The years I had the privilege to spend during 1974-1976 in Mervyn’s lab are unforgettable for me. Without any doubt this stay formed the basis for my entire academic life. I owe Mervyn so much, not only in in terms of science, by teaching me careful and rigorous thinking when analyzing data.  Also from a human point of view he and his wife Katalin were wonderful. The warm reception they gave our family when arriving in Canberra after 26 hours travel from Switzerland are also unforgettable.

Soon after our revival Mervyn took me tom excursion to South and Central Australia to look at rocks around Woodroffe Mountain and Alice Springs, where be joined Lionel Weiss and Hansrudi Wenk, hunting pseudotachylites and other rocks such as famous Heavytree Quartzite and spending the evenings with conversations around the campfire.

May he and his wife Katalin rest in peace.

Stefan