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Arnold Dix

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arnold Dix
Born
Monbulk, Victoria, Australia
EducationMonash University
OccupationsGeologist, engineer, lawyer
SpouseDivina Dix
RelativesHelena Dix (sister)
AwardsNFPA Distinguished Committee Service Award (2022)
Monash University 2024 Science Alumni of the Year
Websitearnolddix.com

Arnold Dix is an Australian geologist, engineer, lawyer, and author. He is known for his part in the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue in India in 2023, and a former president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.

Early life and education

[edit]

Arnold Dix was born in Monbulk, Victoria,[citation needed] one of three children: his siblings are opera singer Helena Dix and Colin Dix (deceased).[1]

Arnold attended Haileybury[2] Newlands and then Haileybury Senior School from 1975-1981. He played in School Rugby teams and was a member of the Swimming Squad.

Arnold was a Vice Captain in Berthon House, one of the Haileybury Houses. In the 1980 Yearbook, he wrote a prescient piece on environmental awareness for a body named HEAL (Haileybury Environmental Awareness League).

He earned an honours Bachelor of Science from Monash University, Melbourne, in 1986, followed by a bachelor of laws in 1988.[3][4]

Career

[edit]
[edit]

Dix is a registered barrister at the High Court of Australia and a member of the Victorian Bar.[5][6] He is a former counsel to White & Case legal firm[7] and a former partner of law firms Maddock Lonie & Chisholm, and DLA Phillips Fox.[citation needed]

Academia

[edit]

As of November 2023 Dix was professor of engineering at Tokyo City University.[8] As of November 2025 he is professor of engineering at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Pune, India.[9][better source needed] He is a former professor of engineering at Queensland University of Technology and at Western Sydney University.[10]

Leadership and other roles

[edit]

Dix is a former president of International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITUSA), based in Geneva, Switzerland.[11] He is also the founder of The ALARP Group.[12]

Dix is a member of the National Fire Protection Association standards committees for Road (NFPA 502) and Rail (NFPA 130) Tunnels safety.[13] He also serves on PIARC for road Tunnel related matters.[citation needed]

In September 2025, the ITA, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), appointed Dix as inaugural chair of its nuclear waste disposal working group to support UN Member States in developing deep geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste.[14][15]

Safety and rescues

[edit]

In 2023, he was part of the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation of 41 workers in India who were trapped in Uttarkashi, India.[16]

Dix has also been involved in improving the safety of bulk milk truck tankers. In 2023, he was announced by the National Bulk Tanker Association (NBTA) as the keynote speaker for Bulk Tanker Day.[17]

In 2020, Dix, together with Lord Robert Mair and Peter Vickery QC, established Underground Works Chambers.[18] The company offers technical and regulatory solutions for challenges related to underground spaces.[19]

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue

[edit]

On 19 November 2023, Dix joined the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation in Uttarakhand, India.[16] Upon arrival, Dix promised to evacuate all 41 workers safely. Dix played a leading role in the operation that saved 41 workers who were trapped nearly 200 ft below the surface. He worked together with five agencies ONGC, SJVNL, RVNL, NHIDCL, and THDCL, who had encountered difficulties completing the rescue mission.[20][21]

Dix suggested that the team use soft mining techniques, to avoid disturbing the mountain and causing another avalanche which would put the workers at further risk. Rescuers had been using large earth drilling machines which caused vibrations that made the tunnel more unsafe. The large drills also broke down from hitting metal obstacles from the collapsed tunnel, forcing the rescue operation to be paused frequently.[22] Dix proposed much slower and gentle approaches that he considered safer.[23] The rescuers used a thin pipe to carry the trapped workers to safety. They finally excavated by hand to avoid disturbing the rock and causing further damage.[24]

Dix displayed faith during the rescue by praying at a makeshift temple during the rescue, which gained attention on social media. During the rescue mission, Dix was seen praying at the temple of local deity Baba Bokh Naag ji.[25][26][27]

2026 Nepal–Tibet floods

[edit]

