George William Campion died on 4th December, 1917, at St. Leonards on-Sea, Sussex, at the age of 78.
He was born at Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, and began his mining career in Queensland in 1888, later working in different mines at Croydon, North Queensland, and at Etheridge, where he was in charge of the mill and mine for four years. He left for Western Australia and was employed on diamond drilling operations for a few months before working on mines at Red Hill, of which he became manager in 1899. He also managed mines at Higginsville, Western Australia, and properties of Hampton Plains Estate Co., and the Lady Miller mines at Norseman, Western Australia.
He left Australia in 1909 for South America and held the appointment of manager to Uruguay Consolidated Gold Mines, Ltd., at Cunaperu, until his return to England in 1911, and then worked for twenty years on the Gold Coast at the Taquah and Abosso mines of West Africa. He was appointed mine manager to Taquah Mining and Exploration Co., Ltd., and later became general manager, and from 1922 was also general manager to Taquah Central Mines, Ltd., the two companies later being amalgamated as Tequah and Abosso Consolidated, Ltd. Mr. Campion was made a director in 1928, while holding the position of consulting engineer, the following year being designated general superintendent.
He retired in 1931 but his services were retained by the company (then Taquah and Abosso Mines, Ltd.) as technical adviser. While on the Gold Coast Mr. Campion was largely instrumental in introducing the jackhammer into West African mines, and he visited and reported on mining properties in South Africa.
Mr. Campion was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1909 and held office as a Member of Council from 1932 to 1935.
Vol. 57, Trans I.M.M. 1947-8, pp. 470-1
