Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Luke Bradfield, a Mining Surveyor for Whitehaven.

When did you start in the mining industry and what was your first job?

I grew up in Gunnedah and while still in school I undertook work experience with Whitehaven and then I was fortunate to get a cadetship with the company in 2020. I did my Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology and during university breaks I worked at Maules Creek, Tarrawonga and Werris Creek open cut mines. Once I’d finished, I had a graduate job waiting for me at Whitehaven’s Narrabri mine. Since then I have worked at Vickery, Blackwater and now I have a full time FIFO job at Daunia.

How different is your job now to what you wanted to be when you were a kid?

I always knew I wanted to work in mining, but it wasn’t until I did work experience that I realised surveying was the perfect mix of problem-solving and working outdoors.

What’s a usual day at work entail?

My day usually starts in the office planning the day ahead. This involves touching base with production teams to determine what’s happened in the pit overnight and plan for the day ahead. Once I know the plan for the day, I can work out what I need to capture in the pit whether that is with the GNSS receiver, drone, laser scanner or total station.

After that I head out into the pit where I often interact with heavy machinery to visually see their progress aligning with the plan. Quite often I will catch up with the operators to chat about where their progress is at.

Once I have captured all the areas and set out any designs it’s back to the office to start reducing the data. This involves using software and programs that I am able to view the data in three-dimensional form. I complete checks on all the data I have captured for the day before using or distributing it.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The people. The people I work with on every site have always been very supportive and friendly. I have been extremely lucky to have worked under and with so many well regarded and experienced surveyors. I’m particularly grateful to Tim Prescott, who has supported me every step of the way in my career.

The worst thing?

Nothing! I’m so grateful to Whitehaven for the opportunities I’ve received. Whitehaven supported me financially through university, gave me practical experience, and ensured I had a job waiting for me at the end of my degree.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Leaving each team to rotate to another. In the moment it was always difficult having to say goodbye to each team and move on to a new site. I’ve worked in some great teams and made many lifelong friends. I always dreaded my last week at each site but now when I reflect on it, I am extremely proud of myself for persisting with the rotations as it has diversified myself as a surveyor.

What’s something about your job that would surprise people to know?

The balance between fieldwork and office tasks, particularly the hands-on aspects of surveying, such as drone technology and site scanning, are extraordinary – it’s a whole new level of precision and efficiency.

What’s your best advice for people entering the industry?

Find some sort of development program whether that is a cadetship, graduate program, apprenticeship or traineeship as it will provide you an opportunity to learn and figure out what you enjoy.

The mining industry gets more than its fair share of criticism. What is your view of our industry and the impact it has?

Growing up in Gunnedah in a mining family with both parents working in the industry, I have seen firsthand how mining not only supports families like mine but supports entire communities. I am very proud to be part of the industry.