The work described in this report forms part of the uranium investigation being conducted by the Commonwealth Government for the British Government. 94 samples from the Radium Hill workings, S.A., were submitted to the Mineral Resources Survey for determination of relative radioactivity, with a view to making estimates of their uranium content. After determinations were made a suite of these samples was selected and submitted for assay for uranium and thorium by the South Australian School of Mines. This report comprises a description of the equipment, procedure and calibration, along with a discussion of the specific problems associated with the ore, the random variations in count-rate, and the results of tests of the ore samples.

The work described in this report forms part of the uranium investigation being conducted by the Commonwealth Government for the British Government. The work was carried out at Mt. Painter from 7th February to 26th March, 1945, following prior geophysical work. This report covers work including setting up and calibrating the assay equipment, and testing 100 samples from the Mount Painter No. 6 workings and 12 samples from East Painter No. 1 adit. In addition, some field work was carried out on Radium Ridge using a new type of portable equipment. The report is divided into two parts, the first dealing with the assay work and the second with the field work.

A report was prepared in December, 1944, on the ore reserve position at the Mount Bischoff Tin Mine. Since that date, further field work has been carried out, and the additional observations made have rendered necessary a revision of conclusions advanced in that report. The present report is to be read as a supplement to the previous one, but supercedes it in many respects. A revised summary of the ore reserve position is given herein. The additional geological observations affect both the interpretation of the structure of the Mount Bischoff ore-body as a whole, and the interpretation of the structure of individual ore occurrences.

The pressure of the liquid, or reservoir pressure, within the glauconitic sandstone at Lakes Entrance has been the subject of conjecture in recent years and the low yields of oil which typify the field have been attributed by some observers to low reservoir pressure. Reservoir pressure, however, is only one of a number of factors upon which the rate of yield depends. Other factors of equal importance are the permeability of the producing formations and viscosity of the fluids produced. The methods, tests, and results involved with the determination of reservoir pressure from liquid level data are discussed in this report.

Results of a micropalaeontological examination of samples from a depth of 50 feet down to 1000 feet.

The Pannikin Mine is situated on the south side of the Hart's Range about 7 miles southeast of Mount Riddock and about 9 or 10 miles a little south of east from Schaber's homestead. The Elbow deposit is about 1 1/2 miles south-southwest from the Pannikin. The two deposits, and another smaller one in the same locality, were visited on 22nd October, 1944. The accompanying plan of the Pannikin was made with compass and tape. The report comprises notes on the two mica deposits. Accompanying sketch plans of the Pannikin and Elbow deposits are included.

Four core samples were submitted by New Occidental Gold Mines N.L. on 4th December, 1944. The descriptions of the samples that follow are based on a brief megascopic examination of the cores by H.B. Owen, Geologist of the Mineral Resources Survey. The results of tests for magnetic orientation and susceptibility are described.

Western Australia is the only State from which vermiculite is produced. Occurrences are known in some of the other states and in the Northern Territory, but the information is not sufficiently detailed to enable their importance to be assessed. Vermiculite occurrence by State and Territory, and processing capabilities, are detailed in this report.

A collection of cores was sent by the Zinc Corporation for the purpose of magnetic orientation of bedding planes. The collection consists of seven pieces mostly of short length. The results of the magnetic tests, and recommendations for future testing, are discussed in this report.

The first discovery of bauxite in South Gippsland which was brought to public notice is said to .have been made in 1918 by Mr. Donald Clarke on the property known as Nahoo , allotment 8, Parish of Narracan South. Bauxite from this deposit has been used for chemical purposes for over twenty years. It is understood that other occurrences had been noted prior to Mr Clarke's report. Eleven additional discoveries were made from time to time up to April, 1942, when the extensive prospecting programme mentioned in the foreword was undertaken. In the short time that has elapsed since then a further twelve deposits have .been discovered, making a total of 24 deposits in the adjoining parishes of Moe, Allambee East, Narracan South, Mirboo and Budgeree in the county of Buln Buln. Several of these deposits have been systematically tested by shaft sinking and boring. The deposits at Boolarra, Oallignee and Nahoo have been reported on very briefly by Whitelaw (1921), Ferguson (1936) and Baragwanath (1940), but there have been no detailed descriptions of the deposits and no general account of their geological relationships. It should be noted that there has been no authenticated report of the occurrence of bauxite in Victoria outside South Gippsland and that little is known of the deposits other than those in the Boolarra-Mirboo North area.