He is best known as an editor of the ninth edition of the Nickel-Strunz classification together with Karl Hugo Strunz.
Following his studies he worked for the Canadian Department of Mines and Technical Surveys (CANMET).
In 1971 he moved to Australia to work for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
He created the 'Mineral database' together with Monte C. Nichols, and published over 120 papers and books.
He made 24 first descriptions of minerals including cuprospinel, niocalite, wodginite, carrboydite, nickelblödite, otwayite, nullaginite and kambaldaite.