SIR JAMES FOOTS AO
James Foots was born in country Victoria but his obvious scholastic brilliance saw him sent to Melbourne where he stayed with relatives and attended Coburg High School. Although he matriculated dux of the school and won a scholarship to Melbourne University, he was deemed too young to attend, so he spent a year at University High School.
He graduated as an Engineer from Melbourne University in 1937 and went on to a stellar career in mining, rising to become the Chairman of Mount Isa Mines and later in education where he became the Chancellor of Queensland University. His contribution to mining, education and various charities is legendary. Sir James died in August 2010.
He graduated as an Engineer from Melbourne University in 1937 and went on to a stellar career in mining, rising to become the Chairman of Mount Isa Mines and later in education where he became the Chancellor of Queensland University. His contribution to mining, education and various charities is legendary. Sir James died in August 2010.
The following articles give a comprehensive view of Sir James the Mining Magnate, the Educator and the Family Man .
An extract from the eulogy delivered by his daughter, MERILYN
Sir James Foots AO. Fiercely Australian, he was equally, if not more proud of, his Order of Australia as his Knight Bachelor. He was just Dad to me. Descended from both convicts and free settlers, he was the first born child of William Foots and Ethel May Allen, being delivered in the front bedroom of the family home in Jamieson, Victoria on the 12th July 1916, followed 2 years later by his brother Jack. Seventeen months after Jack was born their mother succumbed to typhoid fever, so the two infants were left in the care of Grandma Foots and various Aunts and Uncles while their father sought work elsewhere during the depression.
As a very young boy Dad provided protein for the family by rabbiting by, and fishing in, the Jamieson and Goulburn Rivers. His teacher at the one teacher school in Jamieson recognised his brilliance and talked his grandmother into sending him to Melbourne relatives to attend Coburg High.
Dad hated apricot jam: he was given apricot jam sandwiches for his school lunch every day throughout high school. He was accelerated through to become dux of Coburg High, but was too young to take up his University of Melbourne scholarship and bursary. So Dad repeated his matriculation at University High studying a completely different program. Then being of required age, he took up his position at the University, graduating with a Bachelor of Mining Engineering.
Dad felt that study should be approached as an occupation, that is, from 8 to 5 each week day for the entire degree. He would have no last minute cramming before exams with all night study sessions! He always advised that “You must study from the first day of term”. He also attributed his results to getting a good night’s sleep before any exam. He never acknowledged to us however, that brilliance might also have been a contributing factor.
Once Dad graduated in December 1937 he asked Mum to marry him and they were engaged just before he left for Broken Hill to start his first “real job”. They were separated for the two years of their engagement with only occasional visits to each other. Dad and Mum married in Melbourne on the 2nd December 1939. They had over 73 wonderful years together.
Sir James Foots AO. Fiercely Australian, he was equally, if not more proud of, his Order of Australia as his Knight Bachelor. He was just Dad to me. Descended from both convicts and free settlers, he was the first born child of William Foots and Ethel May Allen, being delivered in the front bedroom of the family home in Jamieson, Victoria on the 12th July 1916, followed 2 years later by his brother Jack. Seventeen months after Jack was born their mother succumbed to typhoid fever, so the two infants were left in the care of Grandma Foots and various Aunts and Uncles while their father sought work elsewhere during the depression.
As a very young boy Dad provided protein for the family by rabbiting by, and fishing in, the Jamieson and Goulburn Rivers. His teacher at the one teacher school in Jamieson recognised his brilliance and talked his grandmother into sending him to Melbourne relatives to attend Coburg High.
Dad hated apricot jam: he was given apricot jam sandwiches for his school lunch every day throughout high school. He was accelerated through to become dux of Coburg High, but was too young to take up his University of Melbourne scholarship and bursary. So Dad repeated his matriculation at University High studying a completely different program. Then being of required age, he took up his position at the University, graduating with a Bachelor of Mining Engineering.
Dad felt that study should be approached as an occupation, that is, from 8 to 5 each week day for the entire degree. He would have no last minute cramming before exams with all night study sessions! He always advised that “You must study from the first day of term”. He also attributed his results to getting a good night’s sleep before any exam. He never acknowledged to us however, that brilliance might also have been a contributing factor.
Once Dad graduated in December 1937 he asked Mum to marry him and they were engaged just before he left for Broken Hill to start his first “real job”. They were separated for the two years of their engagement with only occasional visits to each other. Dad and Mum married in Melbourne on the 2nd December 1939. They had over 73 wonderful years together.
(An extract from the eulogy given by Greg Chalmers, President of The AusIMM)
James Foots was indeed a leader – a mining industry and community leader, and a role model for his colleagues throughout a distinguished career.Born in Jamieson, Victoria in 1916, James won a scholarship to Melbourne University and graduated as a mining engineer in 1937.
