When Martin Donohue joined Kidman Resources back in October 2014, the most prospective thing about the very junior miner was its smart corner office in the severe steel-and-glass tower in Melbourne’s Williams Street that was home to  Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd.

On his first day as managing director of a miner with hopes but no great bank of prospects, Kidman boasted a market capitalisation of $8.9 million. Five years and $36 million of investment later, Donohue has built a business that Wesfarmers values at $776 million.