A new book, John Moffat of Irvinebank: a biography of a regional entrepreneur, by Ruth Kerr is to be launched at Loudoun House Museum, Irvinebank on Sunday 10 December 2000. · Ruth Kerr has been researching the North Queensland mining industry history since 1973 when Ruth first visited Irvinebank and Chillagoe and was impressed by the historic remains of the vast mining empire of John Moffat. · From then on Ruth and her husband, John, travelled every year to spend their holidays in the North exploring, researching and documenting the mining history and heritage, and participating in North Queensland life and historical activities. · Ruth completed two history theses on John Moffat at University of Queensland; a History Honours thesis in 1978, culminating in the publication in 1979 of John Moffat’s Empire: a mining history of the Cairns Hinterland 1880 to 1918, and a biography of John Moffat as a PhD in 1986. · The first book, John Moffat’s Empire, was launched in April 1980 on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the discovery of tin in the Wild River and at the Great Northern. This book is now out of print. · The new book, John Moffat of Irvinebank: a biography of a regional entrepreneur, is the culmination of the 27 years of research. It is more than double the size of the first book and describes much more of John Moffat’s personal life and his business dealings, the lady he was engaged to, Jane Vary; his method of controlling the holdings of shares of the Vulcan mine, the deepest tin mine in Australia; the opening up of the Chillagoe and Mount Garnet copper fields and his dealings with Melbourne based ‘Broken Hillionaires’. · The whole of the research has been a labour of love and of commitment to North Queensland and its Historical Societies. Ruth unveiled the plaque at Loudoun Mill on the occasion of the centenary of the mill in 1984. · John Moffat of Irvinebank: a biography of a regional entrepreneur will be launched by Mr Les Sim, President of the Cairns and District Historical Society, at Moffat’s House, now the Loudoun House Museum, in Irvinebank at 12.30pm on Sunday, 10 December 2000. This is the 116th anniversary of the opening of John Moffat’s Irvinebank tin battery. · All are welcome to attend. The book will also be on sale on bookshops and newsagents in the North. Phillip Charlier, http://www.infocus.to/netguide/network