Like so many before him and others to follow, James started work at Broken Hill, first as a miner and then in a variety of mining engineering positions at the North Mine from 1938 to 1943.
He was seconded to the Allied Works Council during 1943 and 1944, and worked with the late Sir George Fisher to build underground storage oil tanks in Darwin – under the pressure of continued Japanese air raids.
In 1944, James began work as Assistant Mine Superintendent with Lake George Mines, at Captain’s Flat in NSW.
Many years later, when he received The AusIMM’s Institute Medal, James said that it was at Captain’s Flat that he received his education in man-management and industrial relations.
James’s friendship with Sir George Fisher continued when in 1946, he worked at Broken Hill with George, in the combined operations of Zinc Corporation and New Broken Hill Consolidated. From 1952 to 1955, James was the Assistant Manager of this combined operations group.
In 1955, he was appointed General Manager of Mount Isa Mines Limited. At this time, George Fisher was also at Mount Isa Mines as Deputy Chairman and then Chairman. James’s time at Mount Isa Mines was marked by regular promotion and appropriate recognition of his great skills.
Over a period of less than two decades, James became first a Director, then Managing Director of Mount Isa Mines.
He succeeded Sir George Fisher as Chairman in 1970 and soon after, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on the formation of MIM Holdings Limited.James steered the then Mount Isa Mines Group through product and geographic diversification, both on a national and international scale. He retired as Chief Executive Officer of MIM Holdings Limited in 1981; as Chairman in 1983 and as Deputy Chairman in 1987.
At Mount Isa Mines (alongside his friend and mentor George Fisher), James led the development of the parallel lead-zinc-silver and copper orebodies into the world’s biggest mine producer of both lead and silver, and one of the 10 largest producers of copper and zinc.By the time Sir James retired from MIM Holdings Limited, the company had also developed a large, ultimately successful coal business in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.
James’s involvement and contribution to The AusIMM (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy) was extensive. From joining as a Student member in 1935, James was elected Member in 1950 and received an Honorary Fellowship in 1985.
Sir James was a Councillor of The AusIMM from 1956 to 1985, and President of The AusIMM in 1974. He was a member of the Institute for more than 70 years, and during this time was awarded the Institute Medal in 1972 and the Beryl Jacka Award in 1993.
In addition to Sir James’s contributions to The AusIMM, he was widely respected across the mining industry and in Queensland’s business community for his leadership as a senior executive and company director.
In 1975, James was knighted for his services to the mining industry. And in 1992 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to the industry.
Some of the other honours and recognition accorded to James in his long and distinguished mining career included life membership of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in 1987 and also of the Australian Mining Hall of Fame in 2001, and being inducted into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame in 2003.
James had a strong, continuing interest in education. In 1970 he was appointed as a member of the Senate of the University of Queensland, and elected as Chancellor in 1985. He helped to establish the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre at the Universityof Queensland. The University conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering in 1982. His interest in education was reflected in many of his addresses to AusIMM members.Upon being awarded The AusIMM’s Institute Medal, James spoke about how young people have the advantage of being better educated, have enquiring minds and boundless energy for improvement.He also spoke about some of the problems they would face due to politics, stating that politics would have an influence on the mining industry irrespective of political parties, given that “the role of government would be likely to increase through its control of commercial practices.”
James led the Australian mining industry during the politically tumultuous mid-1970s. At the height of his influence, he was simultaneously President of both the industry body (the Australian Mining Industry Council) and the professional body (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy).He was hugely effective in building Australia’s mining communication and technology, both through his work at Mount Isa Mines and universities, and in fostering a productive relationship between companies and their professional employees.
His AusIMM Presidential address in 1974 was titled Ore to metal – The Education Needs, and in this speech James commented that mineral education arose from the needs of an increasingly sophisticated industry.He also said that it is up to minerals sector professionals to take an interest in Australia’s education needs with respect to minerals education, to endeavour to estimate what is required, to maintain a continuous dialogue, and to check the quality of the product.In other words, to ensure that the continuing needs of the mineral industry from ore to metal are served. These thoughts are still very much relevant when considering and discussing minerals education in Australia today.
In 1982, Sir James undertook a review of the aims, objectives, activities and structure of The AusIMM. Seeking the widest possible input, he visited all Capital cities and many centres where Institute Branches were located, and invited members to make written submissions. The review was also discussed with kindred organisations, and completed in 1984.
Sir James Foots is widely acknowledged as one of the great figures of the Australian mining industry and one of the most respected and valued leaders in the 117-year history of The AusIMM.
James Foots was indeed a leader – a mining industry and community leader, and a role model for his colleagues throughout a distinguished career.Born in Jamieson, Victoria in 1916, James won a scholarship to Melbourne University and graduated as a mining engineer in 1937.
