The Best from Down Under

Interesting Trevor, I have not seen that combination, where exactly was it found?

Regards,
Ralph

Hi Ralph.

I got the sample within a collection from a fellow who worked as a maintenance supervisor, mostly on the Zinc / NBHC ,but also over at the North when Pasminco had both ends. He had several bags of ore samples from the Fitzpatrick Area and this was among them. The subhedral quartz crystals were common in the Fitzpatrick ore.

Trev

Here's a few Tourmalines from the old Penneshaw feldspar workings on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. These were collected over a few trips and are all about the size of your thumbnail.

Amazing stuff Patrick, I heard that the Penneshaw feldspar working were a lost location. How long ago did you collect these? If it was recently, then I must say that it is great that you have done the legwork to access this locale. All of the reports that I read said that they were inaccessible.

Trev

Hi Trevor,

These were collected about 10-15 years ago, it took a little enquiring around to find the correct location and land holder. I'm not sure who owns the property now though! There is also a second location on KI called Daws Diggings, that also produces coloured Tourmalines, but this is mainly an alluvial deposit, but from what I gather (never been here myself), the source of the pegmatite is very close to the workings, as the tourmaline specimens are not water worn in any way. This location is more in the middle of the island.

Howdy Guys,

Historically the specimens from Daws Diggings were always the better ones, so much so, during the colonial days, many specimens ended up in Europe being turned into jewellery.
As for whether the Pennishaw spot is still accessible, I can't say, although I do know of specimens (dark green) that have come out of there within the last 5-6 years.
Daws Diggings is also known for a range of 'gem' quality other speices and gold.
I do have the details to list the site (along with quite a few other S.A. ones) , however, as we are about to move this weekend, I cannot, upload them just yet.
I have just loaded the site basics though and nice specimens Patrick.

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

Trevor
very interesting, must be late stage galena veins, but unlike anything I have seen there.

Regards,
Ralph

Patrick - very nice, last time I tried, the landowners did not want anyone on their land, but it was a long time ago. I presume they are all elbaite - I dont know that I have seen any analysis?

Regards,
Ralph

A superb specimen of pyrosmalite-(Mn), Zinc Corp mine, Broken Hill. Painted last weekend for a friend. Watercolour on black paper.


Regards
Steve

Great posts everyone. Your art is just inspiring Steve. Your speed with the brush is faster than mine with a camera. For today’s best from down under I am posting a photo of a small seam of Millerite I acquired some 17 years ago. It has a great metallic luster and a brassy colour. It is another of my reference collection of Australian Ore minerals. It comes from the Mt Keith Nickel Mine, Mt Keith, Western Australia, Australia. It is 8 x 5 x 1 cm.

Hi Ralph,

I'm also assuming they are Elbaite, but I'm not aware of any analysis thats been done on the tourmalines from this locality. I do have a report from the 1980's when an exploration company did some trial work on the pegmatite, and there may be some data in this report...I'll dig it up.

It would be interesting to see some specimens from Daws Diggings, if anyone here has any?

Cheers,

Patrick

Patrick, beautiful chrysoberyl, one of the best I have seen from Oz!

Regards,
Ralph

Fred,
I missed a few here, but its great to see some good photos of W.A. minerals, sadly underrepresented in Mindat, though one of the most mineral rich parts of the world!

We would love it if you could upload some of your photos, and any information you could related on the sites? Many of these are surprisingly missing from the database, eg Koollyanobbing, East Poona, Mt Holland, others have few on no photos.

And on Southern Cross, its a real mess here. Its listed three times, once as a place in the "Wheatbelt shire, Goldfields-Esperance region" (though I understand these are two separate areas?), once with no shire/region (Bounty and Frasers mine) and once as the Southern Cross Province (is this an official designation?). And I have seen it listed as in the Yilgarn Province elsewhere. So any resolving of this would be very helpful!

I suspect that the rest of W.A. is a similar mess, but I am geographically naive about most of the state; I hope to tour about its outback one day, but meanwhile we need some help.

Regards,
Ralph

Heres a nice Smoky Quartz crystal from Kingsgate, Glen Innes, NSW I collected some years ago underground. It stands about 32cm tall and weighs 11kg, and has inclusions of Bismuthinite towards the termination.

Patrick, brilliant!

Regards,
Ralph

Beautiful smoky, Patrick!

Stupendous!!! ::o::o::o

Patrick,

how is it possible to find all this treasures! I'm speachless...

Samuel,

that millerite is incredible!

Great posts everyone and great minerals too. For today I am posting another of my Australian Ore minerals. It is a native copper specimen from the Burra Burra mine. You do not see a lot of Native Copper from this mine although it was a fairly common mineral in the early days of the mine (1845-60). The specimen dates back to about 1870 and is a mass of small (~2mm) copper crystals rising to form a knob of copper. The base of the material is crystallized copper as the photos show. It hails from the Burra Burra Mine, Burra, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia. It is 9 x 7 x 6 cm.

I was fortunate to collect specimens from the mine during the second phase of mining (1970-81) and I spent two wonderful summers in Burra (1973/74 & 1974/75) under the watchful eye of the Senior Mine geologist (Armstrong). Back then the dominant minerals were Azurite in the form of hollow nodules with beautiful crystallized centres (azurite agates) and banded Malachite. Though there is little in the way of payable copper left in the mine there is still a lot of fine copper minerals to be found. However the local Council and the National Trust have got the place locked up tighter than the proverbial fish’s you know what. For our overseas visitors the National Trust is a body of do-gooders who think only they know what is best for the country. Sorry for getting a tad ‘controversial’ but someone had to say it.