Walter George Woolston died on 12th February, 1949, at Bognor Regis, Sussex, at the age of 72.
He received his technical training at the Penzance School of Mines, Cornwall, and the first 25 years of his career were practically spent in India. In 1902 he was appointed reduction officer to the Richmond Gold Mining Syndicate, Ltd., at Pandalur, South India, and in 1904 joined Mysore West and Mysore Wynaad Gold Mining Companies, Ltd., at Oorgaum, where he held the positions of assistant reduction officer, surveyor, and finally chief of the prospecting department. He was in charge of prospecting and mining operations from 1908 to 1911 in the Shimoga and Kadur Districts, and in 1912 was made superintendent of the Kadur Shimoga Gold Fields Syndicate, Ltd., at Tarikere, South India. From 1913 to 1916 he was personal assistant to the general manager of Eastern Development Corporation, Ltd. After six months spent in testing ancient copper workings for the Ooregum Gold Mining Co., of India, Ltd., his services were lent by that company to Messrs. Burn & Co., and during the period 1916-1919 he was engaged as superintendent of copper mining in Sikkim, North India. He remained in North India for the next five years as superintendent of the Sideshur and Kharsawan mines.
After leave in England, Mr. Woolston went to West Africa in 1926, and reported on properties in the Akim District for Effuenta Mines, Ltd., and Fanti Mines, Ltd., and was subsequently assistant to the general manager of Abbontiakoon Mines, Ltd., for a few months. From 1928 to 1929 he acquired bauxite concessions and did prospecting work on the Gold Coast for Fanti Consolidated Investment Co., Ltd., and then reported on properties in Tanganyika for that company, for whom he also took charge of a concessions survey on the Gold Coast from 1930 to 1932 and later did reporting work in 1933 and 1934. He was employed by Anglo-Continental Mines, Ltd., and East Africa Mining Areas, Ltd., as mine manager in Kenya, from 1934 to 1935, and then became resident manager in Kenya for National Mining Corporation, Ltd. For some three and a half years
Mr. Woolston was not engaged in the mining profession, but in 1940 he took up the appointment of representative of the General Sandur Mining Co., Ltd., at Bellary, South India, which he held until 1946.
Mr. Woolston was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1912
Vol. 59, Trans IMM 1949-50, p.?
