A one time curator from Camborne who has battled hard to ensure that the treasures of the industrial world remain intact for future generations has been awarded a prestigious accolade in the new year's honours list.

Museum director Stuart Brian Smith was named as one of the honoured few that will receive an OBE this year in recognition of 30 years of voluntary service to industrial archaeology.

Stuart told the Packet this week: "I was delighted. It's not often that people in this sector get any awards at all, especially because much of my work is out of the country."

Until last year Mr Smith worked as the chief executive of the Trevithick Trust and oversaw the reopening of Geevor tin mine and the Museum of Submarine Telegraphy at Porthcurno during his ten-year tenure. The trust also managed more than 16 other sites around the county including Cornish Mines and Engines, Trevithick Cottage and the newly opened Lizard Wireless Station at Bass Point during his time there.

Amongst his other achievements Stuart was the first person to give lectures on industrial archaeology in Mexico and Greece, and now spends much of his time advising foreign governments on potential sites of heritage.

Born in Lancaster from a "strong non-conformist" background the amateur antique collector was educated in Rochdale, London and Manchester before becoming curator of technology at the Sunderland Museum during the 1960s. He was involved in the early development of the the Beamish Open Air Museum in County Durham before moving to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire in 1971 -becoming its curator, then deputy director and finally director over a period of 20 years.

Stuart, a father of three, has become a widely respected as an authority on industrial heritage both in Britain and abroad. For 20 years he was the secretary of the Association for Industrial Archaeology of which he is the vice-president, and since 1986 he has been the secretary of the International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage.

Amongst these other prestigious positions in the archaeological world Stuart was also elected a fellow of the Museums Association and in 1984 a Freeman of the City of London.

Now retired form the Trevithick Trust, Mr Smith now spends most of his time as an expert consultant and has worked as far afield as Japan and Russia in the past year.