This prestigious lecture honours the legacy of Essington Lewis (1881–1961), one of Australia’s most influential industrial leaders and a driving force behind the transformation of BHP into a global mining powerhouse.

Born in Burra, South Australia, Lewis trained as a mining engineer at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries, where he also gained national recognition as an elite footballer. His remarkable career with Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd began 118 years ago at its Broken Hill operations, and he went on to become Chairman and General Manager of BHP

Lewis is best known for spearheading the development of an efficient and internationally competitive Australian steel industry, and for leading BHP’s strategic expansion into coal and iron ore mining—a vision that ultimately positioned the company as the largest mining company in the world. Among his many accolades, Lewis was awarded The Institute Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the AusIMM, in 1940.

The Essington-Lewis Memorial Lecture, the premier technical event in the Adelaide Branch calendar, celebrates his enduring legacy by bringing together professionals, academics, and students to explore the future of mining, innovation, and industrial leadership in Australia.

This year, we are proud to welcome Rashpal Bhatti, Group Procurement Officer at BHP, as our keynote speaker. With a global perspective and deep expertise in procurement, supply chain strategy, and sustainability, Mr. Bhatti will share thought-provoking insights into the evolving role of procurement in shaping resilient and responsible industries throughout his own journey.