Articles

BEFORE USING THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES: PLEASE READ THIS DISCLAIMER. **This page contains articles about mineral collecting localities in the Broken Hill district that have been visited in the past by the Club and many of these locations are on PRIVATE PROPERTY. All of the following articles have been written and edited by the members of the club and are the opinions of the authors. Some information included in these articles can quickly become out of date as properties / minesites change hands and access privileges change as a result of this. If there is any doubt about information given in these articles,** always contact the current landholder / leaseholder for permission to enter and NEVER assume that the locations are automatically open to visitors. =**1. Huonville Sphene Pit.**=

**Appr oximately thirty kilometres south of Broken Hill, on the flank of a small rise, is a curiosity of sorts. On this hill is a pit that was worked periodically over the last seventy years as a source of gem quality sphene – the old alternative gemstone name for the mineral titanite. The pit is reached either from the east via Huonville Station or from the west via Ascot Vale Station and the Copper Blow...** ** PLEASE NOTE: This location is CLOSED to fossickers. **
 * Full Article Here:[[file:Sphene Pit Article.pdf]]**

=**2. Billeroo Davidite.**= **Billeroo is the name of a hill, a dilapidated corrugated iron hut sitting at its base and an old copper mine, some 20 km north east of the Plumbago Station homestead – 50 km north of Mannahill, South Australia. The highest point on Plumbago Station is Mount Victoria, a large granite massif riddled with cross cutting pegmatites. These pegmatites contain a number of uranium and rare earth minerals including xenotime, monazite, ilmenorutile, brannerite and of course davidite...**
 * PLEASE NOTE: This location has LIMITED ACCESS for fossicking and visitor FEES APPLY. **
 * Full Article Here:[[file:Billeroo Article.pdf]]**

= = =**3. The Often Overlooked Broken Hill Gahnites **= = = **Hundreds of satellite Broken Hill type lead, zinc mines, mostly pegged in the late 1880’s, are scattered throughout the Barrier Ranges. These followed identifiable similar lode horizons, acting as indicators to the possibility of rich ore, to the main Broken Hill deposit. Along with the sulphides they contain the following mineral assemblage – blue translucent quartz, fine grained pink garnet rock (locally called garnet sandstone), green coloured lead rich orthoclase feldspar and gahnite.**


 * Full Article Here:[[file:Gahnite Article.pdf]] **

=** 4. The Corona Amethyst Fields **=

**The Corona Amethyst Fields are located approximately 90km north of Broken Hill at the top end of the outcrop of the Euriowie Block. The fields themselves do not occur on Corona Station but their northern neighbour McDougals Well Station, however Corona is crossed by the main access road. To reach the fields, head from Broken Hill, along the Tibooburra road until the Corona road turnoff is reached. Head up the Corona road until a track heads off towards the northeast and a windmill, tank and gate are in view. This track continues for another 10km to the amethyst fields. **
 * Full Article Here: [[file:Corona Amethyst.pdf]]**

=5. The Byjerkerno Tin Fields= == **The Byjerkerno tin fields (otherwise known as the Euriowie tin fields) were first discovered in 1884 by Ralph Hodgson, John March and Henry Hines and pegged as the Caloola claim. The tin fields are around 10 km in strike length and straddle the boundary of two pastoral stations. The northern section is on Sturt’s Meadow Station, while the southern is on Poolamacca Station.**
 * PLEASE NOTE: This location has LIMITED ACCESS for fossicking. **
 * Full Article Here:[[file:Byjerkerno Article.pdf]]**

=6. Desert Rose Gypsum from Woolcunda Station=

**Woolcunda Station is a pastoral station accessed via the Silver City Highway (Broken Hill - Wentworth road) and a station track 600 metres north of the Coombah Roadhouse. The station is most famous, mineralogically, for superb clusters of gypsum crystals - desert roses, found by digging in an ancient lakebed.**
 * PLEASE NOTE: This location is CLOSED to fossickers. **
 * Full Article Here:[[file:Woolcunda Article.pdf]]**

=7. The Radium Hill Area=

**The Radium Hill area in South Australia has a large variety of minerals within a 10 km radius of the old mine. To reach the mine, turn south off the Barrier High-way, 90km from Broken Hill, between Cockburn and Olary and go into Tikalina Station**
 * PLEASE NOTE: This location has LIMITED ACCESS for fossicking. **

**Full Article Here:**