Adrian Mark Brewer (MAIG) passed away on the 24th January, 2022 aged 66 years young. He died at home after a long battle with cancer surrounded by family.
Adrian was well known in the geological circles of Australia and such was his courage that he was still doing field work on the Eyre Peninsula in November 2021. Many people did not realise the fight he was having.
Adrian graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1978 after completing an Honours Project on the Parabarana Copper Deposit in the Northern Flinders Ranges. This led to a love affair with this region that will culminate with his ashes being scattered on Parabarana Hill.
Adrian worked with many companies in the Flinders and would often seek out work that was going in the area. He worked throughout Australia and was part of teams that discovered the Mt. Leyshon Gold Mine, the Lucky Draw Gold Mine, the Weda Bay Nickel deposit and the Oakdale Graphite deposit. His work on Halmahera, Indonesia, on the Weda Bay deposit was remarkable. He had to go out to Halmahera on his first trip in a dugout canoe and then organise a place to sleep in the small village. He initially started walking and sampling whilst getting the project underway. A massive undertaking. He became the village “helper” explaining the various medicines delivered by WHO and what they were for. His introduction of a generator resulted in the purchase of a satellite TV by the locals with children rapidly learning English from the numerous shows delivered.
In Australia Adrian liked nothing better than organising and managing drilling programmes. He was in his element and loved being in the bush, the wilder the better.
We will all miss Adrian Mark Brewer.
The following tribute was read at Adrian’s funeral.
Adrian,
Well mate, it is hard to put 46 years into five minutes. Most things were said in the hours we talked at Calvary. Our goodbyes completed.
There are not too many places in Australia that we haven’t worked together and I guess it started in the northern Flinders Ranges and finished in the northern Flinders Ranges. In between is now a blur. We can throw in Indonesia, New Zealand and China and I`ve probably missed some. I remember saying to you, “boy, have I got a great job for you” , and you saying “yeah where?”. My reply was “China, and it will be like a big holiday”. I won`t put into print your reply, but off you headed.
We were lucky that we spent years together working in God’s own country as you would say. You loved to be in the bush and liked it even better if you could be sitting on a drill rig. I have to tell you, most drillers were not your best mates as you drove them berserk with your high standards.
You got used to telling me what plant was what and your knowledge of what we walked through used to amaze me. Good times with very few arguments and only very few amiable disagreements. We spent a lot of time sitting and talking about your three children and my four. I wonder if they knew that? From their ups and their downs and their heartbreaks to their greatest achievements.
Will and Jim, I know, treasure the time spent working with you. Peter and Rowan I`m sure have their own stories and I know you would have plenty to discuss with all of us. We won`t be going to Charters Towers, Coober Pedy, Broken Hill, Weda Bay or the untold number of other localities we spent time together anymore. Working and talking.
So long mate, it has been my pleasure to know you.
