Sir Herbert William Gepp died at his home near Melbourne on 14th April, 1954, at the age of 76.
He was born in Australia and from 1891 to 1894 was a student at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. In the following two years, while studying chemistry at the University of Melbourne, he held the post of junior chemist at the Australian Explosives Company’s works at Deer Park, Victoria. On obtaining his degree he spent two years at Nobel’s explosive works in Scotland on behalf of his company, and on his return was appointed assistant chemist and given sole charge of the erection and operation of Kessler apparatus for the concentration of sulphuric acid. From 1902 to 1905 he held the post of works manager, being responsible not only for the manufacture of explosives, acids and superphosphates, but also for experiments on a working scale for the utilization of roaster gases from auriferous pyrites for acid manufacture with subsequent extraction of the gold.
He then joined the Zinc Corporation at Broken Hill, N.S.W., where he built and operated a sulphuric acid plant, and in 1907 was appointed manager of the de Bavay treatment plant, at North mine, Broken Hill, treating zinciferous tailings. A year later he was promoted general manager of De Bavay’s Treatment Co., Ltd., retaining that position when, in 1909, the company was formed into Amalgamated Zinc (De Bavay’s), Ltd.
In 1911-1912 he visited Europe to make metallurgical investigations on behalf of a number of Broken Hill companies. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he went into camp in South Australia as O.C. Field Engineers, but was later sent to the U.S.A. as Australian representative on metals and munitions. After a successful visit he returned to Australia as general manager of the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia, Ltd., and put the Risdon zinc works into operation.
The Gold Medal of the Institution for 1923 was awarded to Mr. Gepp (as he then was), jointly with Mr. Gilbert Rigg, ‘in recognition of their joint and individual services in the advancement of metallurgical science and practice, with special reference to their achievements in the treatment of complex sulphide ores, and in the development of the electrolytic process for the production of zinc in the Commonwealth of Australia.’
He was Federal Commissioner for Australia at the Wembley Exhibition of 1924, and from 1926 to 1930 was chairman of the Development and Migration Commission for the Commonwealth, remaining a consultant to the Government on development until 1936. Sir Herbert received a knighthood in 1933 for his services to the Commonwealth as an economist and scientist. He was chairman of the Commonwealth Royal Commission on the Wheat Flour and Bread Industries in 1934 and 1935, and was also chairman and director of the Aerial Geological and Geophysical Survey of North Australia inaugurated in 1935. In 1936 he became managing director of Australian Paper Manufacturers, Ltd., retaining that post until 1948. During the 1939-45 war he was chairman of the Commonwealth Central Cargo Control from 1942 to 1944.
Sir Herbert was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1909 and was transferred to Membership in 1913. From 1930 to 1936 he served as Member of Council for Australasia. He was a councillor of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy from 1913 to 1954 and held the position of President in 1924; he was awarded the Institute Medal in 1939. He was Federal President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute from 1949 to 1950, and President of the Society of Chemical Industry of Victoria, of which he had been the first secretary in 1900.
Sir Herbert was one of the authors of ‘An outline of mining and metallurgical practice in Australasia’, prepared by request of the Australasian Institute and submitted to the Empire Mining and Metallurgical Congress held in 1924 (reprinted in Transactions vol. 34, 1924-25, part 2).
Vol. 64, Trans IMM 1954-55, p.82
