David Thomas died suddenly, of angina pectoris, at his residence in Burwood, Sydney, New South Wales, on February 7th, 1934, at the age of 53.
He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and at Sydney University, where he matriculated with first-class. Honours and won a Government Scholarship of £300. In 1899 he started a three years’ course under Professor Liversidge at the School of Mines and Metallurgy, Sydney University, and in December, 1901, graduated with the degree of B.E. (Honours). For the next two years he was engaged in practical mining and metallurgical work on mines in New South Wales. In 1903 he was appointed lecturer in mine engineering and surveying in the Department of Technical Education, New South Wales. The years 1905-6 were occupied in studying and travelling.
He spent 9 months studying chemistry under Professor Sir William Ramsay at University College, London, and a similar period studying metallurgy and electro-metallurgy under Professor Dr. W. Borchers at Aix-la-Chapelle, in addition to a few months’ research in analytical chemistry at the experimental works of the Ore Concentration Co., London. In 1906 he went to North China to take up the position of Professor of Mining at the Engineering and Mining College of Tongshan, which had been built by the Imperial Chinese Government, at the same time acting as analytical chemist to the Imperial Railways of North China. On the conclusion of this engagement in 1913 he returned to England and underwent a post-graduate course in geology under Professor Watts, at the Imperial College of Science and Technology.
During the war he was for some months a voluntary worker at University College, under Professor Donnan, in the Munition Inventions Department. In April, 1917, he went to Nigeria as assistant manager, afterwards general manager of the Anglo-Continental Mines, Ltd. He returned to England in 1920 and in the following year returned to Australia, where he became a partner in the chemical manufacturing firm of Thomas & Cameron in Sydney, New South Wales.
Mr. Thomas was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1907 and was transferred to Membership in 1919.
Vol. 44, Trans IMM 1934-35, pp.569-70
