Keith Yates remembered as ‘quiet giant’ of SA’s minerals sector following death at 85

One of the pioneers of the mining industry is being remembered as a “quiet giant of SA’s minerals sector” following his death.

Keith Yates handling core sample on The Iluka drilling site near Ceduna in 2006.

One of the pioneers of the state’s mining industry, Keith Yates, is being remembered as a “quiet giant of South Australia’s minerals sector” following his death on Monday.

Mr Yates had a distinguished career in the minerals sector, working with luminaries such as Robert de Crespigny, and was a founding director of Adelaide Resources in 1993, which went on to discover rich mineral sands resources in the state’s far west as well as gold and iron ore deposits.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021 for significant service to the minerals and mining sector, and to the community, and was honoured with a Minerals Sector Service Award by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) in 2019, recognising his 60 years of contribution to the industry.

Mr Yates died following a short battle with illness. He was 85 years old.

In a tribute posted on LinkedIn, Department for Energy & Mining principal advisor Paul Heithersay described Mr Yates as a “quiet giant of South Australia’s minerals sector”, who had made an “extraordinary contribution” to Australia’s minerals and energy sector over more than six decades.

Keith Yates pictured with minerals at the SA Museum in 2019. Picture: Tom Huntley

“Keith’s legacy extends far beyond technical achievements. As chair of the Minerals and Energy Advisory Council, he helped guide South Australian policy at the highest levels,” he said.

“Through leadership roles with the AusIMM, the Geological Society of Australia, the University of New England Alumni Association, and the Playford Trust, he mentored generations of geologists and executives, instilling a culture of integrity, scientific curiosity, and public service.

“Keith never sought the spotlight, but his peers recognised his profound influence. He combined technical rigour with entrepreneurial flair – and managed to enjoy himself along the way.”

Reflecting on his career as a geologist, company director and mining executive during an interview with The Advertiser in 2019, Mr Yates said a passion for science led him to choose maths, physics and chemistry at university, and he had to choose a fourth subject.

“I didn’t know anything much about geology but I thought I’d give it a crack. From there on I was hooked,’’ Mr Yates said. “It became my passion.’’

Mr Yates started his career with Geoscience Australia, spending five years working in the Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea. He moved to SA in 1970, when the local industry was modest, with Olympic Dam not discovered at that stage.

Keith Yates holding zircon mineral sand during his time at Adelaide Resources.

Mr Yates spent most of the 1980s as a group executive at fabled Poseidon Group. Normandy Mining took a controlling shareholding in Poseidon in 1988, which led to Mr Yates working with Mr de Crespigny.

Adelaide Resources, where Mr Yates worked in various capacities until his retirement in 2010, made three mineral discoveries in SA - the Barns gold deposit in 2000, the Warramboo iron deposit in 2000, ultimately vended into Iron Road, and the Tripitaka mineral sands deposit in joint venture with Iluka Resources in 2005.

In 1994, Mr Yates conceived the NewGenGold conference to provide a platform for geologists to learn from detailed case histories of recent gold discoveries.

Mr Heithersay said Mr Yates “exemplified the best of our profession: a quiet confidence, relentless curiosity, and a readiness to have a go”.

“He reminded us that mining is not merely about extraction – it is about discovery, stewardship, and creating intergenerational value. He was a tireless advocate for mineral exploration as the essential front-end of Australia’s future prosperity.”

Originally published as Keith Yates remembered as ‘quiet giant’ of SA’s minerals sector following death at 85