Vale Dr Ernie Nickel

Vale Dr Ernie Nickel http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&rss=D634BUs1 Tue, 7 Sep 2010 06:13:58 GMT Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:22:35 GMT Copyright © 2009 AxON - The CSIRO Alumni Online Network Tribute from Catherine Skinner, Yale University http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=77269 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=77269 I am another mineralogist who welcomed his vast knowledge and level headed use of it. Catherine Skinner]]> Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:22:35 GMT Tribute from Bill Birch, Museum Victoria http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75129 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75129

I first met Ernie on a field trip to the Flinders Ranges and beyond before the 1976 IGC in Sydney. My mineralogical career was in its infancy, so Ernie's knowledge and enthusiasm left an indelible impression on me. Since then we worked together to describe several new Australian minerals (perroudite, cobaltaustinite and gartrellite), and shared various responsibilities on the IMA's Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names. At his suggestion, I took over from Ernie as Australian representative on the Commission and he was always very generous and helpful when I sought his advice. This was a special aspect of Ernie's character, which he showed to all those in his wide network of colleagues and friends. I will find it very difficult to come to terms with him not being around anymore. Bill Birch

]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:46:17 GMT Tribute from Louis J. Cabri - Ottawa http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75034 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75034
Ernie was a friend, colleague and mentor to many in Canada before being attracted by CSIRO's offer of a non-administrative research position, an offer he could not refuse as at that time he was actively being groomed for a higher administrative position at CANMET and there were rumblings of introducing “cost-recovery” and all that this entailed. Ernie foresaw at least ten years clear sailing in research before this philosophy reached Australia. In typical Ernie style, he prepared himself for the move by learning to use the microprobe, which was usually the realm of our capable technicians. Ernie also had a large impact on the international scene including, for many years, an important rôle in the International Mineralogical Association's Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names. Ernie continued working on many fronts after his ‘retirement' 15 years ago. Among these activities was his collaboration with Dorian Smith in examining and cataloguing incompletely described, “unnamed” minerals. In fact, a few weeks prior to his death, he had been discussing with Dorian some unnamed minerals in a recent paper that I was involved with and that was how I learned the sad news. One of my treasured possessions is his gift to me of his 1991 “Mineral Reference Manual” (with Monte Nichols). In spite of now being quite out of date, it is my most used book because of its handy size in soft-cover, and inclusion of mineral densities.

Louis J. Cabri
Ottawa
]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:14:37 GMT biography in Rocks and Minerals http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75032 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75032 A recent biography of the man behind "ernienickelite" was published in Rocks and Minerals, January-February 2009. It was written by Bill Birch of Museum Victoria

A copy is available at

www.ASPO-Australia.org.au/References/Bruce/EHN/EHNickelWhosWhos_JF09.pdf

A copy of the CSIRO Monday Mail article of 2007 is at

www.ASPO-Australia.org.au/References/Bruce/EHN/EHN-CSIRO-MondayMail-2007.doc

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:46:24 GMT Vale Ernie Nickel - excerpt taken from the CSIRO Internal Newsletter http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75030 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75030

Ernie Nickel cataloguing an impressive
gold nugget from the CSIRO collection

Following a short battle with cancer, Exploration and Mining Fellow, Ernie Nickel, passed away on Saturday 18 July aged 83.

Ernie was one of those rare souls everybody liked and will be fondly remembered by his friends and colleagues.

Until recently, even though a post-retirement fellow of 24 years, Ernie still went to work every day on his bicycle. His distinguished career in mineralogical research has seen him publish over 100 papers and write two books. He even had a mineral, Ernienickelite, named after him. He boasted one of the highest citation records in CSIRO and was ranked in the ISI Highly Cited list for researchers in geosciences.

Ernie's career accolades include two lifetime memberships of the Mineralogical Association of Canada for the best published papers in the society's journal on two occasions, and a fellowship in the mineralogical Society of America.

After completing his university qualification in mineralogy, he was employed in the Mines Branch of the Canada Centre for Minerals and Energy Technology (Canmet), but a minerals boom in Australia enticed him down under. He came to Australia to escape from the senior administrative role he had risen to in Canmet and wanted to return to science. In 1971, he was offered three positions in Australia – luckily, he chose CSIRO.

Erine took early retirement at the age of 60, but continued to come to work in the same laboratory and office for the next 24 years. His reason for 'retiring' was to allow his salary to be used to employ more young scientists.

In the past few years, Ernie was responsible for managing and cataloguing CSIRO's impressive collection of gold – over 500 specimens of gold nuggets kindly donated by Australian prospector Mark Creasy.

Ernie was also a keen gardener, earned the title of National Master in bridge, spoke fluent German, read French, Italian and Russian, and was a very important mentor to many people in mineralogy.

He will be sorely missed by all those who had the privilege to know him.

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:27:42 GMT Tribute from Ray Binns - colleague and friend, CSIRO http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75029 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75029 Since before he came to Australia it has been my great pleasure to know Ernie and talk mineralogy with him. After I joined CSIRO in 1977 from the University of Western Australia, to join the eastern Australian side of what was then the Division of Mineralogy, meeting up with him was always a highlight of my many visits back to Perth, alas a pleasure no longer to be enjoyed. As the Division changed names and CSIRO became a research 'enterprise" , our conversations often focussed on the regrettable decline of mineralogy in the Division, but Ernie carried the banner to the end. Vale indeed,Ernie.

