Arthur Fannin Evans died on 26th June, 1961, at the age of 62.
Born in Australia, he was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, and trained in chemistry at Melbourne Technical College. He gained his B.Sc. degree in chemistry, physics and mathematics at the University of Tasmania in 1924.
Between 1917 and 1918 he was employed at the South Melbourne works of Metropolitan Gas Co. and after a few months at Mount Lyell chemical works at Yarraville, Victoria, he was appointed chemist at the research station in South Melbourne of Broken Hill Associated Smelters and Electrolytic Zinc, where he remained for two years.
In October, 1920, he joined Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia, Ltd., working for fourteen years in various capacities, including technical assistant to the general manager, chemist in the Risdon Works research department and at the Port Pirie acid plant, assistant to the chief metallurgist in Melbourne, and superintendent of the experimental and research department, West Coast operations, Zeehan and Rosebery, Tasmania, for over three years. His services were lent to Commonwealth Fertilisers and Chemicals, Ltd., Yarraville, for two years where he was in charge of development work on flash roasting of pyrite in Australia until May, 1934. During the following seven months Mr. Evans was assistant to the technical managing director of Gold Mines of Australia, Ltd., and associated companies. In December, 1934, he was appointed technical secretary to the late Sir Colin Fraser (chairman and managing director of Broken Hill Associated Zinc Smelters Pty., Ltd., and other companies) a position he held for ten years, acting also during the period 1939-44 as liaison officer between non-ferrous metals industries and the Commonwealth Ministry of Munitions.
From 1944 to 1946 he was assistant to Mr. M.A.E. Mawby, then Director of Research and Development, Broken Hill Associated Smelters, whom he accompanied on a visit to the leading smelters in Canada, U.S.A. and Mexico. He was engaged on development work on the production and uses of copper from April to December, 1946, for Metal Manufacturers, Ltd., Melbourne.
He joined Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Company of Australia, Pty., Ltd., Port Kembla, N.S.W., at the end of 1946 as assistant general superintendent in charge of plant operations, and in 1950 was promoted manager. Ten years later he was appointed managing director of the company, and held this position at the time of his death. He was directly responsible for the rebuilding of a considerable part of the Port Kembla refinery, including the establishment of a continuous casting plant.
Mr. Evans was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1949 and transferred to Membership in 1955. He was also a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Vol. 72, Trans IMM 1962-63, p.395
