First, in the classic metaphorical sense, he has built a career in music as a multi-instrumentalist and genre defying artist with popular outfits including Seasoning, Kommodus and Donny Love.

Secondly and perhaps more literally, he has conquered the scientific hemisphere as one of the CSIRO’s postdoctoral geomicrobiological research fellows, focusing on carbon sequestration within post-mining processes.

In layman’s terms, Tom works with the microbes in rocks and in the earth to help the mining industry become more sustainable.

This All Saints alumnus is certainly proof that even when one’s dearest passions may appear on opposite ends of the spectrum, there’s no need to sacrifice either in the pursuit of happiness or success.

But Tom didn’t discover his love for geology straight out of the gate, as he did with music – it was a combination of tertiary study, travel, and life experience overseas which led to his scientific calling.

“At school I wasn’t particularly interested in science at all, but then I finished an undergraduate degree in archaeology and found that in geology there was so many directions I could take,” he says.

“I spent some time in exploration geology which basically just meant being in nature, looking at the ground and using different tools for analysing areas for a mine that might potentially exist in 50 years’ time, for example.”

“I also spent a lot of time travelling through places like Nepal, India and South East Asia. I came to the realisation that the same processes that built the Himalayas, for instance, are essentially the same processes that are pulling Europe away from America – and it was just very special and eye opening to see how intertwined and diverse the world really is in that way.”

From this initiation, Tom rose through the ranks in academia to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Earth Science, a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geomicrobiology and finally a Doctorate in Geology, Geomicrobiology and Carbon Sequestration before landing his current research role at the CSIRO.

Tom’s work now involves studying tiny organisms known as microbes and using them within sites around the world to aid earth recovery and sustainability following mining operations.

“During my PhD I spent a few years flying back and forth from Africa doing studies within De Beers diamond mines,” he explains.

“I identified some photosynthetic bacteria in South Africa that, if you introduced it to the waste of diamond mines, would sequester a lot of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These bugs would essentially drink the CO2 out of the area and produce carbonate rocks such as limestone in the tailings, locking the harmful stuff out.”

“I’ve since continued that work, doing carbon sequestration and seeing how different bacteria can help in fixing up old mines, otherwise called bioremediation.”

Australia is one of the world’s foremost mining countries and a leading producer of fundamental assets including iron ore, coal, gold and uranium.

Due to the vast potential for revenue within our soil, Tom says that studying and implementing sustainable mining practices will be integral to the industry moving forward – and even a key money maker.

“Getting the soils back up with the natural microbiome has to be the starting point for it all… it will be one of the centre points of scientific research certainly within the next 100 years,” he says.

“Mines have such a good opportunity to lead the way here, as they have the budgets, the need, and the carbon tax incentives all pushing them in that direction.”

“There’s a funny anecdote in this line of work which says that, if the carbon tax keeps trending the way it has, the biggest diamond mining company in the world won’t be mining the earth for diamonds in 100 years’ time – they’ll be mining the earth for carbon sequestration, and diamonds will be the byproduct.”

Tom recently returned to his alma mater for the Year 12 Explore, Dream, Discover Careers Dinner, where he shared his career experiences, both musical and geological, with the aspiring graduates of All Saints.

He reflected on his journey and shared with the students that it’s ok to hunt for a career, but it’s also ok for a career to find you – even one you didn’t expect.

“Music is my first love, it’s always going to be omnipresent in my life… and now I find that I enjoy it more than ever because I have this amazing hobby that allows me to tour around with friends and find that freedom,” he says.

“But I also love my work in geology equally. As I was saying to some of the students at the Careers Dinner, lots of people have this very straight-line idea about ‘what to do when you grow up’, but being open to side steps and open to new opportunities will always lead you to what you love.”