration successes. The WMC team under Roy’s leadership made many world class discoveries in Australia, several of which opened up entire new mineral provinces. The most notable of these include the Darling Range Bauxite Province, the Kambalda Nickel District, the Olympic Dam Copper-Gold-Uranium deposit and the St Ives Gold Camp. More importantly than even these discoveries, Roy’s dedication to the training and mentorship of other geoscientists has advanced the capabilities of Australia’s mining and exploration industries and the development of our nation.

This intention of this award is to recognise those individuals that seek to emulate Roy’s contribution to the mineral industry by applying the best science to the endeavours of mineral exploration and the documentation of world-class mineral deposits. The goal of this is to encourage the ethos of scientific excellence that Roy was such a strong advocate for.

It is the intention of the AGC to make this award on an annual or biannual basis, subject to the nominations received.

Nomination process

Nominations should provide a succinct overview of the achievements and successes of their nominee and how their work has lead or is likely to lead to an economic discovery.  Nominations should also provide evidence of how the nominee stands out above other geoscientists as a rightful recipient of this award. Nominees should either be an Australian or have done the bulk of the work for which they are being nominated for in Australia. The nominations should include three referees, separate to the nominators, prepared to support the nomination for this award. The nominators and nominee should all be members of at least one of the AGC Member Organisations .

Nominations will close on the 31st of November each year.

For more information contact: 

Kim Frankcombe    AGC Secretary               secretary@agc.org.au

2024 Recipient – Ryan Noble

The Australian Geoscience Council are delighted to announce that Dr Ryan Noble has been awarded the prestigious Roy Woodall Medal. This esteemed accolade celebrates Dr Noble’s exceptional contributions to geoscience over his illustrious 18-year career with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), particularly within the Mineral Resources Discovery Program. Dr Noble has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of soil, regolith,  groundwater, and gas geochemistry methodologies, significantly impacting mineral exploration research in Australia. His leadership as Group Leader for Predictive Mineral Systems Science, Chair of Australian Earth Science Education, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and the Association of Applied Geochemists underscores his dedication to geoscience.

Dr Noble’s impact extends beyond his immediate research environment, evidenced by his development of groundbreaking technologies such as UltraFine+®. This innovation has revolutionized geochemical soil sampling methodologies and partial extractions, enhancing exploration efficiency and accuracy across the industry. His work in groundwater geochemistry has led to the establishment of a comprehensive dataset that supports mineral exploration nationwide. Additionally, his research in gas geochemistry has provided novel insights into exploration strategies through covered terrains, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in applied geochemistry.

The Roy Woodall Medal acknowledges Dr Ryan Noble as a leader and innovator whose work exemplifies the highest standards of scientific excellence and industry impact in geoscience. His achievements stand as a testament to his unwavering commitment to advancing the field and ensuring its relevance and applicability in addressing the challenges of mineral exploration and environmental stewardship.

Inaugural Winner 2021 – Kathy Ehrig

The AGC has great pleasure in announcing that the inaugural winner of the Roy Woodall medal is Dr Kathy Ehrig. Dr Ehrig has spent a large part of her career documenting the giant Olympic Dam Cu-Au-U ore deposit, arguably Australia’s most significant accumulation of metal. Her work has provided the conceptual framework that has supported BHP’s recent Oak Dam West discovery. Dr Ehrig is a particularly fitting inaugural winner of this award because she was personally recruited by Roy Woodall to WMC Resources from University of California – Berkley and was subsequently a long-term mentee of Roy’s. After several failed attempts relating to the pandemic, the AGC was finally able to make a formal presentation of our prestigious Roy Woodall medal at the Copper to the World Conference in Adelaide on August 31. The organisers of this conference are thanked for giving this presentation ceremony a high-profile, with it immediately following the opening address by South Australian Mines Minister, Dan van Holst Pellekaan. A highlight of the presentation to inaugural winner, Dr Kathy Ehrig of BHP, was the presence of Roy’s widow Barbara, who spoke about Roy’s role in the inception of this award and his mentorship of Kathy. All in all, this was a very moving ceremony, coming as it did only a few months after Roy’s passing.