The Treasure Mine, Hatches Creek, is believed to have been discovered in 1914 and has been one of the most consistent producers of wolfram to the present time. This report gives an account of the economic geology of the mine. The ore type, reefs and workings, ore localization, and ore reserves are described.

A total of thirteen rotary cored bores were sunk by the Bureau approximately one mile south of the village of Teralba in the Parishes of Teralba and Awaba, Northumberland County. The Great Northern Seam in places is sufficiently thick for open cut mining but the coal is generally of very poor quality and the overburden to coal ratio much too high to warrant further drilling. Continued prospecting of the Fassifern Seam in this area is not warranted, because of the very poor quality of the coal in this seam. This report contains an account of the operations, and describes the results of the geological investigations. The results of drilling are detailed in the accompanying plates and bore logs.

During late 1951 and early 1952 the Bureau, while searching for open-cut coal in New South Wales, prospected the Big Ben and Donaldson's Seams in the Bloomfield Area which is 3.5 miles south of East Maitland. Drilling involving 21 holes and totalling about 2400 ft. revealed that although the actual coal of the seams was quite good in parts, the seams themselves were subject to marked bending, thinning, and splitting. This not only severely limits open-cut prospects to small areas but will make mining difficult. In the contiguous East Bloomfield, Stoney Pinch and Thornton Areas an additional 16 holes with a total footage of 2,250 feet were drilled and indicated that the seams were characterised by the same rapid variation and offer no better possibilities than the main Bloomfield Area. Operations, including mining, coal analyses, logging, and surveying are discussed. Bore logs and the results of coal sample analyses are appended to this report.

A total of 22 "testing and defining" rotary cored drill holes were drilled by the Bureau and J. McD. Royle Ltd., contractor to the Bureau, during the prospecting for reserves of open-cut coal in the Tomago Stage of the Upper Coal Measures near Buchanan. These 22 holes involved 3640 ft. of drilling and indicated possible reserves of 4,200,000 tons of coal suitable for mining by underground and open cut methods. The geology of the area, and the operations carried out, including mining, logging, sampling, analysis, and surveying, are discussed. The results of the drilling programme are shown in the accompanying maps, and graphic and bore logs.

The area investigated lies on the outskirts of Kotara, a suburb in the S.W. of Newcastle. The coal of interest is in the Burwood Seam. Drilling, field work, and surveying were carried out in the area. These operations are described in this report. Drilling results are discussed.

A total of 25 rotary cored holes were drilled by the Bureau in Portion 49, Parish of Wallarah, County Northumberland, 2 miles south of Swansea. Approximately 1400 ft. of "test and define" drilling proved a possible 200,000 tons of coal suitable to be open cut under an average overburden of 6/1 ratio. The initial drilling programme showed a rolling seam. After surveying, further holes were drilled to locate the displacement which is 10 to 15 ft. in the S.W. corner of the area. No other obstacles are known which would hinder immediate working of the area. The lower split of the Wallarah Seam was tested in three holes but was found to be too thin to warrant further prospecting. The geology of the area is discussed in this report, and the results of the drilling programme are shown in the accompanying graphic and bore logs.

Geological investigations, survey work, and mapping were carried out in the vicinity of the Tennant Creek gold field between 1948 and 1950. This report provides an overview of the investigations carried out on the Enterprise, Patties, and Eldorado mines. The working, production history, and geological features of these areas are discussed.

The occurrence of radioactive minerals with cobaltiferous deposits in the Carcoar area has been known since 1894, but until recently they have not received much attention. The present geological survey has been carried out following the discovery of three rather significant radioactive anomalies in the north-eastern part of the mined area, during radiometric surveys in 1950 and 1951. The geological survey has shown that the cobaltiferous-uranium deposits occur in strong north-south shears in an area of Silurian slates and volcanic rocks intruded by diorite sills and dykes, close to the south-eastern boundary of a large mass of hornblende diorite. Opportunities occur for the discovery of other uranium deposits in parallel shears outside the area, in which radioactive anomalies have already been found. This report gives a detailed account of the geological survey. Geology, geological structure, the workings, deposits, and mineralization are discussed, and recommendations are made for future testing and surveying of the area.

Geological investigation by the Bureau commenced late in July, 1948, and continued until the end of October of that year. The objects of the survey were to lay the foundation for future detailed studies of the mining field, to study the factors controlling ore localization, to assess the quantity and value of ore exposed to date, and to estimate the potential value of the field. In the search for orebodies, a knowledge of the geological factors can be of great assistance, and it is felt that the information given in this report and in the accompanying plans should be of considerable help in this respect. However, the prospector's methods - loaming, dollying, panning etc. are still quite fundamental to success in a prospecting field such as Tennant Creek and the suggestions made in this report are intended to supplement this type of work. The climate, topography, vegetation, gold production, general geology, and gold deposits of the area are described in this report. Detailed descriptions are given of the individual mines examined to date.

The Cobar field was visited during the period 18th to 24th July, mainly in connection with the exploration programme which is taking place in that area. During this visit, however, some information was obtained concerning the operations of the mines controlled by New Occidental Gold Mines, N.L., which company is being assisted financially by the Commonwealth. Estimated operational costs, grade, and production figures are given. The development, exploration, and future of the field are discussed.