Andrew Fairweather


Andrew Fairweather was a mine manager in Broken Hill, New South Wales.

History

Fairweather was born in Adelaide, son of marine engineer Andrew Abercrombie Fairweather and his wife Cecilia Russell Fairweather née Leason, who married in 1879.
Fairweather was educated at LeFevre's Peninsula Primary School and Port Adelaide High School, winning a scholarship in December 1895 which took him to Way College in 1896, from which institution he gained an entrance scholarship to Adelaide University, graduating BSc in 1901.
He had his first experience in a working mine was underground at the Broken Hill Central mine, operated by the Sulphide Corporation, then in July 1904 was appointed to underground technical staff Broken Hill South Ltd's mine, eventually becoming underground superintendent. When general manager W. E. Wainwright moved to Melbourne in March 1920, Fairweather took over his responsibilities as mine superintendent.
In 1932 he notoriously predicted the imminent exhaustion of the Broken Hill deposits and refused to waste shareholders' money on further exploration.
In 1937 he succeeded Wainwright as general manager of Broken Hill South Ltd, and retired to the family home, Prescott Terrace, Rose Park, South Australia in 1944.
He was president of the Broken Hill Mine Managers' Association from 1935 to his retirement in 1944.
He was a longtime member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and elected its president in 1932. In 1945 he was awarded its bronze medal.
He was a faithful servant of the Company, but respected by workers and the Unions for his honest dealing with the men and concern for their welfare.

Other activities

Fairweather served as director of
He relinquished each of these positions in 1954

Family

Frederick Fairweather married Mary Abercrombie in Ireland in 1851, emigrated to South Australia aboard Woodstock, arrived July 1851.