Nathaniel Gordon Farquhar, M.C., died suddenly on 18th August, 1948, in British Guiana, at the age of 61.
He was trained in assaying, smelting practice and mining by Messrs. Thomas and Allan Gibb, managers of Queensland Copper Co., Mt. Perry, Queensland, until 1906. In the next four years he worked at the O.K. mine in North Queensland, Mt. Cannindah copper mines in Central Queensland and the Phillips River Gold and Copper Co., Ltd., Western Australia. In 1910 he joined the stuff of Union Minière du Haut Katanga, and remained with that company for 13 years.
During the period 1915-1919 he served with the lnns of Court O.T.C. and the 1st Bn. K.R.R.C., and was awarded the Military Cross and mentioned in despatches.
Mr. Farquhar left the Union Minière in 1923 to join the staff of Minerals Separation Ltd., where he remained until 1931. During that time he spent two years prospecting for Rhodesia Minerals Concession, Ltd., Northern Rhodesia, and five years as manager, first of Rhodesia Minerals Concession and then of Luiri Gold Areas, Ltd. In 1930, while in Northern Rhodesia, Mr. Farquhar was made a Justice of the Peace. During the year 1932 he was in charge of a prospecting and development syndicate in Queensland, and from 1933 to 1939 worked in Tanganyika, part of the time for Tanganyika Concessions, Ltd.
From 1940 to 1943 he operated a small gold property at Que Que, Southern Rhodesia, and in the latter year returned to England and was appointed area prospecting officer with the Directorate of Opencast Coal Production. Since the war he had been working in British Guiana, from 1946 to 1947 for Tikwah Gold Development Co. Ltd., as engineer in charge, and during the last year on his own gold claims on the Mazaruni River.
Mr Farquhar was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1938.
Vol. 58, Trans IMM 1948-9, p.586