I attach some responses that came within hours of my notifying members of the Mineralogical Society of America talk-group. Most are from mineralogical glitterati.

Ray Binns

________________________________________________________

Message sent to the Mineralogical Society of America

From: Ray Binns

Sent: Fri 24-Jul-09 2:59 AM

Subject: Vale Ernie Nickel

I regret forwarding the sad news to his many friends that Ernie Nickel, formerly Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO Exploration and Mining, Australia, passed away last weekend shortly after being diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer. Since his retirement until recently he has cycled half-way across Perth to his laboratory most weekdays. He will be greatly missed.

Ray Binns

CSIRO

_______________________________________________________

From: "Dietrich, Richard V"

To: "Ray Binns"

Subject: RE: Vale Ernie Nickel

Date: Friday, 24 July 2009 11:52 PM

This is indeed sad news. I have been in contact intermittently with Ernie for several years. Is there anyone -- family, ... -- to whom I could send my condolences?? If so, could you PLEASE send me a name and address of someone I could contact? R.V. "Dick" Dietrich

_______________________________________________________

From: "Skinner, H Catherine"

To: "Ray Binns"

Subject: RE: Vale Ernie Nickel

Date: Saturday, 25 July 2009 12:34 AM

Ray, Thanks for sending this sad information. I knew Ernie and admired him greatly. He was a good scientist contributed wisely to many areas within Mineralogy. He served us all well.

Keep me informed on any memorial service or other items you can share.

Catherine

H. Catherine W. Skinner

Department of Geology and Geophysics

Yale University

_______________________________________________________

All:

A shame to lose such a great gentleman. I recall meeting him as a grad student so many years ago, and having him show interest in my studies was immensely encouraging. His enthusuasm and friendshipwill be missed by many all over the world.

Glenn Waychunas

Berkeley

________________________________________________________

Ray,

Please pass on my condolence to the family. He sounds like an amazing man who will be missed by all who's life he touched.

James Senn

University Of Wisconsin-Madison Student

Retired US Marine Infantry

_________________________________________________________

Dear Ray,

Many thanks for the very sad news that Ernie Nickel has died. As you
so rightly say, he will be greatly missed. Ernie was a good man.

Best regards
John Gittins

Univ Toronto, Canada

_________________________________________________________

Hello Ray,

It is difficult to transmit bad news but I appreciate hearing from you with the sad news of Ernie's death.

I had an exchange of emails with Ernie two months ago. As usually it was great to talk with him and, as always, very informative with his astute view of situations. He will be missed by many people.

Regards,
Fred J. Wicks
Curator Emeritus, ROM
Professor Emeritus, UofT
Toronto, Ontario M6P 2V9

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:11:03 GMT Tribute from Professor Simona Quartieri - SIMP President http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75028 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75028

As President of the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology, I express the sadness of all our scientific community for the death of Ernie Nickel.

All of us will miss him and will remember his fundamental contribution to mineralogy.

Prof. Simona Quartieri

SIMP President

Full Professor of Mineralogy, Earth Sciences Department, Messina University

and c/o

Earth Sciences Department, Modena and Reggio Emilia University

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:57:21 GMT Trubute from Greg Hitchen - colleague and friend, CSIRO Exploration and Mining http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75024 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75024 I first met Ernie 17 years ago when I started at CSIRO in 1992.

He was already "retired" then, still cycling to work 5 days a week,

something he continued to do until a couple of months ago. Even when

the Exploration and Mining division moved from the CSIRO Floreat site

to a newly built building at Kensington in 2000 he still cycled here

every Thursday (20+ kms). That's how we knew when it was Thursday! :)

Of course the other 4 days he still went to Floreat.

Ernie was truly an amazing person. I feel priviliged to have known him

and will certainly miss our conversations over morning tea, when along

with others we would solve the problems of the world. He was a very

knowledgeable person, not just in his own area of mineralogy, but in

history, current events, politics, and just general "life, the universe and

everything". I also enjoyed his great sense of humour.

He was and still is my inspiration for remaining both physically and mentally

active when I approach my "senior" years.

Condolences to all of Ernie's family. You have lost a wonderful

father/grandfather/husband and we have lost a great colleague/friend.

Bye Ernie, we're all going to miss you.

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:31:13 GMT Tribute from Giovanni Ferraris - Professor of Crystallography, Univ. Torino, Dpt. Sci. Mineral. Petrol. Via Valperga Caluso 35 I-10125 Torino, Italy http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75023 http://www.csiroalumni.org.au/members/blog_view.asp?id=455282&post=75023 I had the privilege of collaborating with Ernie in the field of mineral nomenclature. I appreciated very much his deep knowledge of systematic mineralogy and his capability of propagating it among the mineralogical community. In occasion of several mineralogical conferences we had the opportunity of upgrading our links from the stage of colleagues to that of friends.

It is with sadness that I offer my sympathy to Ernie's family, colleagues and members of the CSIRO Alumni Association.

Sincerely
Giovanni Ferraris

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:27:11 GMT