Three Australian mining women have officially been recognised in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours acknowledge the great contribution being made by women working in Australia’s world-class mining industry and the inspiration they provide to others.
Erica Smyth AC, from Jolimont WA, was awarded the Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in Resources from the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) and was also included in Women in Mining UK’s 2013 list of 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining. Erica was honoured for her work serving as a Non-Executive Director of the Deep Exploration Technologies CRC and former Toro Energy chairwoman.
Ms Smyth, who was recognised with the nation’s highest honour — a Companion of the Order of Australia — said she had been involved across so many different aspects of the industry because she got restless if she was not doing something.
“I opened the letter and I couldn’t believe it. It was really something special for me. I had to sit down for a while,” she said in an interview.
Donna Frater AM, from Binnaway NSW, was also recognised today in the 2018 Queens Birthday Honours for her work in senior geologist roles with BHP’s BMA Coal and Rio Tinto. Donna Frater is also a previous member of the Minerals Council of Australia’s (MCA) Workforce Standing Committee who correspondingly featured in Women in Mining UK 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining as well.
Elizabeth Swain AM, of Launceston Tasmania, received her award for her noteworthy service to the mining industry as a metallurgist and as a role model for female engineers. Elizabeth Swain was the only female engineer at Bell Bay Aluminium when she joined the company in 1969 and was the longest-serving employee when she retired in 2012.