Car traverses were made in several directions over an area of 30 miles square with Coorabin as a centre, with the object of delimiting, if possible, the margins of the coal basin. The results of the geological survey are summarised herein.

Boring by the Alice Springs Works Department and by Webb Bros. of Mt. Riddock Station showed that subterranean water supplies in the schists and gneisses in this area are usually small in quantity and that the water is brackish. The best chances of obtaining water for the mining fields seems to lie in sinking relatively shallow wells on the creeks and depressions running northward from the Harts Range. These depressions are believed to contain from 30 to 60 ft. of alluvium. Eight possible sites for wells were selected, two being within the foothills of the main range and six at a distance of 1.5 to 2 miles from the foothills of the range. Six of these sites are now being tested by a light hand-boring plant. This plant is expected to penetrate the alluvium quickly and wells will be sunk where favourable results are obtained. The sites selected are within easy reach of the following mines: Jenkins' Mine, The Spotted Tiger Mine, B. Rech's (Rex?) Mine, Hit and Miss Mine, Central Mine and Eldorado Mine.

The mica used in modern aircraft sparking plugs, of which the attached section is representative, serves a triple purpose, viz: (a) Insulation of the electric current; (b) Protection of the insulating layers from heat; (c) As an effective seal against gas leakage. The use of mica in the construction and manufacture of aero engine sparking plugs is decribed herein.

D.L. Murray's Bore, south-west of Bourke is the most westerly yet to be examined in that area of New South Wales. From the palaeontological aspect it is probably the most interesting, for the majority of samples contain numerous arenaceous foraminifera of Lower Cretaceous age. Samples were examined from the depth of 25 to 375 feet.

This report is written in advance of the main report in order that a drilling campaign to test the scheelite deposits can be considered immediately. The descriptions are necessarily brief and moreover the report is not accompanied by the full set of plates which will accompany the main report. Present values suggest that the scheelite deposits could be worked on a much larger scale than the present one. The King Island scheelite mines have been operated during two periods, the first being between 1917 and 1920, and the second from 1938 to date. During the first period 67,710 tons of ore were treated for a production of 589 tons of scheelite concentrate, the average yield of concentrate being 0.87 per cent. During the second period 98,305 tons of ore were treated for a production of 627 tons of scheelite concentrate, the average yield on concentrate being 0.64 per cent. In addition and during the latter period 41,260 tons of tailings were re-treated for a production of 52 tons of scheelite concentrate, the average yield being 0.12 per cent. The mine is being worked at present and some 30,000 tons of ore are treated annually for a recovery of 200 tons of scheelite concentrate.

Two reports on the Costerfield Gold-Antimony veins have been published. Bulletin No. 50 of the Victorian Geological Survey, by H.S. Whitelaw gives an account of the lodes and workings and of the history of the mine. An excellent description of the reefs and the mineralisation by Dr. F.L. Stillwell appeared in the proceedings of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, New Series, No. 48, 1922. In view of the existence of these publications, repetition of the details of Costerfield history, workings and geological features is avoided as much as possible in this report, and they are merely summarised in order to present the essential facts concerning the mineralised system.

The Nelson Bore, which is still in progress and is being drilled with the Commonwealth Rotary plant in collaboration with the Victorian Mines Department, has now reached the depth of 3746 feet, with no indication that the basement rock will soon be reached. Unfortunately no bore in Western Victoria or south-eastern South Australia has been drilled to bedrock, consequently no suggestion can be made as to the possible depth at which it will be met in the present bore. The deepest bore in the area to be palaeontologically examined is Knight's Dome, No. 2, Mt. Gambier, South Australia, which reached the depth of 2013 feet, drilling ceasing in carbonaceous sands.

Preliminary assessment of core recovered from drill holes Nos. 22, 23, and 24, King Island.

A preliminary report on these samples was forwarded on 19/2/'42, the final report being delayed until the results of a mineralogical examination of two rock types, prominent in samples from 1542 feet down to 1549 feet was available. The results of this examination are now available.

A point has been reached in the prospecting of this field where it is necessary to review results and consider future actions. The bore on site A has been completed and Mr. Knight has concluded his preliminary geological survey of the area. The information now available modifies some of our earlier views. The following statement summarises the position.