Hailed as a pioneering geologist and a leader in the minerals sector, many are mourning the death of Dr Erica Smyth AC, whose career was marked by deep commitment and passion for the minerals and petroleum industries.
Smyth grew up in Geraldton, Western Australia, and after finishing high school embarked on a science degree at the University of Western Australia. Initially focusing on chemistry, she enrolled in a geology unit and quickly found her true calling.
“I quickly realised that I didn’t want to be in a white coat stuck indoors in a laboratory for the rest of my life; I would rather be outdoors. I loved my geology units, so I switched to a geology major,” Smyth once said in an interview.
Her professional career began with BHP as a geologist at Newman in the Pilbara. She rose steadily through the company, ultimately becoming principal geologist for BHP Minerals, a position she held for seven years.
“Within BHP I had a career where after two years in a job I would get offered something new and different, so I moved around a lot and got a very broad base within the minerals exploration business,” she recalled. Self-effacingly, she added: “I was an OK geologist but nothing very brilliant. However, I am good with people.”
Alongside her professional achievements, Smyth deepened her academic credentials with an Applied Master of Science from McGill University in Montreal.
Her combination of technical understanding and strong interpersonal skills led her into senior management roles. She later became BHP Petroleum’s manager of gas market development WA before moving to Woodside Petroleum as general manager – corporate affairs, where she further cemented her status as a respected industry leader.
In 2005, Smyth shifted into a new chapter as a professional company director, a role that allowed her to combine her technical knowledge, management experience, and passion for mentorship.
She served as chair of Toro Energy and as a non-executive director with organisations including Emeco Holdings and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Smyth also played an influential role in the Commonwealth Government’s CRC Program through her directorships with the Deep Exploration Technologies CRC (DET CRC) and MinEx CRC.
In 2012, she was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, recognising both her technical capability and her broader contribution to industry.
“Erica was a game changer for women in mining. Over nearly 40 years in the minerals and petroleum sectors, she carved a path at a time when few women were given the opportunity, let alone a voice,” MinEx CRC said in its tribute.
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said Smyth’s leadership over more than four decades had helped shape the mining industry. “Erica’s legacy is one of remarkable achievement and lasting impact,” King said. “Erica showed what is possible for women in Australia’s resources sector, setting an extraordinary example and helping to change our industry for the better.”
Smyth’s influence extended well beyond mining and petroleum. From 2007 to 2012, she chaired WA’s film industry body Screenwest. “Her keen intelligence and strategic guidance were pivotal at a key time in our industry’s development,” former Screenwest CEO Dr Tania Chambers OAM said.
After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Smyth dedicated herself to improving health outcomes for others, serving as chair of Diabetes Research Western Australia for 11 years and as a non-executive director of the Lions Eye Institute. She was also a long-serving non-executive director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Operations).
Dr Erica Smyth AC will be remembered as a trailblazer whose intelligence, warmth and leadership left a lasting imprint on the industries she served, the communities she supported, and the many people whose lives she touched.
