Long-time publications like Quarry inevitably have milestones. In 2014, this magazine celebrated 30 years as the IQA’s flagship publication.
We ran a comprehensive piece in the October 2014 issue about how the industry had evolved in those three decades. Five years before that I also worked on a supplement for the 25th anniversary.
If you can permit me to be a little self-indulgent, I’ve realised that with this issue I’ve set a personal best (which I say with tongue planted very firmly in cheek, as I’m far from athletic!). This is the 100th issue of Quarry printed since I assumed the role as editor in May 2008. And what an incredible eight and a half years and 100 issues it’s been.
I can remember quite vividly at times working on specific issues of this great publication while the rest are all a blur (that’s either a side effect of working to very tight deadlines, in which you sometimes flip to “auto-pilot”, so to speak, or perhaps it’s just a sign of getting old – or both!).
The things I remember most keenly, though, don’t even relate to the writing, editing and production processes – they’re rather the opportunities I’ve had to visit quarrying operations (here in Australia and abroad) and to interview and talk with members of the industry – young and old members alike, operational and supplier members alike – either face to face or via the phone.
It’s a great pity, given the length and breadth of our great country, that I can’t get out more often from the office to see a variety of quarry operations at work, but that’s where telephone and email have been invaluable.
Some features I’ve written for Quarry in the past – notably the story just last month about SC Heinrich & Co in South Australia’s Clare Valley – would not have been possible without the co-operation of the quarry operators and their plant and equipment suppliers. They sometimes even to have go out on an arm and a limb to supply the photos and other illustrations that complement the feature if I cannot make a site visit (in particular, a big thanks to Malcolm Heinrich and Finlay Screening & Crushing’s Hannam Alam for their assistance) – and nine times out of ten, the individuals concerned exceed my expectations. Similarly, Boral and Sandvik provided excellent coverage of the plant and equipment set-up at Peppertree Quarry in a recent article.
It is industry members’ commitment and dedication to good, quality content that makes Quarry as much a team effort as any of the work that I put into the publication – or other members of my editorial team (which in the past has included Stephanie Chan and more recently Lewis Dyson), not to mention Sam Veal in sales and Jo De Bono who heads up the graphic design. In all, Quarry is a true team effort, and it’s a great privilege to be associated with it.
Of course, this isn’t the end of the “journey”. As I write this, it’s business as usual – there is plenty of water to pass under the bridge that is 2016.
Don’t ever forget that Quarry is your magazine, and you can contribute to it. I’m always open to discussing and receiving submissions and suggestions for stories, articles and papers. They’re either features we can collaborate on (as I’ve highlighted above) or articles you may opt to write yourself. Time, of course, is always at a premium, both in publishing and quarrying, but contributors to Quarry are eligible for CPD points. There is as much to learn from participating in the magazine as there is to reading it.
I look forward to catching up with you all at CMIC16 next month and to discussing new ideas for 2017.