The Best from Down Under

Most collectors should have a piece from Australia in their collection. What I would like to know is what is out there and if you would like to share your piece with the rest of the mindat community. Being an Aussie myself I will start the ball rolling with one of my favourite pieces - my Zinc/NBHC Mine Bustamite on calcite from Broken Hill. So what are your best Australian mineral specimens?





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2011 11:05AM by Trevor Dart.

I'll just add a scale to that picture. The overall size of the sample is 17cm x 12cm x 8cm, with the two crystals approximately 15cm each in length. It was given to me years ago by the next door neighbour to my parents. He had worked on the Zinc Mine during the 1960's and 1970's in the stores. He had a few pieces that he gave to me, apparently the end of the front crystal broke off and he didn't know where it had ended up. I'll put up some more pictures from my Broken Hill suite later.

G'Day Trevor...great idea!

Here's my contribution. It's one of the green anglesites from Broken Hill. I have been on the lookout for one of these for years. I was going to clean it but one of the crystals is a bit loose so I chose to leave it as is. Its a wee bit smaller than yours!


Regards
Steve

A small contribution, Queensland boulder opal.



I also have a few Broken Hill specimens that were swapped for Western Australian zebra rock about 40 years ago; inesite, johannsenite, big garnet from Ireland's mine etc.

A few oddly shaped quartz crystals next to a 5c piece for size comparson, collected mainly from the Pilbara region, Western Australia

Cheers, Bobj.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2011 06:32PM by Robert Joynes.

I find myself blown away by the latest Browns Prospect (Rum Jungle) material.

Its certainly not the best pyromorphite in the world, and definitely not the best malachite. But as a combination, it's right up there.

This is not a great photo - will try and do better later - but this is a piece I bought at the Bathurst Gemboree over the Easter weekend. Its 60mm in maximum dimension and in sunlight, it just glows!

mal

I know what you mean about these Mal, they are incredible specimens in person, but extremely hard to photograph properly. Anyway here are a few I photographed at a recent show. I have one of my own that I recently purchased, but I haven't photographed it yet. I will post it when I get a chance.

Another stunning little Aussie from the Cadjebut Mine, Western Australia. Galena/Marcasite

Thanks Trev for starting this topic. Its great to see some lovely minerals posted. Hope there is more to come.
Mal and Graig, the Pyro's are outstanding. I missed out on going to Bathurst and catching up with mineral enthusiasts.
Here's my contribution,

Rhodonite with Galena
North mine
Broken hill, NSW 9x6x4cm

A couple of Broken Hill classics - raspite and stolzite...


Regards
Steve

Trevor, Steve, Robert, Malcolm and Craig,

What a great start this is for "BDU". The specimens so far are truely great examples from "Down Under" and hopefully many more should/will follow. Come On Aussie Come On >:D<

A mention has been made of Ireland Quarry, Thakaringa, and big garnets. This place must rate as a world leader for "The Big Garnet". The attached piece of schist et al. was mechanically excavated and perpared over several weeks and yes, there are two latent repairs (the top garnets "came off" after the final steps :( It's about 1m tall X 0.5m wide, garnets range from 5 to 12 cm diameter.

I like a specimen to compliment an outdoor setting B)

Nice David. I saw a couple of those big specimens at Tucson. I think that Museum Victoria has a much bigger one in its new display. Haven't seen it yet but hopefully soon.

Regards
Steve

Crocoite 2010 Pocket Adelaide Mine, Dundas -Zeehan District, Tasmania, Australia
Specimen dimensions 16.5 x 12 cms.

Thanks for all of the great input, especially from my fellow Aussies. Now to all of those collectors in other countries... it is your turn. Please post pictures of your favourite Australian pieces from your collections.

On the subject of garnets, here are some of my Broken Hill spessartines. The first is a 3cm wide crystal that my father found when he worked on the 28 level of the North Mine back in the 1970's. The second is a large sample with 1cm gemmy garnets studded through galena on a rhodonite base. Found on the 32 level of the North Mine in the mid 1980's.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2011 10:43AM by Trevor Dart.

Ferrocolumbite Spargoville, Western Australia, Australia
Specimen dimensions 7 cms x 6 cms.

Complex single gemmy scheelite crystal, from Martin Zwer mine, near Bowling Alley Point, Nundle, NSW. Size is 44 x 33mm. These are regarded as Australia's finest scheelites. .......Greg

Australia is well-known for its gold, but this specimen is from one of the lesser known occurrences, the Hercules Mine, Western Tasmania.


Regards
Steve

A couple of Cerussite & Malachite specimens from the earlier digs at Rum Jungle. Great to see this classic location producing again - hope that there is more to come.

Greg

This is definitely one of my favourites and one the best of the unusual pieces from my collection. A 2cm gem quality bustamite crystal sitting on galena - from the Zinc/NBHC Mine Broken Hill.

Today a very nice vesuvianite from New South Wales, supposedly Inverell, although I am skeptical of this (for details, click on the photo)...


Regards
Steve

Two more from Broken Hill. An Azurite on goethite - 8 x 8 x 6 cm piece and a Malachite ps after Azurite with Azurite and Cerussite - 7 x 5 x 3 cm.