Latitude: 41°18'34"S
Longitude: 145°46'30"E
An operating open-cut mine, located 40 km south of Burnie in northwestern Tasmania, producing magnetite and minor scheelite. It is the only presently operating mine in a series of related skarn deposits associated with Devonian granites intruding Ordovician limestones.
The pit contains a zoned magnetite-andradite-hedenbergite-vesuvianite-epidote skarn, which contains minor scheelite and molybdenite and calcite veins with various Cu, Pb, As, Zn, Bi sulphides, fluorite and some Be minerals.
Famous for excellent andradite specimens.
NOTE: It has been reported to us by local collectors that collecting at the mine is no longer permitted by the mine owners.
At least four paragenetic stages of skarn formation and ore deposition have been recognized (Zaw et al., 2000): stage I, clinopyroxene ± garnet ± vesuvianite ± wollastonite ± quartz ± scheelite; stage II, garnet-vesuvianite-magnetite ± scheelite ± apatite ± quartz; stage III, magnetite-amphibole-epidote-fluorite-quartz ± chlorite ± garnet ± vesuvianite ± scheelite ± carbonate ± pyrite ± clinopyroxene; and stage IV, hematite ± fluorite ± calcite ± quartz.
Mineral List
40 entries listed. 37 valid minerals.
The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please
register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to
visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders
for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.
References
- K. Zaw, K. Zaw, and B. Singoyi (2000): Formation of magnetite-scheelite skarn mineralization at Kara, Northwestern Tasmania: Evidence from mineral chemistry and stable isotopes. Economic Geology, 95, 1215-1230.
- Sorrell, S. and Bottrill, R. (2005): Minerals of the Kara Mine, Tasmania. 48 pp. [see
http://www.lulu.com/content/150017]
- Bottrill, R. S. & Baker, W. E. (2008): A Catalogue of the Minerals of Tasmania. Geological Survey Bulletin 73, Mineral Resources Tasmania, 254 pp.
Mineral and Locality Search
