William John Shephard died in Melbourne, Australia, on September 15th, 1941, after a long illness, at the age of 65.
He began his professional career in 1898 as foreman assistant at the Briseis tin mines, Tasmania, under his father, general manager, and after a course of study in assaying, mining and mineralogy at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, he was occupied from 1904 to 1907 in testing properties in Tasmania and Northern Australia. In 1905, he-was appointed manager of the Stella Tin Mining Co., and New England Prospecting Co., New South Wales, and in 1910 became general manager of Bendoc Victoria Gold Mining Co. and Craigie Bog Gold Dredging, both in Victoria.
In 1912, he left Australia for Northern Nigeria to take up an appointment as general manager of the South Bukeru Tin Company and the Gongola Syndicate. From 1914 to 1919, he served in H.M. Forces in the Great War and in the latter year he went to Cornwall where for four succeeding years he was engaged on examination and sampling mines for various London firms.
In 1924, he went to Spain and Portugal, where he examined lode and alluvial properties, and in the following year he was appointed general manager of the Empreza Minero Metallurgica Company’s mines in North Portugal. From 1930, he was engaged in British Guiana, N.W. Spain, and on the Gold Coast and in Sierra Leone, and in 1933 was appointed manager of the Atta Gold Company, on the Gold Coast, from which Company he was transferred in the following year to a similar position on the Offin River Gold Estates, Ltd. On the conclusion of his engagement in West Africa, he returned to Australia.
Mr. Shepherd was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1931.
Vol. 51, Trans I.M.M., 1941-42, pp.337-8