Like so many before him and others to follow, James started work at Broken Hill, first as a miner and then in a variety of mining engineering positions at the North Mine from 1938 to 1943.
He was seconded to the Allied Works Council during 1943 and 1944, and worked with the late Sir George Fisher to build underground storage oil tanks in Darwin – under the pressure of continued Japanese air raids.
In 1944, James began work as Assistant Mine Superintendent with Lake George Mines, at Captain’s Flat in NSW.
Many years later, when he received The AusIMM’s Institute Medal, James said that it was at Captain’s Flat that he received his education in man-management and industrial relations.
James’s friendship with Sir George Fisher continued when in 1946, he worked at Broken Hill with George, in the combined operations of Zinc Corporation and New Broken Hill Consolidated. From 1952 to 1955, James was the Assistant Manager of this combined operations group.
In 1955, he was appointed General Manager of Mount Isa Mines Limited. At this time, George Fisher was also at Mount Isa Mines as Deputy Chairman and then Chairman. James’s time at Mount Isa Mines was marked by regular promotion and appropriate recognition of his great skills.
Over a period of less than two decades, James became first a Director, then Managing Director of Mount Isa Mines.
He succeeded Sir George Fisher as Chairman in 1970 and soon after, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on the formation of MIM Holdings Limited.James steered the then Mount Isa Mines Group through product and geographic diversification, both on a national and international scale. He retired as Chief Executive Officer of MIM Holdings Limited in 1981; as Chairman in 1983 and as Deputy Chairman in 1987.
At Mount Isa Mines (alongside his friend and mentor George Fisher), James led the development of the parallel lead-zinc-silver and copper orebodies into the world’s biggest mine producer of both lead and silver, and one of the 10 largest producers of copper and zinc.By the time Sir James retired from MIM Holdings Limited, the company had also developed a large, ultimately successful coal business in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.
James’s involvement and contribution to The AusIMM (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy) was extensive. From joining as a Student member in 1935, James was elected Member in 1950 and received an Honorary Fellowship in 1985.
Sir James was a Councillor of The AusIMM from 1956 to 1985, and President of The AusIMM in 1974. He was a member of the Institute for more than 70 years, and during this time was awarded the Institute Medal in 1972 and the Beryl Jacka Award in 1993.
In addition to Sir James’s contributions to The AusIMM, he was widely respected across the mining industry and in Queensland’s business community for his leadership as a senior executive and company director.
In 1975, James was knighted for his services to the mining industry. And in 1992 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to the industry.
Some of the other honours and recognition accorded to James in his long and distinguished mining career included life membership of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in 1987 and also of the Australian Mining Hall of Fame in 2001, and being inducted into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame in 2003.
James had a strong, continuing interest in education. In 1970 he was appointed as a member of the Senate of the University of Queensland, and elected as Chancellor in 1985. He helped to establish the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre at the Universityof Queensland. The University conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering in 1982. His interest in education was reflected in many of his addresses to AusIMM members.Upon being awarded The AusIMM’s Institute Medal, James spoke about how young people have the advantage of being better educated, have enquiring minds and boundless energy for improvement.He also spoke about some of the problems they would face due to politics, stating that politics would have an influence on the mining industry irrespective of political parties, given that “the role of government would be likely to increase through its control of commercial practices.”
James led the Australian mining industry during the politically tumultuous mid-1970s. At the height of his influence, he was simultaneously President of both the industry body (the Australian Mining Industry Council) and the professional body (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy).He was hugely effective in building Australia’s mining communication and technology, both through his work at Mount Isa Mines and universities, and in fostering a productive relationship between companies and their professional employees.
His AusIMM Presidential address in 1974 was titled Ore to metal – The Education Needs, and in this speech James commented that mineral education arose from the needs of an increasingly sophisticated industry.He also said that it is up to minerals sector professionals to take an interest in Australia’s education needs with respect to minerals education, to endeavour to estimate what is required, to maintain a continuous dialogue, and to check the quality of the product.In other words, to ensure that the continuing needs of the mineral industry from ore to metal are served. These thoughts are still very much relevant when considering and discussing minerals education in Australia today.
In 1982, Sir James undertook a review of the aims, objectives, activities and structure of The AusIMM. Seeking the widest possible input, he visited all Capital cities and many centres where Institute Branches were located, and invited members to make written submissions. The review was also discussed with kindred organisations, and completed in 1984.
Sir James Foots is widely acknowledged as one of the great figures of the Australian mining industry and one of the most respected and valued leaders in the 117-year history of The AusIMM.
An extract from the eulogy from Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Greenfield, AO
In our time together this morning, I can’t pretend to do justice to how Sir James’s vision, wisdom and generosity have helped position UQ for the 21st Century.
Successful researchers will admit that their ‘breakthroughs’ often hinge on serendipity – and Sir James’s ascent at MIM was serendipitous for UQ.
