Reg Sprigg a colossus of South Australia's minerals and energy scene in 20th Century
At 17, Reg Sprigg became the youngest fellow of the Royal Society of South Australia.
Reg Sprigg became one of the towering figures of 20th Century South Australian minerals and energy, as a geologist, explorer, environmentalist and a founder of South Australia's oil and gas industry.
Before he was five years old, the family had moved from Yorke Peninsula to the Adelaide suburb of Goodwood. This gave Sprigg access to the beach where he collected shells and fossils. This developed into a serious interest in geology. He took collected samples to be identified by at Adelaide University. At 17, he became the youngest fellow of the Royal Society of South Australia.
When Adelaide Technical High School dropped geology from its curriculum, Reg studied geology independently to take the subject for matriculation. As a result, he topped the state in geology in 1938.
At the University of Adelaide, Sprigg began studying at the under the tutelage of renowned geologists and Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson and Cecil T. Madigan. Mawson said Sprigg was his “best ever student”.
Sprigg completed his bachelor of science in zoology and then graduated master of science during 1942.
During 1940, he enlisted in the Australian Royal Engineers and worked with munitions in 1941-42.
He tried to join the Air Force but was prevented from doing so and was instead diverted to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, later to become the CSIRO). He transferred to work with the soils division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) until 1943.
