Gerhard August Stockfeld died at Shinfield, Reading, Berkshire, on 20th August, 1948, at the age of 82.
After studying engineering, chemistry and geology for four years he was engaged during 1885 on inspecting and reporting work on mines in Croydon, North Queensland, and from 1886 to 1888 held the position of manager of Couraux Gold Mining Co., Ltd., at Norton, Queensland. He then travelled throughout Australasia on reporting work and during this period experimented on the cyanide process in Victoria.
He worked in 1896 for the Australia South African Co. in Rhodesia, inspecting and reporting and conducting an exploration expedition, and then for two years practised privately as consulting engineer.
In 1899 Mr. Stockfeld was appointed general manager of the Lloyd copper mine in New South Wales, but left in 1901 to take up the position of general manager to Taquah Mining and Exploration Co., Ltd., and Abosso Gold Milling Co., Ltd., in West Africa, later holding the position of consulting engineer to the first company until 1911, when he became consulting engineer and general manager to West African Trust, Ltd.
In 1913 he was appointed chairman of Barranca Mines (Mexico), Ltd., a position which he held until 1922. From 1927 to 1928 he was consulting engineer and mine manager of Dredging Development Co., Ltd., at Leon, Spain, and was on the board of directors from 1930 to 1933. In 1932 he was appointed consulting engineer to North Ashanti Mining Co., Ltd., and later managed the properties of that company and Ashanti-Adowsena (Banket) Goldfields. During the period 1934-6 he was chairman of Gold Areas of Nigeria, Ltd., and from 1934 to 1935 was a director of Rafin-Jato (Nigeria) Gold Mines, Ltd.
Mr. Stockfeld was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1909.
Vol. 58, Trans I.M.M., 1948-49, p.594
