John Valentine Lake died in Australia on 6th August, 1959, at the age of 86.
Born in Australia, Mr. Lake received his professional training at the Ballam School of Mines, obtaining a First Class Mine Managers Certificate in 1898 and honours certificates in various mining subjects. He then worked as a miner during the period 1893-1902 at several mines in Ballarat, and at North Mt. Lyell, Tasmania, and Block 45 at Kalgoorlie. He was also for some months assistant assayer and mill man at South Star mine and cyanide works at Ballarat, acting manager of Great Pigeon mine and manager of Taff gold mine and later of Great Eldorado mine, Victoria. He was a member of an expedition to Egypt and the Sudan during 1893 and 1894.
Mr. Lake went to West Africa in 1894 as assistant to the general manager of West African Hinterland Consolidated, Ltd., Dunkwa, and later became mine superintendent. In the following year he worked in Nicaragua for Leon Syndicate, Ltd., on mine examinations, becoming general manager in 1907 of Nicaragua Development Syndicate, Ltd. He came to London in 1912, but soon afterwards resumed work in Nicaragua for a time, returning finally to Australia to continue mining activities in Victoria.
Mr. Lake was associated with Guildford Plateau Central mine from 1936, with Daylesford Deep lead mines in 1937 and Glenfine South Consolidated Gold Mines, N.L., in 1938. From 1939 to 1945 he was general manager of A.1 Consolidated Gold, N.L., and on resigning his position was retained as consulting engineer to that company. He gradually relinquished active work and continued to live in Victoria until his death.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1913.
Vol. 69, Trans IMM 1959-60, p.484
