Professor Walter Heywood Bryan MC: Queensland’s Pioneering Geologist Bryan, Scott1, Bryan, Robert2, Wood, Margaret3 1. School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia. Scott.bryan@qut.edu.au 2. APGF Group, 12 Creek Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia 3. 116 Bunarba Road Gymea NSW 2227, Australia Professor Walter Heywood Bryan in many ways was a pioneer and leader. In 1911, he was among the first students enrolling in the new Science course offered in the first year of the University of Queensland. Following completion of his B.Sc., he became the first Honours’ graduate in Geology and Mineralogy at the end of 1914. After working briefly at the Geological Survey of Queensland, undertaking a petrographic study of rocks from the Gympie Goldfield, WH Bryan enlisted in the Australian Infantry Force in June 1915 being first deployed to Gallipoli, Egypt and then the western front in France until the end of the Great War. His unit was the 2ndAustralian Medium Trench Mortar Battery. Unfortunately, little is known of his time and experiences during the Great War. Like many veterans, his military service was something that was never spoken of on his return and with his children. He never joined the RSL nor attended Anzac Day services. Much of what is known comes from official records and his Military Cross honour that was awarded for gallant conduct near Strazeele, France, on the 4th and 5th May 1918. The citation reads: In the face of heavy artillery and machine gun fire, Lieut. WH Bryan repeatedly led his men with ammunition to gun positions under violent heavy artillery barrage, himself carrying several times, 2 bombs, weighing 54 lbs each. There they were able to take out machine gun positions and snipers’ posts. These actions were a clear case of leading by example as highlighted in the Major-General’s recommendation at the time, but also reflected his outstanding quality and value he placed on duty, that was to be evident again during WWII and throughout his academic career. After demobilisation, WH Bryan undertook post-graduate study at Cambridge University, and then returned to Brisbane to become Lecturer in Geology at UQ. In 1926, he became UQ’s first Doctor of Science and from 1948-1959 was Professor of Geology and Mineralogy when he retired. Demonstrating his continued sense of duty, during WWII he served as a Suburban Air Raid Warden in Brisbane, and as a mail censor. His academic career was also pioneering, and broad in its approach and impact. His Honours research on the Enoggera Granite established igneous petrology and volcanology as continual areas of research throughout his career, including several papers on spherulitic devitrification. His pioneering work with H.C Richards on the Brisbane Tuff led to it being included as the only Australian example in the seminal paper on Ash Flow Tuffs by Smith and Ross (1961, United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 366). More broadly, he made significant contributions to the stratigraphy and geological evolution of Queensland, soil science, and marine geology. Importantly, he pioneered earthquake monitoring in Queensland following the 1935 Gayndah earthquake, and established the first seismological research station at UQ, being the Officer in Charge during its formative years. Reflecting his broader impact and desire to help others, he led efforts to utilise the
seismological stations for cyclone monitoring and hazard mitigation, particularly for North Queensland. He also served on numerous committees including being Deputy Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Committee and President of the Royal Society of Queensland (1924) and President, Geological Section of ANZAAS (1946). In 1953, he became a Foundation member of the Geological Society of Australia and first Chairman of the Queensland Division. He died on 10 March 1966.
Obituaries Denmead, W.H., 1966. Obituary: Walter Heywood Bryan. Queensland Government Mining Journal, 67, 190. Hill, Dorothy, 1966. Memorial: Walter Heywood Bryan, M.C., D.Sc. 1891–1966. Journal of the Geological Society of Australia. 13 (2), 613–618. Selected papers Bryan, W. H., 1914. Geology and petrology of the Enoggera Granite and the allied intrusives, part I. General Geology. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 26, 141-162. Bryan, W. H., 1918. Geology and petrology of the Enoggera Granite and the allied intrusives, part II. Petrology. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 34, 123-160. Bryan, W. H., 1925. A glossary of Queensland stratigraphy. Special publication of the University of Queensland Department of Geology, 1-69. Bryan, W. H. and Massey, C. H., 1926. The geological range of the Tiaro series. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 37, 108-120. Bryan. W.H & Richards, H.C., 1925. Radiolarian jaspers in the Brisbane Schist Series.. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 36 (10), 50-62.
Bryan, W. H. and Whitehouse, F. W., 1929. A record of Devonian Rhyolites in Queensland. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 41, 131-136. Bryan, W. H., 1939. The red earth residuals and their significance in south-eastern Queensland. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 50, 21-32. Bryan, W. H. and Jones, O.A., 1944. A revised glossary of Queensland stratigraphy. Papers of the Department of Geology, University of Queensland, 2 (11), 1-77. Bryan, W. H. and Jones, O. A., 1946. The geological history of Queensland, a stratigraphical outline. Papers of the Department of Geology, University of Queensland, 2 (12), 1-103. Bryan, W. H., 1950. Notes on the early Tertiary basalts of south-eastern Queensland. Journal of the Royal Society of N.S.W., 92, 129-132. Bryan, W. H. and Jones, O. A., 1954. Contributions to the geology of Brisbane, no.2. The structural history of the Brisbane Metamorphics. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 65, 25-50. Richards, H.C., and Bryan, W.H., 1934. The geology of the Silverwood-Lucky Valley area. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 45 (11), 50-62. Richards, H.C., and Bryan, W.H., 1934. The problem of the Brisbane Tuff. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, 36 (6), 44-108.