Thomas Weir died at Kew, Surrey, on June 17th, 1945, at the age of 76.
He was born in New Zealand and began his mining career in 1896 with the Komata Reefs Gold Mining Co., Ltd. Three years later he obtained an appointment with the Waihi Grand Junction Gold Mining Co., Ltd., but after six months transferred to the Waihi Gold Mining Co., Ltd. During his five years’ service with that company he went through all the Practical branches of mining, reaching the position of shift boss in his last year there. He also studied for two years at the Waihi School of Mines, passing the New Zealand Government Examination for First Class Mine Managers in 1902.
From 1905 to 1909 Mr. Weir served as mine captain in West Africa for Bibiani Gold Fields, Ltd., and from 1910 to 1912 he was employed in prospecting work in Ashanti. He then went to Alaska as mine foreman to the Alaska Gastineau Gold Mining Co., Ltd., but returned to West Africa in 1914, where he spent five years in various occupations in the employment of Ex-Lands Nigeria, Ltd., from 1918 to 1919 being in charge of their Budurua properties. He was appointed assistant mine manager in 1919 to the Yarde Kerri group of tin mines, and from 1923 until 1930 was assistant and acting manager of Ex-Lands Nigeria, Ltd.
In 1934, Mr. Weir examined a gold concession in Auckland, N.Z., and 1935 was engaged on alluvial gold examination in Venezuela. For a short time in 1936 he was relieving manager at the Lagares mine, Portugal, and subsequently held an appointment at the Cow Green mine, Co. Durham.
Mr. Weir was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1907.
Vol. 55, Trans IMM 1945-46, p.580
