Whitehaven coal
4 March 2025
Luke Bradfield: From schoolboy to Mining Surveyor at Whitehaven
Whitehaven’s Luke Bradfield was introduced to mining at an early age. He grew up in Gunnedah in a mining family with both parents working in the industry—his mother, Melissa currently working for Whitehaven based in Gunnedah, and his father at a neighbouring mine. While still in school, Luke undertook work experience with Whitehaven.
“I always knew I wanted to work in mining,” he said. “But it wasn’t until I did work experience that I realised surveying was the perfect mix of problem-solving and working outdoors.”
Following on from his work experience, Luke’s passion for mining, coupled with a keen interest in problem-solving and mathematics, encouraged him to pursue a cadetship.
“I started with Whitehaven in 2020 after applying for a cadetship and the company supported me through university and provided me with vacation work every university break. Whitehaven recommended I do a Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology at Toowoomba University and once I’d finished, there was a graduate job waiting for me.
“I was lucky to have valuable hands-on experience during university breaks, where I worked at Maules Creek, Tarrawonga and Werris Creek open cut mines. When I started the Graduate Program, I was given the opportunity to work underground at Whitehaven’s Narrabri mine for nine months. It was a really different experience, which I was encouraged to do by my boss as it would be great for my career. Until then, all my work experience and vacation work had been at the open cuts. At Narrabri, I was the youngest in the team, but they were supportive, and it was enjoyable to learn from them.
“I also had the opportunity to work at Whitehaven’s Vickery mine from commencement of the mine’s life, which not many people will have the chance to do in mining. It’s given me an understanding of what’s involved in the initial stages of getting a mine operating.”
After his time underground, Luke returned to open cut mining where he has had the opportunity to work at most of Whitehaven’s mines, including Blackwater in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, which was acquired by Whitehaven in April 2024. Blackwater was Luke’s last role as a Graduate before being offered full time employment as a Mine Surveyor at Whitehaven’s Daunia mine, which is near Moranbah – also in the Bowen Basin.
“I started my FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) job at Daunia on the 23rd of January this year and the team have been great, really welcoming,” Luke said.
“It’s a smaller team here than at Blackwater, and they’ve made me so welcome and to feel like they really want me to be here. I’m also lucky that a lot of the processes and systems are similar to Blackwater, which is making the transition easier.
“As the role’s FIFO, I’m based in Brisbane on my days off. The balance between fieldwork and office tasks, particularly the hands-on aspects of surveying, such as drone technology and site scanning are great —it’s a whole new level of precision and efficiency.”
Luke’s experience with Whitehaven spans over five years and, reflecting on his career so far, he’s grateful to Whitehaven for the opportunities he’s received.
“Whitehaven supported me financially through university, gave me practical experience, and ensured I had a job waiting for me at the end of my degree. I’ve had so many great mentors along the way who’ve really helped to shape my career.
“I’m particularly grateful to Tim Prescott, who has encouraged me every step of the way. He was instrumental in my decision to work at Narrabri underground in the early days but also encouraged me to take the job at Blackwater knowing I’d benefit from a new experience of seeing how strip mining and draglines work, which I hadn’t seen before.”
When asked whether he had any advice for those considering Whitehaven’s Graduate Program, Luke highlighted the opportunities and variety of work and experiences available in the Graduate Program.
“You get to experience and be part of different types of mining across a range of mines which gives you the opportunity to work out what you’re interested in. One of the best things is the different connections you make and people you meet. I’ve been lucky to have worked with some great people to learn from and mentor me in every stage of my time at Whitehaven.”
Luke’s journey—from a school student intrigued by mining to a surveyor working on a major mining project, highlights the opportunities available within Whitehaven’s Cadet and Graduate Programs.
Our Graduate Program opens on the 10th March, 2025 for applications. More information can be found here.
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