
A role model for academic excellence.
Encourages independent and critical thought.
Always patient and willing to help.
Makes learning feel effortless and fun.
Encourages students to think creatively.
John O'Callaghan serves as a professor in Chemical and Extractive Metallurgical Engineering at the WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, where he is listed among the school's professional staff. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) with Distinction and is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). With over 35 years of extensive experience in the mining industry, O'Callaghan has held key positions across major companies, including Head of Directional Studies – Metallurgy at Newcrest Mining Limited, and previous roles at Outotec, Minara Resources, BHP Billiton, and WMC Resources. His career encompasses a wide range of commodities such as nickel, cobalt, gold, alumina, rare earths, and copper, spanning operations, research and development, engineering, and sales of equipment and process technologies.
Primarily a hydrometallurgist, John O'Callaghan has been deeply involved in hydrometallurgical operations and innovation, including large-scale milling and concentrator plants. He has made significant contributions to the field through keynote presentations and panel discussions at prominent industry conferences, such as ALTA, addressing critical topics including cyanide alternatives and alleviation, refractory and complex gold ores, and engineering models for innovation in mining. His expertise in extractive metallurgy continues to influence advancements in mineral processing and resource extraction technologies at Curtin University and beyond.
