Peter James (7) (1935–2021)

[excerpted from Brisbane Grammar School obituary]
Peter Michael James passed away on 26 June 2021. Born on 14 December 1935 in Brisbane, Peter was a geologist and writer, publishing more than 25 books on earth science, global extinctions, society and corruption and also many novels and short stories, several of which won prizes. He also wrote 100 Years of Grammar Rugby (1988) charting the history of rugby at BGS from 1887 to 1987.

James spent a couple of years on cattle stations out west, returning to Brisbane in 1955. He played for Souths Rugby Union while studying for senior, then went on to Union College at the University of Queensland, where he played for the University's XV's A grade for three years and saw three grand finals. He played two tests for Australia against New Zealand in 1958, after playing state side for three years. Graduating from UQ in Geology and Maths, he spent the next two years in seismic oil search in northwest Australia, married, then moved to the UK.

James later completed a Masters of Engineering at Imperial College of London, and thereafter spent two years in Malaysia completing his PhD in Civil Engineering, also through Imperial College. He returned to Brisbane in early 1970 to an academic position at UQ.

James then set up a specialised consultancy taking on assignments in Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and the Southwest Pacific, before spending his later years in Tasmania and then the Sunshine Coast. In addition to authoring some 50 technical papers for journals and conferences over his career, he never stopped writing – was working on fiction and nonfiction manuscripts until the end.