new gold producer, page-42

Nick Clark

August 15, 2007 08:54am
THE man who became the public face of the Beaconsfield mine rescue has taken a new job in Western Australia.



Matthew Gill quit Beaconsfield in February, saying the stresses of the past year had been behind the decision and he needed a holiday and time with his family.

Mr Gill, 47, is returning to work as managing director of the Monarch Gold Mining Company in Western Australia. He will take up the appointment, based in Perth, within three months.

During the rescue of Todd Russell and Brant Webb, he won respect for his handling of the the rescue and the way he provided information to the world media.

Fellow miner Larry Knight died in the rock fall.

Yesterday, Mr Gill said he was looking forward to returning to mining - after considering alternatives such as teaching or consulting.

"What I like, enjoy and know and think that I can add value to is in the mining game," he said.

Mr Gill said he had learned a lot from the Beaconsfield experience.

This year, Mr Russell and Mr Webb presented Mr Gill with a special Great Escape belt buckle, in recognition of his efforts during the rescue.

Mr Russell said he had been shocked to hear of Mr Gill's resignation.

"He was a good bloke; he was my manager," he said yesterday.

"Since the accident we have had a few talks. He has done it tough in the last few months.

"He took what happened to heart and was pretty shaken up for a while."

When Mr Russell finally emerged from the mine last May, Mr Gill was one of the first people he saw and immediately hugged.

He said that leaving Beaconsfield in February had been a natural time to pass the baton.

"The hardest decision was to say goodbye to the team I had basically built at Beaconsfield - but life moves on," Mr Gill said.

He said leaving Tasmania after 11 years would be difficult.

"WA is where a lot of mining activity is occurring with the current boom," Mr Gill said.

Monarch chairman Michael Kiernan said Mr Gill's 25 years of experience in mining operations would be a major step forward for the company.

Mr Gill's appointment follows the first pouring of gold at Monarch's Davyhurst mine and its acquisition of the Riverina Gold Project.

The Mercury