Earth Sciences History Group (A Specialist Group of the Geological Society of Australia Inc.) Email Bulletin No. 59 14 January 2022
Vale David Branagan (1930–2022) The following news was forwarded by Angus Robinson as distributed by SMEDG in Sydney. I am sure that TAG will include a more detailed obituary in a coming issue. To quote Angus, David was a legend in his lifetime and a gentleman to boot!
It is with great sadness we share with you the news that David Branagan has passed away aged 91. His influence on, and contributions to, so many facets of Australian science will be his legacy, and he will be greatly missed by his many geological colleagues. David was born in Broken Hill, and studied geology at the Sydney University, graduating in 1950. He spent the first four years of his career as a geologist with the Geological Survey of NSW, developing a growing expertise in the coal deposits of NSW. After a short stint in industry, he returned to Sydney University where he completed his PhD and remained there for 30 years. He advanced progressively through the teaching ranks to become an Associate Professor from 1975 to 1989, when he retired. His teaching expertise was in the fields of coal geology, mining engineering geology, photogeology, geomorphology and field mapping. He was also the founder of the Sydney University Speleological Society and the St Gregory Chorale which preformed early sacred music, accompanied by his deep baritone voice. As well as being an eminent and much-loved teacher of geology, his writings on the history of our science and the lives and achievements of the many pioneering geologists and explorers will always be seen as his most
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