Bellbird Mine, Jervois Range, Jervois Station, Central Desert Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Bellbird Mine	Mine
Jervois Range	Mountain Range
Jervois Station	- not defined -
Central Desert Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

1:250 000 sheet: HUCKITTA SF53-11
Universal grid reference: PQ 301 942

The Bellbird Mine is 5 kilometres south-west of the Reward lease. Bellbird was discovered about the same time, it is said by Tom Mudge, in 1929. The site is at the southern end of the J, in the J shaped syncline which holds most of the deposits in this area. The syncline is 2 kilometres east of the Jervois Range escarpment.

The Bellbird deposit contains eight tabular lodes, on the western flank of the syncline, the lodes striking north-south, dipping 80 degrees east, plunging steeply north, about 1000 feet long. Only three of the lodes are economically important. The western most is associated with a shear.

From west to east, is small rubbly outcrops of mica schist, containing a small lense of marble. Next to the east is a 5 foot thick bed of chlorite schist. Then is 10-20 feet of ferruginous quartz granulite, then further chlorite schist.Next is 50 feet of schistose, granulite, and ferruginous quartose rock, then 20 feet of porphyroblastic andalusite gneiss, then ferruginous quartz-mica schist containing a granulite lense.

Copper mineralisation is found in the ferruginous quartz granulite , but permeates into the chlorite schist by several feet on its western side, with extensive copper mineralisation in schist on the eastern slopes on a surface knoll. The lode is leached near surface, resulting in very porous ferruginous stained quartoze rock with cubical voids that used to contain pyrite.

Sulphides appear at 60 feet below the surface, however secondary copper continues to the bottom of the deepest workings at some 100 feet below the surface. Disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite are the main ore minerals at depth. Malachite staining shows at the surface for several hundred metres, both north and south. Several quartz blows, and pegmatites are in the area. The deposit contains copper, low silver values, trace bismuth, and virtually no lead or zinc.

Only minor mining took place in the 1930's, before being abandoned. The lease as held by T.B. Crosbie, and E. Gregory 17 September 1946 to 03 March 1949, then T.B. Crosbie and C.J. Campbell 03 August 1949 to 28 November 1949, then T.B. Crosbie, C.J. Campbell and W.D. Erwin 28 November 1949 TO 14 December 1949. From this point they joined a syndicate with K.G. Johannsen as the Northern Drillers Company to 1952, when Crosbie and Campbell dropped out leaving Erwin, with B. Castagna joining, and still part of the syndicate. On 21 June 1955, K.G. Johannsen took over the lease, which he held until 23 October 1967. Johannsen mined several deposits in the area through the 1950's and 60's, it is said the majority of ore came from Bellbird. The ore was transported to Mount Isa as flux, and Johannsen constructed two processing plants near his Reward lease, to process material for the fertilizer industry.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References