1944
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In a memorandum dated 28th February, the Superintending Civil Engineer of the Department of the Interior stated that cracks were showing in the Cotter dam, and that these were serious enough to warrant an investigation as to whether there were minerals in the aggregate likely to cause expansion on decomposition. Visits were made to the Cotter dam and the adjacent rock quarries, and this report embodies the results of those visits and subsequent investigations. All possible geological factors likely to affect the stability and strength of the dam were investigated and, even though it was subsequently found that some of them could have little or no effect on the dam, they are discussed in this report.
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At least as early as 1940, it was realised by the Department of the Interior that the reserves of suitable rock (shale or slate) in the pit adjacent to the Canberra Brickworks were limited. A decision was made to find a temporary site to provide sufficient material to supply the brickworks for two years. A site at Deakin, 1700 yards by road east from the existing brickworks was selected and was recommended by Dr. W.G. Woolnough in 1940 as suitable, subject to testing by costeans and pits. A survey of the area in the subdivision of Deakin, Canberra City Area, was then arranged and was made during March and April, 1944, the object being to determine if there were sufficient reserves of suitable material to supply the Canberra brickworks for a period of not less than two years. This report describes the results of this survey.
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Results of a microscopic examination of cores from bores Nos. 153, 155, 169, and 171, parish of Maryvale, Nos. 99, 103, and 109, parish of Loy Yang and No. 31, parish of Hazelwood.
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During the period August 1942 - August 1943, a boring campaign was conducted in the Coorabin section of the coalfield by the Commonwealth Coal Commission. The boring was done by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission of New South Wales under the supervision of the Mineral Resources Survey Branch of the Department of Supply and Shipping. When the Coal Commission withdrew, and before the plant was removed from the field, an additional bore was put down by the Department of Supply and Shipping in the Oaklands section of the field. This report contains the results of analyses of the bores.
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This sample of bryozoal marl from Montagu, Tasmania, was collected by Mr. F. Canavan. It contains a faunal assemblage typical of the Balcombian Stage of the Middle Miocene as found in Victoria and can be referred to Longford substage of the Balcombian.
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Gypsum has been found in all the states of the Commonwealth, but, as far as known at present, deposits of commercial importance are limited to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. South Australia is the major producer and provides approximately 80 percent of the total Australian production. An account of gypsum deposits and occurrence by state is given in this report.
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The Curragundi Bore is situated in Portion 15, Ph. Gingham, County Benarba, 12 miles east of Four Posts No. 2 Bore and 11 miles west of Midkin No. 3 Bore. It is about 40 miles southeast of Boronga No. 2 Bore reported upon 30/5/42. The samples examined for micro-fauna were taken from the depth of 50 feet down to 2107 feet 6 inches. The results of this micro-examination are recorded in this report.
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This report deals with the results obtained in tests with the electrical resistivity method on the brown coalfields at Morwell and Traralgon, Victoria, in an attempt to develop a rapid method of determining the presence of the coal and its depth below the surface. These tests were carried out in the latter part of 1943 by the Geophysical Section of the Mineral Resources Survey at the request of the Victorian Electricity Commission. Thirty-four resistivity-electrode separation tests were made over a wide variety of geological sections in the parishes of Maryvale, Hazelwood and Loy Yang. These tests were preceded by a number of tests by specific resistivity made on various types of overburden and on coal exposed in the open cuts at Yallourn. This report discusses the results of these tests although verbal information concerning them has already been made available to the Commission's officers. It will be shown that under certain conditions, the predictions of the depth to coal are reliable within fairly narrow limits while under other conditions the predictions are misleading. It is proposed in the first instance to outline the method and apparatus used in these tests. In addition, it is considered advisable to outline the methods of interpretation employed in order that the conclusions reached will by fully appreciated. In addition to discussing the resistivity results, the report deals briefly with the possibility of using gravity methods on the same prospecting problem. Calculations have been made of gravity anomalies to be expected from certain coal sections and it is shown that under favourable conditions this might prove of value in determining the presence and position of the coal.
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This report is written primarily to present the determination of the permeability and porosity of a number of rocks and minerals, but it has also been considered advisable to give a brief description of the different kinds of apparatus designed and used in making the determinations. The materials on which the tests were carried out included a suite of specimens from No. 10 bore, Lakes Entrance, two specimens of sandstone from one of the bores at Roma, Queensland, and a number of Australian diatomites. The method of presentation adopted in this report is, firstly to describe the apparatuses used in making the determinations and the technique adopted in preparing the specimens for testing and secondly to discuss the results obtained for each set of specimens. In addition to the permeability and porosity tests already mentioned, a number of tests of compressive strength were made on wet and dry samples of glauconitic sandstone from Lakes Entrance.
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This deposit was examined in company with Mr. L.C. Ball, Chief Government Geologist of the Queensland Geological Survey on Wednesday, January 5th, 1944. It has previously been described in some detail by H.G.S. Cribb of the Geological Survey. Since Mr. Cribb's examination was made, the workings southwesterly from the shaft have been extended somewhat, but the owners, Messrs. Elver Bros., at the time of our visit were proposing to abandon that shaft on account of water and the fact that the drives were too long for economic working. The mining method used is expensive, slow and inefficient. Less than 50%, probably only about 30% of the bentonite is recovered by the existing procedure. This report details the origin of the deposits and proposals for future testing.