Sir Colin Fraser (14 May 1875 – 11 March 1944) was a mining engineer and executive in New Zealand and Australia.

History

Fraser was born in

Coromandel, New Zealand Coromandel, ( mi, Kapanga) also called Coromandel Town to distinguish it from the wider district, is a town on the Coromandel Harbour, on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula, which is in the North Island of New Zealand. It is 75 kilomet ...

, a son of mine manager John Cameron Fraser and his wife Elizabeth Stuart Fraser, née McKay. He studied geology part-time at

Auckland University , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...

while on the staff of the

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in December 1861. The ba ...

, graduated M.Sc in 1906 and entered the service of the N.Z. Government as mining geologist 1905–1911. He was associated with

W. S. Robinson W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

in London as an employee of Robinson, Clark & Co, consulting mining engineers 1911–1914, when he was involved in tin mines in Cornwall and nickel mines in Canada. He next took a commission from the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Co. to make a geological examination of some of its properties in Australia. He was next associated with

W. L. Baillieu William Lawrence Baillieu (29 April 1859 – 6 February 1936) was an Australian financier and politician. He was a successful businessman, having developed significant business interests from his relatively humble beginnings. He associated with m ...

in developing

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. I ...

's non-ferrous production capability for wartime needs. He was appointed to the Advisory Panel on Industrial Organisation and served as Director of Materials Supply in the Munitions Department, and as chairman of the Commonwealth Minerals Committee. As joint managing director (with W. L. Baillieu? W. S. Robinson?) from 1915, then chairman, of

Broken Hill Associated Smelters Broken may refer to: Literature * ''Broken'' (Armstrong novel), a 2006 novel by Kelley Armstrong in the ''Women of the Otherworld'' series * ''Broken'' (Slaughter novel), a 2010 novel by Karin Slaughter Music Albums * ''Broken (And Oth ...

(founded by Baillieu and Robinson) he was largely responsible for the expansion of that company's works in

Port Pirie, South Australia Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. The city has an expansive history which dates back to 1845. Port Pirie was the first proclaimed regional city in South A ...

. He was also involved in the establishment of the electrolytic zinc refinery at

Risdon, Tasmania Risdon is a suburb of Hobart, capital city of Tasmania. It is west of Risdon Vale. History It derives its name from Captain William Bellamy Risdon, second officer of the ship ''Duke of Clarence'', which visited the area as part of Sir John Hay ...

. He served on the boards of many prominent Australian businesses, including: *Associated Pulp and Paper Mills *Australia Aluminium Co. *Australian Fertilisers Pty Ltd (NSW and Vic) *Austral Bronze Co Ltd (NSW) *British Australian Lead Manufacturers Pty Ltd (NSW) *Broken Hill South (chairman) *Central Norseman mining *Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd (UK) *Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation *Dunlop Rubber (Vic and NSW) *Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Co Ltd (NSW) *Gold Mines of Australia (Vic and Qld) *Imperial Smelting Corporation Ltd (UK) *Metal Manufacturers Pty Ltd (NSW) *Mount Coolon Gold Mines (Qld) *New Broken Hill Consolidated *North Broken Hill *Taranaki Oilfields (managing director) *Triton mining *Victoria Gold Dredging Co. *Western Gold Mines (WA) *Western Mining Corporation Ltd (WA) *Western NSW Electric Power Pty Ltd *Zinc Corporation Ltd (NSW and UK) Fraser was a council member,

Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) provides services to professionals engaged in all facets of the global minerals sector and is based in Carlton, Victoria, Australia. History The Institute had its genesis in 1893 with ...

for 25 years, and president in 1923. He was a member of, and for seven years Australia delegate to the (British) Institution of Mining and Metallurgy He was fifteen years a board member of the

Australian Mines and Metals Association Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

and president from 1932 for 12 years. He was a member of the

Melbourne Club The Melbourne Club is a private social club established in 1838 and located at 36 Collins Street, Melbourne. The club is a symbol of Australia's British social heritage and was established at a gathering of 23 gentlemen on Saturday, 17 Decemb ...

Australian Club The Australian Club is a private club founded in 1838 and located in Sydney at 165 Macquarie Street. Its membership is men-only and it is the oldest gentlemen's club in the southern hemisphere. "The Club provides excellent dining facilities ...

and Athenaeum Club of Melbourne and the Union Club of Sydney. He was knighted in 1935. He died at his home "Whernside", Albany Road, in

Toorak, Victoria Toorak () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area, on Boonwurrung Land. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the ...

after a short illness, survived by Lady Fraser and two daughters. His remains were cremated at the Spring Vale Cemetery. Following his death

Andrew Fairweather Andrew Fairweather (31 May 1882 – 4 May 1962) was a mine manager in Broken Hill, New South Wales. History Fairweather was born in Adelaide, son of marine engineer Andrew Abercrombie Fairweather (1855–1940) and his wife Cecilia Russell Fairweat ...

was appointed to the board of Broken Hill South.

Family

Colin Fraser married Canadian Mary Helen MacNamara on 20 March 1913 in London and settled in Melbourne. They had two daughters: *daughter (3 October 1916 – ) *Dorothy Jean Stewart Fraser (26 January 1921 – 22 November 1984)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Colin 1875 births 1944 deaths Australian mining engineers Australian business executives Australian Knights Bachelor