The extended abstract describes the geophysical characteristics of the granite dominated geophysical map units of the Yilgarn Craton and the relationship between their deformation and gold mineralisation. Aeromagnetic data are not able to distinguish the five main granite geochemical groups. Gamma-ray spectromatric data provide some distinctin of the geochemical groups but their use is restricted to limited areas of outcrop. Faults host much gold but the majority of these structures are barren and spatial associations have been difficult to establish. Shear zones are irregularly distributed across the craton. Abundant intersecting shear zones, that transect both granite and greenstone, define a 200 km wide, north-trending corridor, with distinctive rhomboid to sigmoidal internal geometry. Greenstones in the corridor are extensively disrupded and strongly aligned with adjacent shear zones. This corridor correlates with the the region of highest gold endowment for the Yilgarn Craton and large deposits are spatially associated with bends and intersections of the shear zones. By contrast, shear zones are sparse in the Yalgoo Dome area in the north west of the Yilgarn Craton. The crustal architecture of this area is dominated by large ovoid bodies of granite. Adjacent greesntones are not regionally alligned, nor particularly disrupted internally, and gold endowment is low. These aparent contrasting structural styles and corresponding differences in gold endowment can be similarly applied to the Superior Province of Canada (Abatibi Belt, abundant intersecting shear zones, strongly aligned greenstone, and high gold endowment) and Australia's Pilbara Craton (few shear zones, oviod granite geometry dominant with little regional alignment of greenstone and low gold endowment).

The Stavely Project is a collaboration between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of Victoria. During 2014 fourteen pre-competitive stratigraphic drill holes were completed in the prospective Stavely region in western Victoria in order to better understand subsurface geology and its potential for a variety of mineral systems. The Stavely region hosts several belts of poorly-exposed Cambrian volcanic and intrusive rocks, visible largely only in magnetic data, which have similarities to those found in modern subduction-related tectonic settings. Mineralisation associated with porphyry Cu-Au and volcanic-hosted massive sulphide mineral systems is known where these rocks are exposed around Mount Stavely and the Black Range. However, despite a history of mineral exploration dating back to the late 1960s, significant economic deposits are yet to be discovered, and the Stavely region remains a greenfields terrane. Given the geological setting and known mineral potential, opportunity exists for the discovery of large mineral systems beneath extensive, but relatively thin, younger cover. The Stavely Project aims to provide the framework for discovery in the Stavely region primarily through the acquisition and delivery of pre-competitive geoscientific data. This includes the completion of pre-competitive stratigraphic drill holes in order to test regional geological interpretations and recover material for detailed lithological, petrophysical, geochemical and geochronological analysis. The results will assist in understanding the mineral systems potential of the Stavely region under cover. This report summarises data collected in the field at the drill sites, either during or immediately following drilling, as part of the Stavely Project, and describes the methods and procedures used. Data presented in this release include drill hole collar information, operational metadata and daily drilling reports, drill core photographs, down-hole surveys, down-hole wireline geophysical logging results, down-hole temperature logging results, down-hole AutoSondeTM gamma data, Lab-at-RigTM X-ray fluorescence data, diamond drill core recovery percentages, and handheld magnetic susceptibility measurements on the drill core.

Deep-seismic reflection data across the Eastern Goldfields Province, northeastern Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia have provided information on the regions crustal architecture and on several of its highly mineralised regions. The 2001 Northeastern Yilgarn Deep Seismic Rflection Survey data has imaged several prominent crustal scaled features, including an eastward thickening of the crust across the northeastern Yilgarn Craton, the subdivision of the crust into three broad layers, the presence of a prominent east dip to the majority of the reflections and the interpretation of three east-dipping crustal-penetrating shear zones. These three east-dipping shear zones are major structures that subdivide the region into four terranes. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

Australian mineral exploration spending in 2005-06 rose by 20.6% to a record $1240.7 million, 36.9% of which was spent on the search for new deposits. Western Australia dominated with 47.6% of Australian mineral exploration spending while South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland had record expenditure. Tasmanian spending rose by 172%. Gold remained the main target, but its share of spending was eroded by growth in nickel, copper, iron ore, coal and uranium exploration. Exploration results were announced for a wide range of commodities from across the country including: Mineral sands (Gullivers, South Australia, and Cooljarloo North, Western Australia) Nickel (Saxon, Tasmania) Gold-copper (Tekapo, Northern Territory) Gold (Tandarra, Victoria, and Tropicana, Western Australia) Base metals (Cuttaburra, New South Wales) Copper (Rocklands, Queensland)

Australian mineral exploration spending in 2006-07 rose by 38% to a record $1,714.6 million of which 36% was spent on the search for new deposits. Spending rose in all States and the Northern Territory with South Australia up by 78% to $260.7 million while Western Australia dominated with 49% of Australian mineral exploration spending. The base metal group was the dominant target accounting for 32% of exploration spending overtaking gold (27%) for the first time since 1983. Exploration results were announced for a wide range of commodities from across the country with the most significant being the announcement of a 38% increase in contained copper in the Olympic Dam deposit, South Australia, and of an initial 4 Moz resource in the Tropicana gold deposit, Western Australia.

