The Hon. Charles Arthur Banks, C.M.G., died in Vancouver on 28th September, 1961, at the age of 76.
He was born in New Zealand and completed a three-year course in mining and metallurgy at Thames School of Mines before beginning his career in 1903 at Waihi Gold Mining Co., Ltd., where he gained experience in milling and treatment plants. He was made assistant engineer in 1906, but left this position in 1909 on his engagement by Waihi Paeroa Gold Extraction Co., Ltd., where he spent the next three years designing and erecting a tube-mill and grinding and cyanide treatment plant.
He left New Zealand for Canada in 1912 to take up the appointment of general manager of Jewell Denero mines at Greenwood, British Columbia, and remained in charge of these and of Idaho-Alamo properties until the end of 1915 when he joined H.M. Forces with a commission in the Royal Engineers, serving until demobilization in 1918 with a Tunnelling Company in France.
He returned to British Columbia and acquired and developed an area in the northern part of the province. In 1926, with the late Mr. W. A. Freeman of Sydney, N.S.W., he formed the dredging company of Placer Development, Ltd., and was its managing director for the next 31 years. It first operated in New Guinea, equipment being flown from the coast in specially designed aeroplanes, and Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., was formed in 1930, of which Mr. Banks was managing director and later president until his death. His dredging interests also extended to South America, the U.S.A. and Australia, and he had been senior officer of Pato Consolidated Gold Dredging, Ltd., Aznazu Gold Dredging, Ltd., Nechi Consolidated Dredging, Ltd., Coronet Oil Co., American Exploration and Mining Co., and Canadian Exploration, Ltd.
At the request of the Canadian Government, Mr. Banks came to London in 1940 as personal representative of the Minister for Munitions and Supply. In 1946 he received the honour of C.M.G.
He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia in 1946 and served until 1950.
The Hon. C.A. Banks was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1914, and to Membership in 1916. He was made an Honorary Member in 1956 ‘in recognition of his services to the mining industry, with particular reference to his pioneer work in the introduction of air transport for the equipment of poorly accessible mineral properties’. He had also served the Institution as Overseas Member of Council for Canada during the two sessions 1928-30.
He was the author of two papers in the Transactions of the Institution: ‘Air transportation of gold dredges in New Guinea’ (vol.’ 41, 1931-32), for which he was awarded ‘The Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa’ Gold Medal; and ‘Air transportation and operation of gold dredges in New Guinea’ (vol. 46, 1936-37). His enterprise in the application of aerial transport to the development of remote mining operations was also recognized by the award of the gold medal of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America in 1938. In 1940 he received the honorary degree of doctor of engineering from the School of Mines, Colorado.
Vol. 72, Trans I.M.M. 1962-3, p. 394
