It was recently suggested by Mr. N. White, Superintendent of Minerals Production, N.S.W., that a geophysical survey be made of the Commonwealth Deep Lead near Glen Innes as part of a campaign to prospect for stanniferous wash beneath the basalt cover. In company with Mr. N. White and Mr. E. Dow, an inspection was made of the area on the 7th and 8th October, in order to determine in the first place whether the problem offers scope for geophysical methods. A geophysical survey, if carried out, would commence in the vicinity of what is known as the Commonwealth Mine and the inspection was made primarily of that area. At present there is no activity at the Commonwealth Mine, which is actually the site where some alluvial deposits were first dredged for tinstone in 1909 by the Commonwealth Tin Dredging Company, N.L., on PML 25, Ph. Wellington, Co. Gough.

An overview of the types, occurrence, supply and production of asbestos in Australia, 1942.

This report is based entirely on the following typewritten report obtained from the Mines Department of Tasmania: Scott, J.B. 'Report on Mineral Leases 79 P/M, 30 P/M, 82 P/M, 83 P/M, 78 P/M, 71 P/M, 64 P/M, 65 P/M, 66 P/M, and 107 P/M, King Island, chartered in the name of the Sea Elephant Prospecting Association, 6th December, 1926'. The Sea Elephant tin deposit is situated about five miles west from the Sea Elephant Bay on the east coast, and 16 miles by road from Currie, the chief port on the west coast. The deposit consists of sand and clay overlying tin-bearing drift. A detailed account of the deposit is provided in this report.

The Tallandoon Antimony mine, known locally as Dalgliesh and Murphy's, is 2 miles northwesterly from Tallandoon store on the main Omeo Highway and just within the northeast boundary of the Parish of Tallandoon, County of Bogong. This record comprises a description of the general geology and geological report on the antimony deposits.

The Hatches Creek wolfram field is situated at the south-east end of the Davenport Ranges approximately 300 miles by road north-north-east of Alice Springs. The present report is written primarily to indicate the amount of ore which may be expected in the principal mines, chiefly by limited development in depth, and to suggest certain lines of prospecting and development which are likely to result in production of ore and which will enable a more confident statement of possibilities to be made at an early date.

The most important phosphate deposits in South Australia are situated in the Kapunda-Angaston districts and of those the principal deposits which have been worked are: 1) St. Kitts, 11 miles easterly from Kapunda; 2) St. Johns, 4.25 miles south-east from Kapunda; 3) Tom's, 5 miles east-south-east from Kapunda; 4) Moculta or Klemms, 3 miles north-east of Angaston. Deposits Nos. 2, 3 and 4 were examined in company with Mr. S.B. Dickinson, Deputy Government Geologist of South Australia on the 30th March. The following notes are written to set out as briefly as possible, the salient features of the deposits and to indicate the prospecting which it is considered is immediately necessary.

Superficial deposits of ferruginous manganese ore occur on the southern end of the Teano Range, Peak Hill Goldfield, Western Australia at about 150 miles by road north-north-west from Meekatharra. During the course of an investigation of new manganese discoveries in north-west Western Australia by L.E. de la Hunty of the Geological Survey of W.A. and the writer, the opportunity was taken to inspect two groups of small deposits in the Teano Range. One group contains about 14,200 tons of ore which averages about 2 per cent manganese and 32 per cent iron, and the other group 4,000 tons of marginal grade containing about 46 per cent manganese and 3.5 per cent iron. The former group is not of marketable quality and the other is too small and too remote to be of commercial value.

The area investigated, of approximately 16 square miles, is 10 miles east of Singleton in the Parishes of Sedgefield and Marwood, County of Durham and in the Parish of Belford, County of Northumberland. The Bureau on Mineral Resources drilled 5 rotary cored bores, as shown on BMR Map N14/109, to 150 ft., 301 ft., 167 ft. 1 in., 202 ft. 8 in. and 131 ft. respectively. The result of drilling was total absence of coal. This may be seen in the attached logs.

The Flowery Gully Limestone Deposit, twenty miles north of Launceston, was surveyed in detail to delineate the most suitable portions for supplying limestone to the Australian Aluminium Production Commission's plant at Bell Bay, five miles to the north east across the Tamar Estuary. Basic requirements for the limestone were that it lie in an area suitable for quarrying and have as low a silica and magnesium carbonate content as possible so that it could be used efficiently in the aluminium extraction process. The preliminary reconnaissance revealed a stratigraphical chemical control and it was found possible to divide the section measuring 1,700 feet in true thickness into three stratigraphical zones, the topmost of which contains the purest limestone and is most suitable for Bell Bay; the middle zone contains isolated areas of high quality stone. The more detailed survey to reveal quarryable stone in these two zones defined one major and one minor deposit in the upper zone and one minor deposit in the middle. These three deposits contain indicated and inferred reserves totalling 1,000,000 tons; of this figure 100,000 tons has an average grade of 0.4% silica and 5.7% magnesium carbonate and the remainder has a grade not exceeding 0.5% silica and 4% magnesium carbonate. The investigation of the depositional environment revealed quiet and consistent conditions of deposition, which information was used to indicate possible areas for exploration for additional reserves when necessary. Numerous bedded chert nodules are present in the high-silica-content areas of the middle zone. The origin of the silica of this zone was investigated chemically and petrologically, but the results were inconclusive. It was discovered however that practically all silica was syngenetic. It is now mainly in the form of quartz grains and in smaller amounts as a component of the small percentage of clay present; however where chert nodules are present the silica of the cherts is in the form of chalcedony. Areas of marked dolomitization were noted, particularly in the upper and middle zones; they probably represent algal reefs (stromatoporoid bioherms). One of them had a lateral extent of at least 1,600 feet. A distinct disconformity was revealed by the detailed mapping at the top of the limestone section.

A deposit of weathered graphic granite at White Rocks, 2 miles south of Queanbeyan, was investigated and the limits of material in it suitable for easily quarryable road metal were determined. The area was divided into two sections: a northern one held for the most part by the Queanbeyan Council, and a southern section at present held privately as a grazing lease. "Indicated" reserves, based on the present quarrying level, of 170,000 cub. yds were established in the northern section. Most of this material will be of the same quality as that being quarried at present; some of the material towards the southern boundary of the lease will however be harder and require more blasting. In the grazing leases "inferred reserves" of 140,000 cub. yds. were delineated. It is expected that this material will be quite suitable for road making but may be slightly inferior in sizing to the material at present being quarried; also it may require more blasting in some portions than the material being quarried at present; it will carry a higher average overburden than the Queanbeyan lease.