He was the right man, with the right ideas, at the right time.
In an era when mining departments in some Australian and overseas universities were being diminished, he knew what higher education and research could do for MIM.He established a relationship that galvanised mining education and research at UQ, and then expanded over more than five decades to touch virtually every facet of UQ.
From the get-go, in the 1950s and ‘60s, the collaboration was mutually enriching.
For instance, academics and students earned an industry perspective when they conducted detailed research at the Mount Isa processing plant.The research delivered efficiency gains to MIM and shareholders, and for decades the company was the international leader in aspects of mining and processing research.
Sir James, a believer in the power of universities to contribute to the exports economy, had created the environment for both parties to make global advances.
The partnership cranked up when he won the board’s backing to release funds to help build and run (for an extended period) a new centre at UQ’s Indooroopilly mine.
The Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (named after the former Mount Isa Mines General Manager and Chairman) opened in 1970.
“JKMRC” spawned JKTech - a roaring success in disseminating UQ research to the global minerals industry.
Today, JKMRC is organisationally within the Sustainable Minerals Institute – and that has headquarters in the Sir James Foots Building at our St Lucia campus.
1970 (year that MIM Holdings began) was also Sir James’s first year as a member of UQ’s governing council, the Senate.
He sustained this voluntary role for more than 20 years – but in reality he remained a trusted adviser well into the 21st Century.
When UQ gave him an honorary doctorate in engineering in 1982, the Vice-Chancellor of the day, Brian Wilson, said he was ‘a man with no too-hard basket’. Brian saw Sir James as the natural choice to chair the new ‘UQ foundation’ – a serious attempt to link up with industry for research purposes. To this day, that Foundation provides hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual grants to promising early career researchers – most of them young.
When Sir James stepped aside as Chair of MIM Holdings in November 1983, media reported that he hoped for at least 2 evenings per week at home, and more time on the golf course.
He added this prescient comment: “The problem is that when people hear you have more time, they ask you to do more.”
Within weeks the UQ senate unanimously voted him deputy chancellor; and by mid-1985 he was Chancellor, unanimously elected when Sir Walter Campbell resigned to become Governor of Queensland.
At UQ, the Chancellor is the chairman of the board – but it’s all gratis. And Sir James was already excessively busy with voluntary service. For decades, he had ‘given back’ to communities, both personally and through MIM.
Such as his service to institutions like the Salvation Army, Rotary, Mater hospitals, and the Australian Koala Foundation.
Under Sir James’s leadership, MIM sponsored – and in some cases initiated - community activities of iconic status: Mt Isa Rodeo; Queensland Youth Orchestras; kids’ sporting competitions; Rotary activities in schools – and the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.
Despite these and his other community obligations (too numerous to list) he threw himself into helping UQ.
He was an inspired choice for Chancellor, and he and Brian Wilson made a gutsy duo.
This week Brian (living in France) paid tribute to 30-year friend, and his ‘chairmanship skills, fairness, integrity and approachability’.
As Brian says, Sir James presided at UQ at a seminal time - characterised by an improving national reputation for research, and the addition of both Customs House and Gatton Agricultural College to the University’s portfolio.
Sir James continued as Chancellor until 1992, giving invaluable counsel whilst Australian higher education endured major structural change.
He was a foundation board member (later chair) of UniQuest, our globally-recognised research commercialisation company.
Then, in the early 90s he chaired UQ’s first “Chancellor’s Appeals” – a precursor to the current age, when philanthropy is of unprecedented importance to the University.
Sir James himself was an extremely generous but unassuming giver to the University.
Students and graduates in mining-related disciplines continue to benefit from the Sir James Foots scholarships, expressly for people who can demonstrate genuine need as well as all-round merit.
That kind of support is priceless.
Perhaps he was acting on his experience as a semi-orphaned, brilliant boy who clambered out of poverty after winning a scholarship to the University of Melbourne.
He was the epitome of the self-made man who never forgot his roots, or the opportunities that a few kind people and a fine education gave him.
His clarion call to graduating students included: “Each generation has an obligation to make things better for the rest.”
Clearly, he led by example.
UQ will never discount our debt to Sir James.
Each year, thousands of successful students & their families celebrate their hard-won graduation - and since 1971 well over 100,000 graduates have attended their own ceremonies.
In 1971 Sir James – on behalf of MIM – gave us something unique: a mace made from Mount Isa copper, silicon-bronze, brass and silver.
It is integral to our graduation ceremonies, as it’s wielded by a beadle who accompanies the Chancellor in the academic procession.
Since 1971, the mace has followed well over 100,000 students into their ceremonies.
That tradition won’t change – it’s as solid as the Mt Isa metals in the mace.
This is just one of the countless gifts from Sir James Foots that will keep on giving.