David McDonald obituary: How a gas explorer awakened the giantsDon PoyntonThe West AustralianTue, 10 February 2026 10:07AMCommentsComments
When the young Canadian geophysicist Dave McDonald arrived in Australia in June 1965 to join the other five employees of Burmah Oil, he could not have envisaged the legacy he would leave behind.
Eighteen months earlier Woodside, the holder of vast unexplored oil exploration permits between Barrow Island and Darwin, had accepted an offer from Burmah Oil, Britain’s second largest oil company, to help finance and operate the initial exploration of the North West Shelf.
Sixty years later, the company that grew out of that venture and its giant gas discoveries now has more than 4500 employees. It has developed one of Australia’s great export industries, provided WA’s industries and the community with a reliable supply of domestic gas, and widened and strengthened the State’s economy through the creation of numerous supporting businesses.
Since gas production began in 1984, Woodside has made the people and governments of Australia and Western Australia richer by $40 billion through royalties and excise and has contributed over $300 million to communities in the Pilbara.
David (Dave) Roy McDonald was born in Selkirk, Manitoba, on May 10, 1932 and grew up as a hardworking farm boy in a large family. He moved to Alberta to work in the oil industry after earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Manitoba in 1952. After 13 years with Century Geophysical he accepted the job in Sydney, a two-year contract that turned into a decades-long career in the Australian oil industry and a love affair with Australia.
Dave spent 11 years with Burmah Oil in Sydney and Perth, holding the positions of chief geophysicist from 1965 to 1971, exploration manager from 1971 to 1973 and general manager (exploration & production) from 1973 to 1976.
He played a significant role in the discoveries, appraisals and initial planning of what was to become Australia’s largest resource development.
Such positions ensured he played a significant role in the discoveries, appraisals and initial planning of what was to become Australia’s largest resource development.
On arrival, his first challenge was to improve the quality of the seismic data (profiles of the layers of rock beneath the ocean floor) obtained in the initial 1964 seismic survey. Better-quality data was needed to map drill sites and Dave drew on his Canadian experience, which had shown the value of using larger explosive charges to penetrate the hard layers near the surface.
His next challenge was transporting the 18 tonnes of explosives needed from Perth to Darwin. The contract was awarded to Marine Charter Pty Ltd, operated by Fremantle’s Lombardo family, and developed into a sustained partnership that contributed to the formation of the Lombardo Marine Group — the largest maritime enterprise in the State — and fostered a lifelong professional and personal relationship between Dave and Mick Lombardo.
Scott Reef, the first of the world-class giant gas fields discovered on the North West Shelf in mid-1971, was followed in rapid succession by major discoveries at North Rankin, Goodwyn and Angel. In the nine months to early 1972 these discoveries totalled 1.3 trillion cum of gas in place, rivalling some of the largest gas deposits in the world.
Dave’s contribution to these successes and his skills as a manager saw him appointed as the first general manager (exploration & production) in the new publicly listed company, Woodside-Burmah Oil NL.
He played a central role in planning the development of the North West Shelf gas project during the politically nationalist period of Federal Labor minister for minerals and energy Rex Connor.
In August 1976, Burmah Oil sold its half share in WBO to a subsidiary of BHP and Dave returned to Canada. By that time, he had been involved in the drilling of 58 wells: 50 wildcats, with 13 discoveries and eight successful appraisals.
This was an outstanding accomplishment given the worldwide success rate for offshore wildcats at the time was around one in 10.
Dave’s management style and ability to mould a team played a very important role in this success.
Former Woodside chairman Michael Chaney AO, who started his working career as a geologist at Burmah Oil in 1971, spoke for many when he said on the 50th anniversary of the discoveries, “How fortunate all of us were, many of us in our first jobs, to have had Dave McDonald as our boss, not only through his great professionalism as an explorer, but also at a personal level for his friendship, support and guidance, and his generosity”.
Dave returned to Perth in 1977 as general manager of Hudbay Oil. Shortly after he was invited to join the board of the Subiaco Football Club to help strengthen its business acumen.
In 1990 Dave was elected an honorary member of the Australian Petroleum Exploration Association (now Australian Energy Producers), in recognition of his service as a councillor in 1978-1991 and as chairman 1987-1989.
In 1998 he received the organisation’s highest award, the Reg Sprigg gold medal, in recognition of his outstanding services in promoting the objectives of the industry.
Following senior positions with Hudbay Oil, Dome Petroleum and Lasmo in Perth, Brisbane, London and Rome, Dave and his wife Jean decided to split their retirement between Vancouver and Brisbane.
Dave had a heart attack on September 7, 2025. He died in his North Vancouver apartment on November 26, aged 93, surrounded by Jean (nee McPheeters), his wife of 71 years, who passed away on February 2, and his immediate family.
David Roy McDonald
Geophysicist
Born: Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada, 1932
Died: Vancouver, aged 93
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails
Read more on The West Australian
