RIP John Barnham

All Bougainville networkers,

I have been unwell this week and I have also had occasion to change out my computer. In the background we have been labouring under the sudden loss of our dear friend, John Barnham.

Could we take a few minutes on the pain being felt by Anne and the family. Firstly our condolences go to Anne and then there are Leesa, Paul and Johnny Andrew and their families. It was on Wednesday the 6^th of July. John had been ill and in the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Johnny Andrew had just arrived to pick up and return  John back to hospital. It was at this time that the heart attack took place. Johnny Andrew, a trained nurse, possesses extensive experience with CPR and it was this experience that he quickly placed into usage, however, it was all to no avail.

John was ever so proud of the academic achievements of the youngsters.  A finer group of young people you will not find.

While John commenced his time on Bougainville as a Foreman, most of us remember him a Supt and / or as a Manager. I picked up on the “Father” bit from various maintenance staff in B16, including Bob Thornton.  He was quite chuffed at this well-earned title. He was quite a humble individual and never sought any form of recognition for his spectacular achievements across BCL`s maintenance works. By the time that I commenced working with John, hiring people for B16 I had, for several years  been a good mate of his.  Through being mutual friends including via the Gardner family and others,we also enjoyed a close family relationship with the Barnhams.

John was one of several BCL operatives who was recruited to Bougainville subsequent to service to at the Mary Kathleen uranium mine. This group included PWQ, Bob Whitehead and Kevin Groom.   Father B arrived in Bougainville in 1965 as a Fitter and he departed in 1985, at which time he was in the role of Manager Mine Maintenance.  He was then gathered at a similar level by the Zinc Corporation, in Broken Hill.  After the conclusion of his service with RioTinto, in 1988, he joined Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, at their massive Nchanga copper mine. On John`s return to Australia, in 1991, he tried his hand, in the Primary Sector (a vineyard, to be more exact), not far from Mount Morgan.  It was from the vineyard that he eventually retired.

On one of my visits to Zambia I spent a few days in outback, Northern Zambia. On this trip Anne and the Childs family were part of the team. As was typical, John was unable to get away from the mine. The Zambia work came about as our opportunities with BCL were drawing to a close. Instrumental in obtaining the ZCCM assignments was prominent mining executive,  Ian Smith. Ian had been a young Mine Manager, in Panguna.  He quickly recognized that the BCL closures presented a wonderful opportunity to source high quality, open pit, base metal mining folk.  The ex-BCL, maintenance team at Nchanga included Gavin Smith, Dave North, Danny McGrath, Bob Thornton, Nick Vujanovic, Eric Williams and, of course, John.

I was forever calling John. He was possessed of a wonderful wisdom around the people of BCL`s Mining Division. Initially, mainly because we were mates, I was possessed of minimal respect of his judgement in sourcing maintenance personnel. As the years drifted by, all of this changed. Working closely together with John and his senior staff we were able to attract the very best people who had ever been employed in high tonnage mine maintenance.  Our turnover of mine maintenance staff was extremely low . . . .  so low in fact, that to achieve an adequate volume of staff development, towards the end, it became a problem to us.  Another area from which we benefited was that John bestowed upon us a high level of trust. He received back from us a high level of loyalty and the best possible outcomes. Many of the senior maintenance staff had worked for the whole of their career at BCL reporting to JB. These included Nick Vujanovic, Bob Thornton, Mick Michoff and Ted Rogalski . . . . . . there were many more.

John, you are going to be missed, old mate.

Davo

Thank you to the many people who called in.

From: Oken Sakia 
Sent: Wednesday, 13 July 2016 11:13 AM
To: Info@johndavidson.com.au
Subject: RE: RIP John Barnham

 

Hi John,

On behalf of all the ex B16 maintenance personal here in PNG our condolences to Anne and the family on the passing away of John Barnham.  John Barnham is like a father to us all during our time back at Panguna and we'll surely miss him. In PNG the ex B16 personal still talks about John as a nice gentleman / boss and he's like a father to all.  Rest in peace JB and may our good lord bless you. JD pls. forward our condolences to Anne and the family.

Cheers

Oken