O’Brien holds more than 25 years experience as a coal mining engineer, and prior to joining Eastern was the general manager of the Dawson Creek/Moura mine for the Anglo Coal Mitsui joint venture.
Eastern secretary William Lyne will fill the casual vacancy on the Eastern board.
Just this month Eastern agreed to buy Straith Industries coal mining operations in New Zealand's South Island for $NZ2 million, to add to its Cascade opencut operation in New Zealand.
Eastern is also in joint venture with Mitsui on a feasibility study into a coking coal development at Broughton adjoining Rio Tinto's Hail Creek mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin.