In August 2026 Dix has been helping rescuers locate the entrances to hydropower tunnels in which hundreds of workers were trapped in the 2026 Nepal–Tibet floods.[28] The expert in tunnel rescue said that, 2026 Nepal–Tibet floods rescue was something he has never seen and ask noone to judge and advice without understanding Nepal's difficult geography. He openly thanked the Nepal Army for the incredible job they have been doing for the rescue. [29]

Personal life

[edit]

Dix first married Karen Beckmann, and he has three children from this marriage. He then married Divina Dix, who has a child from an earlier marriage.[1]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Dix was a finalist in the 2026 Victorian Australian of the Year awards .[30]

Awards

[edit]
  • In 2011, he was the recipient of the Alan Neyland Tunnelling Society award for tunnel fire safety excellence.[31]
  • In 2022, Dix was honoured with a Committee Service Award by the National Fire Protection Association of the United States of America for his contribution to road and rail tunnel fire safety.[32]
  • In 2023, Dix received recognition from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his work in the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue.[33]
  • In 2024, Dix was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award by Monash University.[34]

Publications

[edit]
  • Dix, A. (2005). "Tunnel Fire Safety and the Law". In Beard, Alan; Carvel, Richard (eds.). The Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety. Thomas Telford. doi:10.1680/hotfs.31685.0020
  • Burns, Penelope; Stevens, Garry; Sandy, Kate; Dix, Arnold; et al. (2013). "Human behaviour during an evacuation scenario in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel". Australian Journal of Emergency Management. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AJEM_Vol_28No1articleonly.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2011). The Fatal Burnley Tunnel Crashes Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Incident – 23 March 2007 (Expert Report for Victorian Coroner). uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dix-Report-Burnley-9.6.11.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2011). "Risk Analysis – from the Garden of Eden to its Seven most Deadly Sins". 14th International Symposium on Aerodynamics and Ventilation of Tunnels (ISAVT 14), Dundee, Scotland. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/seven_sins_final1.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2012). "Cable Certification – Crisis or Crossroads?". Tunnelling Journal, Oct/Nov 2012. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Tunnelling-Journal-Cable-Certification-Crisis-or-Crossroads-Oct-Nov-2012-issue.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2013). "Emergency Cable Cert Withdrawal – 3M/UL". Tunnelling Journal. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Tunnelling-Journal-Emergency-Cable-Cert-Withdrawal-3M-UL-Article-2-2013.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2016). "Doing the Best with the Resources Available: Tunnel Safety and Security in a Severely Resources Limited World". ISTSS Montreal 2016. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/A-Dix-Paper-ISTSS-Montreal-2016.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2019). "“Rock Beats Paper” – The Renaissance of Fairness in Ground Risk Allocation – the new ITA/FIDIC Emerald Book". Tunnelling Journal, September 2019. uwchambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Tunnelling-Journal-Rock-Beats-Paper-Emerald-Book-Sept-2019.pdf
  • Dix, A. (2020). "Regulatory Baseline Reporting: The Case for Quantifying Expected Regulatory Costs and Delays in a Baseline Report – Lessons in Crown Unfairness from Australia". International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), Volume 11, Issue 08, August 2020. doi:10.34218/IJCIET.11.8.2020.006 www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=11&IType=8
  • Dix, A. (2020). "Air Cleaning Technologies for Tunnels – Honesty is the Best Policy for Protecting Human Health". International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), Volume 11, Issue 1, January 2020. www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=11&IType=1
  • Dix, A. (2020). "The Renaissance of Fairness in Ground Risk Allocation – The New ITA/FIDIC Emerald Book". International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), Volume 11, Issue 1, 2020. www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=11&IType=1
  • Dix, Arnold (2025). The Promise: How an everyday hero made the impossible possible. Australia, AU: Simon & Schuster Australia. ISBN 1761429167

