Gekko Chair Elizabeth Lewis-Gray inducted into Honour Roll of Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame

Eight years ago I interviewed Sandy and Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, perhaps the most well-known and respected husband-and-wife team in minerals engineering. They are the co-founders of Gekko Systems, which is a world leader in gold processing technology, as well as the design, construction and operation of energy efficient modular plants.

Gekko Systems has always had a particular focus on reducing energy intensity and increasing energy efficiency. This has resulted in a focus on new flowsheets, pre-concentration, reducing treatment of gangue/waste, utilising low energy technologies as well as being instrumental in the establishment of not-for-profit CEEC – the Coalition of Eco-Efficient Comminution.

We are therefore very pleased to announce that Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, co-founder and Chair of Gekko Systems and Founder and Patron of CEEC, has been inducted into the Honour Roll of the prestigious Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame for Service to Industry. This award recognises her remarkable contributions to the manufacturing industry, the primary reason for us inviting her to present a keynote lecture at last year's online event Integration, Optimisation & Design of Mineral Processing Circuits ’22, appropriately on the critical need for accelerating innovation in the mining sector.

In her acceptance speech, Elizabeth expressed her surprise at the honour, stating, "I am shocked- this honour was totally unexpected, and I am blown away. I am passionate about Australia and Victoria being world’s best, and it’s important to me that my businesses, Gekko Systems and Gaia EnviroTech, are world’s best. Clearly, it’s not one individual but the team who make these companies globally competitive." Gekko Systems' expertise in materials handling and modular systems provided the foundation for Gaia EnviroTech, focused on environmentally sustainable solutions for organic waste and renewable bioenergy.

The Honour Roll was presented to Elizabeth by the Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Minister for Industry and Innovation, during a gala dinner held as part of the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards. 

The Hall of Fame Honour Roll Award particularly reflects the extraordinary achievements of the Gekko Systems team who, in 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, responded to a request from the Ballarat medical community, and successfully designed a fit for purpose ventilator (posting of 2 April 2020). Sandy Gray, Technical Director of Gekko Systems, brought together the Gekko Systems team’s knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics, operating systems, mechatronics and control systems with the advice of a number of leading physicians and anaesthetists to design the simple, robust ventilator, and subsidiary, Gekko Medical, received a Letter of Permission from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration for the manufacture of the GeVentor ventilator in a short 4-month period.

Sandy Gray with the prototype ventilator

Elizabeth Lewis-Gray's induction into the Honour Roll of the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame not only celebrates her personal dedication but also underscores the power of collaborative innovation and regional manufacturing expertise. Her accomplishments serve as an inspiration to the entire industry and stand as a testament to the impact that visionary leadership can have on driving progress.