Rurnbalara railway siding is 831 miles by rail north of Adelaide, South Australia, and 120 miles by rail south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The ochre deposits (Plate 1) are situated in desert country, 15-20 miles northeast of the siding. No permanent water supply has been developed in the vicinity of the mines. Numerous mesas in the district are capped by siliceous laterite (grey billy), and are composed of approximately 150 feet of horizontally-bedded, leached shales and sandstone containing numerous fossils of Lower Cretaceous age. These beds, for which the name Rumbalara Shale is proposed, rest unconformably on the eroded surface of flat-lying, current-bedded sandstones of which the age has not been determined; it is proposed that the sandstone beds be called the De Souza Sandstone. .The ochre occurs in beds 1 to 4 feet thick; the best grade consists of soft, friable, golden-yellow material, free from grit and with good paint-making properties. Throughout the deposits the ochre occurs at the same stratigraphic horizon- at the base of the Lower Cretaceous-and appears to be of sedimentary origin. Excluding 1943 and 1944, annual production during 1940-1948 averaged 500 tons; in 1943 and 1944 production was 1,345 and 1,439 tons respectively. The deposits are very extensive, but prospecting carried out to date indicates that only some of them contain ochre equal in grade to that being mined. However, although there are virtually no proved reserves, the field is probably capable of supplying Australia's requirements of yellow ochre for many years.

No abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

The object of my trip to the United States of America was to discuss problems of micropalaeontology with various authorities in that country, to visit the palaeontological laboratories of the United States Geological Survey and National Museum, State Universities, Museums and laboratories of oil companies and to enquire into the latest techniques used in oil-field laboratories. I was also to attend the joint Annual Convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Economic Palaeontologists and Mineralogists and Society of Exploratory Geophysicists at St. Louis. This report gives an account of the institutions visited by the author and the principal results of the visit.

Three samples of limestone were collected during a geological survey of the Rigo area. One sample is of Upper Cretaceous age and the others of Lower Middle Miocene age. The samples were submitted for micropalaeontological examination. The results of this examination are described here.

This report provides a summary of volcanic activity in the volcanic centres of New Guinea for the year 1951. Extended descriptions are given of ongoing investigations and the volcanological observations made at Rabaul, Mt. Lamington, and other significant volcanoes.

On May 3rd, and again on June 1st, the author visited the Cotter dam to investigate a reported loss of water from the fault on the northern side of the wall. This report gives an account of these visits, together with the author's observations and conclusions in relation to the reported water loss.

The Nunyerrie Asbestos Deposits are associated with a remnant of metamorphosed ultrabasic rocks in granite country, which is part of a group of Pre-Cambrian rocks of Archaean age. The ultrabasics form an east northeast trending ridge about 1 mile long and 250 feet average width, which rises to a maximum elevation of 300 feet above the general level of the surrounding country. The belt of ultrabasics is highly sheared and jointed and consists chiefly of serpentines, but talcose rocks, chlorite schists, authophyllite rock and what appear to be hydro-biotite schists also occur. The ultrabasics have an intrusive junction with the surrounding granite rocks, and they are intruded by quartz veins and granitic dykes. The deposits were investigated by the author. This report gives an overview of the deposits. Workings, production figures, reserves, grades, and prices are described.

Samples from three localities in New South Wales were received for micropalaeontological examination. The results of these examinations are described in this report.