Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Blake Raymond Pelly (1937–1990) was educated at Cambridge University and at the University of Marburg, Germany, with qualifications in engineering. He joined a British company, the forerunner to British Gas, as a staff engineer. He moved to Australia and served as aide-de-camp to the Governor of New South Wales before enlisting in the Royal Australia Airforce, with military service including as commander of the 451st Squadron, director of Tactical and Operational Requirements, and director of Operations for the Royal Australian Air Force Headquarters between 1945 and 1946. Pelly had an esteemed military service, mentioned in despatches and awarded an Order of the British Empire. When recruited to Rio Tinto Mining Company of Australia in 1956 as chairman he was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Val Duncan, the managing director of Rio Tinto, London, viewed Pelly as an appropriate person, possessing a distinguished military background, political connections, as well as training in engineering, to represent the interests of the Rio Tinto in Australia. Pelly went on to serve as vice-chairman of Conzinc RioTinto of Australia (CRA) when it was formed through a merger of Consolidated Zinc and Rio Tinto.
Source: Robert Porter, Rio Tinto in Australia. The Origins and Formation of an International Resources Company. 1954–1995, (Redlands Bay, Connor Court Publishing, 2023), p. 38.