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Crowe, Alex (26 January 2024). "From Victoria's troublemaker to India's hero". The Age. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. ↑ Green, James (3 February 2026). "Professor Arnold Dix (OH 1981), OHA Medallist, 2025". Old Haileyburians Association. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
  3. ↑ Penny Jones (1 February 2023). "Press Release – Charismatic Australian elected President of influential global association". Australian Tunnelling Society. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Arnold Dix - Profile" (PDF). ArnoldDix.com. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  5. ↑ Agarwal, Mehak (29 November 2023). "Meet Professor Arnold Dix, the Australian expert who turned savior in Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation". Business Today. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  6. ↑ The Quint (22 November 2023). "Tunnel Expert Who Helped Rescue 41 Trapped Men in Uttarkashi: Who is Arnold Dix?". The Quint. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  7. ↑ The Economic Times (30 November 2023). "Engineer, geologist, lawyer: The many hats worn by Arnold Dix, the man behind the miraculous Uttarkashi rescue". The Economic Times. The Economic Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  8. ↑ The Hindu Bureau (23 November 2023). "Australia proud of professor assisting Silkyara rescue efforts: envoy". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  9. ↑ "MIT-WPU appoints Prof. Arnold Dix as Professor of Engineering". LinkedIn. 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  10. ↑ Abraham, Bobins (24 November 2023). "Who Is Arnold Dix, The Australian Underground Expert Involved In Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue?". India times. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. ↑ "World Tunnel Congress 2022 – Prof. Arnold Dix elected ITA President". tunnel-online.info. 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "The ALARP Group". ALARP Group. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  13. ↑ National Fire Protection Association. "Technical Committee on Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems (FKT-AAA) NFPA 130 First Draft Meeting (A2025)" (PDF). National Fire Protection Association. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "ITA and IAEA to explore GDF collaboration and development". Tunnelling Journal. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Tunnelling industry expands cooperation with IAEA on waste repositories". World Nuclear News. 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  16. 1 2 Clure, Elias (13 December 2023). "Arnold Dix, the 'nerdy' Aussie farmer behind the Indian tunnel rescue that saved 41 people". ABC News. abc.net. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (29 April 2024). "The 'Tunnel Guy' Digs In For Bulk Tanker Day". Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Underground Works Chambers". Underground Works Chambers. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  19. ↑ Times of India (29 November 2023). "How tunneling expert Arnold Dix played a crucial role in the successful rescue operation in Uttarkashi". Times of India. Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  20. ↑ FP Explainers (24 November 2023). "Meet Arnold Dix, Aus expert roped in for Uttarkashi tunnel rescue". Firstpost. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  21. ↑ Dhar, Aniruddha (30 November 2023). "'If national agencies hadn't cooperated...': Arnold Dix's 'perfect' remark on Uttarkashi tunnel rescue". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  22. ↑ "Digging to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India halted after machine breaks". AP. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  23. ↑ Baruah, Rishika; Srinivasan, Chandrashekar. "This Article is From Nov 29, 2023 "Advised Rat-Hole Mining After...": Tunnelling Expert Details Rescue Op". NDTV. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  24. ↑ Amalaraj, Perkin. "Australian tunnel expert revealed as mastermind behind miracle rescue of 41 Indian miners who were trapped underground for 17 days - as full details of claustrophobic escape emerge". Daily Mail. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  25. ↑ HT News Desk (29 November 2023). "'Miracle': Tunnelling expert Arnold Dix says he will visit temple because..." Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  26. ↑ The Statesman (29 November 2023). "'When science and technology meet faith': Tunneling expert Dix offers prayers at makeshift temple". The Statesman. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  27. ↑ Abraham, Bobins (29 November 2023). "Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue: Australian Expert Arnold Dix Offers Prayers Before Baba Bokhnaag After Successful Evacuation". India Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  28. ↑ Yeung, Jessie (31 August 2026). "Race against time to find workers missing in Nepal's hydropower tunnels. Here's what we know". CNN. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "TITLE OF THE BBC ARTICLE". BBC News. BBC. DATE. Retrieved 2026-09-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ↑ "Arnold Dix honoured as Victorian finalist for Australian of the Year". Ranges Trader Mail. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  31. ↑ HT News Desk (28 November 2023). "'Australian giving us master class': Here's why Mahindra lauds Uttarakhand rescuer Arnold Dix". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  32. ↑ Dhar, Aniruddha (24 November 2023). "Who is Arnold Dix, underground expert roped in for Uttarkashi tunnel rescue?". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  33. ↑ ET Online (8 December 2023). "Arnold Dix, Uttarkashi tunnel rescuer honoured by Aussie PM; Albanese says '2 nations in his debt'". Economic Times. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  34. ↑ "2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards – Arnold Dix". Monash University. 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
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