Michaelyne Arumbi, a recent member of our alumni community having completed a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Earth Sciences, is living her dream. In fact, she landed her first mining job before graduating, finishing her last subject online.
Michaelyne is a Mine Geologist at Aeris Resources Limited, a mining and exploration company focussed on precious metals.
Based at Cracow – three hours’ drive west of Bundaberg in Queensland – Michaelyne started her career with Aeris’s Tritton Copper Mines at the Murrawombie site in central New South Wales.
Her role day-to-day at the mine is very hands on and sees her working closely with the Underground Operations Crew and diamond drilling contractors.
She works a roster of eight days on then six off, allowing her to have a work life balance, camping, hiking and road tripping in New South Wales and Queensland.
“I’ve always been very interested in being out in nature, so geology is a good fit for tying in with my hobbies,” Michaelyne said. “I couldn’t be in a desk job.”
The outdoors lifestyle was what drew Michaelyne to geology, as well as the people she gets to work with.
“It’s a very fast-paced work environment. Honestly, what I really enjoy is working with people in the operations – everyone works closely together as a part of a team,” she said.
“There are people with years of experience from various skillsets and with a wealth of knowledge about mining. I can learn so much from these skilled individuals.”
Michaelyne grew up in Papua New Guinea and had an interest for a time in a seafaring life, but decided, “The ocean can be quite a lonely and isolated place, being away at sea for months at a time.”
That’s when she decided to do a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences at the University of Tasmania.
“The course was 100 per cent beneficial,” she said. “Geology at UTAS has had some very successful PhD candidates, as well as just Geology graduates. There’s a really high standard of Earth Sciences. I’d recommend it to anyone."
“UTAS stood out to me because there were lots of field trips, and, being in Tassie, there are world-class geology sites very close – along the West Coast, as well as along the East Coast. You don’t need to travel far.
“I’d be interested to do postgraduate training there too; they have a good Economics and Geology course. I’d be very privileged to go back to do that.
“Tassie is such a beautiful place, all the beautiful mountain ranges. Everyone who studies at UTAS is very lucky to have such beautiful landscapes around them to enjoy. I miss it.”
While at University, Michaelyne was on the Committee of the Geology Society and was Vice President of the Tasmanian Student Chapter of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the peak body for people working in the resources sector. She was also involved with the University of Tasmania Lions Rugby Union team representing the University of Tasmania in the Aon’s Sponsored University Rugby 7s Tournament and locally within the Tasmanian Rugby Union.
We look forward to seeing where her career takes her next.
First published in Alumni and Friends eNews.
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