In 2001, Australia's economic demonstrated resources (EDR) of bauxite, copper, gold, lead, magnesite, ilmenite, zircon, nickel, phosphate, PGM, tantalum, silver, vanadium and zinc increased, while those of black coal, diamonds, iron ore, lithium, manganese ore and uranium decreased. EDR of brown coal was maintained at levels similar to those reported in 2000. The reductions in EDR were due mainly to ongoing high levels of production; with low commodity prices a subsidiary factor. EDR of gold, nickel and mineral sands reached record levels. Gold EDR rose by 4% and was over 80% of total demonstrated resources, this increase in resources continuing the established long-term growth trend for gold. In recent years that trend has continued despite falling exploration expenditure reflecting an increasing trend to concentrate exploration efforts in brownfields regions in response to the sustained period of depressed gold price. Australia, continues to rank as one of the world's leading mineral resource nations. It has the world's largest EDR of lead, mineral sands, nickel, silver, tantalum, uranium and zinc. In addition, its EDR is in the top six worldwide for bauxite, black coal, brown coal, cobalt, copper, gold, iron ore, lithium, manganese ore, rare earth oxides and gem/near gem diamond. Mineral exploration expenditure rose by 1% to $683.3 million in 2000-01, which was the first increase in annual exploration spending since 1996-97. However spending for calendar year 2001, based on the sum of ABS four-quarter figures, was down by $12 million to $664.4 million. Production of many mineral commodities again reached record levels in 2000-01, and overall mine production is projected by ABARE to rise in the five years to 2006-07 with the exception of gold which they forecast will fall by 6%. ABARE have projected a very high growth of some 60% for mine production of nickel in this period. Increases are also forecast for mine production of coal (+17%), copper (4%), lead (3%), zinc (12%), bauxite (17%) and iron ore (19%).

Australia's mineral resources have been sustained at adequate levels, relative to production, through continued exploration at known deposits and successful exploration in greenfield regions. At a number of mines, resources have increased progressively despite mining over an extended period. Increased efficiencies in mining and processing, achieved through application of new technology, have resulted in higher recoveries of minerals from many deposits.

In 1996, Australia's Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) of cobalt, gold, nickel, phosphate rock and tantalum increased substantially, while EDR of bauxite, lead, lithium, platinum group metals (PGM), silver and zinc rose slightly. There was a significant reduction in EDR of gem and near gem diamond and industrial diamond due to ongoing high levels of production. Magnesite and tin EDR were also significantly reduced as a result of depletion due to production and reassessment of deposits. EDR of all other commodities remained unchanged or had minor reductions. Australia continues to rank highly as one of the world's leading mineral resource nations. It has the world's largest EDR of bauxite, lead, mineral sands (ilmenite, rutile and zircon), silver, tantalum, uranium and zinc. In addition, its EDR is in the top six worldwide for black coal, brown coal, cobalt, copper, gold, iron ore, lithium, manganese ore, nickel, rare earth oxides, gem and near gem diamond and industrial diamond. Mineral exploration expenditure rose by 7.5% in 1995-96 to $960.2 million from $893.3 million in the previous year. Increases were recorded in all states and the Northern Territory. Gold was again the main target, accounting for 57% of the total expenditure. In 1995-96 mineral resources exports increased to a new record of $34.7 billion (thousand million), a rise of 12.7% over the previous fiscal year. These export earnings comprised 60% of Australia's commodity exports, 45% of merchandise exports and 35% of the country's total exports of goods and services. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) forecast export earnings to set a further record in 1996-97, rising by nearly 4% to over $36 billion.

Part of 4th March, as well as 5th March, were spent at Carcoar, New South Wales, in inspecting the radioactive deposits in that locality and in observing the use of a helicopter, loaned by the R.A.A.F., as a means of prospecting for radioactive minerals. The writer was accompanied by R.S. Matheson of the Geological Section of the Bureau, and J. Daly and a party of geophysicists were also present at Carcoar at the time of this inspection. The present note is supplementary to the report by R.S. Matheson (1952/65) which includes plans of the Carcoar area and the radioactive deposits, and should be read in conjunction with that report.

The Tennant Creek Mining Field occupies an area extending some 70 miles east and west and 40 miles north and south. Over this area are scattered a large number of small mines and prospects and it is sometimes difficult to bring a field such as this into perspective so as to obtain some idea of its true valuation. The following notes are designed to help in this direction. The output and nature of the orebodies, and the respective positions and productivity of the major deposits, are discussed in this report.