James Murdoch Eaton died in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, on 8th March, 1954, after a long illness. He was 76.
He was born in Australia and was a student at Bendigo School of Mines, Victoria, from 1896 to 1898. He began his career as assistant manager, Marong Gold Recovery Co., eighteen months later taking up employment with Coramba King Gold Mining Co., New South Wales. He left to become battery manager for Maud North Gold Mining Co., Victoria, in 1901 and later that year cyanide manager, Maud and Homeward Bound Gold Mining Co. He went to South Africa in 1903 and was appointed cyanide foreman for Jumpers Gold Mining Co., Cleveland, Transvaal, leaving in 1904 for a similar position at Windsor Gold Mines, Ltd., Luipaardsvlei. He returned to Jumpers Gold Mining Co. in 1906 to supervise a new slimes plant, but left for Rhodesia in October of that year.
After managing and tributing various small properties in Rhodesia for a year, Mr. Eaton became manager of Gaika Gold Mining Co., Ltd., Que Que, in 1908 and from 1908 to 1909 managed Thistle Etna Gold Mines, Ltd., Hartley. He resumed the management of Gaika for the next ten years, and from 1919 was a smallworker, owning, among others, the Royalist and Eldorado mines.
During the 1914-18 war Mr. Eaton commanded a company of Southern Rhodesia Volunteers. He was a member of the first Rhodesia Party and was elected for Lomagundi to the Colony’s Parliament in 1923. For many years he was an executive member of the Rhodesia Chamber of Mines and of the Silicosis Board.
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1905 and was transferred to Membership in 1915.
Vol. 66, Trans IMM 1956-57, p.23
