Top award for Ex-Queen s boy
Geologist honoured for outstanding service
Dr GV Price, who grew up on a farm in the Tarka district and attended Queen s College, was
’ recently honoured by the presentation of a Gold Medal Award in recognition of
“outstanding lifelong service to the profession of engineering and environmental geology in South Africa ”.
This award by the South African Institute of Engineering and Environmental Geologists (SAIEG) is the premier award of the institute and is only presented in years where a
“suitable recipient has been recognised ”.
GV, as he has always been known, is the son of the late Tom Price and Bella Budler. He matriculated in 1970 and completed national service before studying geology at the University of Natal. He later did a master s degree at the
’
University of Pretoria and then a PhD in engineering geology. He says: Ever since I can
“remember I have had a fascination with the earth s
’ crust. As a little boy I picked up stones and carted them home and used my pocket money to buy strangely shaped and coloured mineral rock specimens.”
He has worked on impressive projects around
Africa, Afghanistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Ireland which, he says, has involved interrogating everything of a civil engineering nature below the surface.
Foundations for buildings, bridges, dams and tunnels, the stability of deep excavations, prospecting for materials to use in building, problem foundations such as clays, sands with a collapsible grain structure, sudden sinkholes in dolomite ... the list goes on.
But GV is also passionate about his family, sport and fitness. He and Lil have been together 46 years and share so much. They live in Ballito and their daughter is in Salt Rock with her husband and four of their five grandsons. Their son lives in Australia.
GV also has an impressive sporting record, especially in canoeing, and says: It s
“’ amazing going down a river enjoying the excitement of the rapids, camaraderie with friends and nature (including the occasional crocodile).”
He has done 40 Dusi canoe marathons, the last with his sonin-law. We had to complete the
“final 22km swimming, climbing, walking and dragging our broken boat all the way to Durban. All without one bad word and we still finished in time!”
But he has also done 10 Comrades marathons, the Ironman in PE when he was already in his mid-50s, kayaking in Antarctica and 20 Fish River canoe marathons. He has provincial colours for canoeing.
Although now well into his 60s, GV still canoes three times a week, cycles regularly, does karate twice a week and runs with Lil but she is far too fast for
“ me ”, he laughs.
Asked how he felt about the award, GV said: It has been a
“humbling experience. I am certainly honoured ... there is no other way of looking at it.”