industry. The appointment of the first Government Geologist, Henry Yorke Lyell Brown, on 1 December 1882 was made during a period of drought and depression in the Colony. The establishment of the Department of Mines in 1894 occurred under similar circumstances. Both measures were intended to assist private industry in the exploitation of mineral and water resources and thereby to ensure that the people of South Australia acquired some benefits. Mining activities, however, generally remained at a low ebb for many years following these official initiatives. From a reading of previous events, one appreciates that time, place and personalities change while other features remain the same. 'In search of mineral wealth' discusses the mood of the past and, in doing so, demonstrates the feeling that much has been said before. Hence, 100 years on from Brown's appointment, there remains the expectation that wealth to be won from the recovery and processing of minerals will provide a renewed impetus to employment, investment, challenges and opportunities in South Australia." -- dust jacket fly-leaf.