John Bing Longhurst died as a result of a car accident on 7th October, 1961, at the age of 53.
Born in Southern Rhodesia and educated at Plumtree High School, Southern Rhodesia, and at Victoria College, Grahamstown, South Africa, Mr. Longhurst started a career in the dental profession. He left it for the mining industry and worked in Portuguese East Africa, and during the period 1935-1938 was manager and part owner of the Mara mine. In February, 1939, he joined Eastern Rhodesia Mining Co., Ltd., working at Iona mine, Umtali, and becoming mine captain after four months. Two years later Mr. Longhurst was appointed shift boss at Selukwe Peak mine, Rhodesia Chrome Mines, Ltd., and in the following year was promoted mine captain. He moved to Shabani in 1946 where he worked as section manager of Nil Desperandum mine for Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation, Ltd., until 1950 when he became assistant underground manager.
In August, 1955, he left to manage a small asbestos mine, Peak, in the Belingwe area, belonging to Chinda Asbestos Co. He was consultant for Temeraire asbestos mine at Mashaba, Wynne’s mine, Filabusi (Dominion Base Metals (Pvt.), Ltd.), and Thomwood asbestos mine, Gwanda. He was also Rhodesian representative and consultant for the Barberton iron and steel works in Swaziland. He formed the Longwood Asbestos Mining Co., Ltd., at Filabusi, and in 1958 became resident consultant for Dominion Base Metals at Filabusi.
Mr. Longhurst left mining in November, 1960, to farm on his cattle ranch at Belingwe.
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1944.
Vol. 72, Trans IMM 1962-63, pp. 215-16
