Bruce Cairncross was awarded his B.Sc. Hons and M.Sc. degrees in geology from the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) in 1976 and 1979 respectively. He then worked as a geologist for Rand Mines Ltd before joining the staff of the Department of Geology at the University of the Witwatersrand as a Research Officer, investigating the coal deposits of the Witbank Coalfield. This work culminated in a Ph.D. degree in 1986. Bruce joined the Rand Afrikaans University Geology Department in 1998 as Senior Lecturer. He was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and later Professor. He is now Chairman of the Department of Geology at the newly established University of Johannesburg. Click here for more information on Bruce's primary teaching and research responsabilities. Here you will also find his major publications.
Although is a professional geologist specialising in sedimentary rocks and their associated deposits, Prof. Cairncross has had an interest in minerals and mineralogy dating back to 1975 when he began collecting minerals in Namibia and he now owns a private collection numbering over 3500 specimens. Bruce has published a numer of articles various journals and magazines dealing with minerals, mineral localities, mineral curating and preservation, evaluation and disposal of mineral collections. Read more ...