Damon Mcknight
Tourmaline is a durable mineral that can be found in minor amounts in sandstone and conglomerate. It is chiefly mined in Brazil and parts of Africa, but can also be found in Australia. In Australia, tourmaline can be found in the Dudley pegmatite in Penneshaw, on the Dudley Peninsula of Kangaroo Island, in South Australia. It can also be found in the Olary Province of South Australia, in Wallangra, Arrawatta Co. of New South Wales, and in the Maude and Yellow Girl Mine in Glen Valley, East Gippsland Shire, Victoria. An unusual deposit of black tourmaline, also known as Warrierite, can be found on an island in the middle of a normally dry salt lake, located on Warriedar Station, approximately 450 km north of Perth, Western Australia.
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What You'll Learn
Dudley Pegmatite, Penneshaw, Dudley Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Tourmaline is a gemstone that comes in a range of colours, from intense greens to the highly coveted clear blue, which fetches extremely high prices. In Australia, tourmaline can be found in several locations, including South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.
One notable location for finding tourmaline in Australia is Dudley Pegmatite in Penneshaw, on the Dudley Peninsula of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Penneshaw is a seaside town and the second-largest township on Kangaroo Island. It is often the first place visitors see when arriving via ferry or cruise ship. The town boasts beautiful beaches, historic sites, conservation parks, and abundant wildlife.
Dudley Pegmatite, specifically, is known for its gem tourmaline and is located 10.5 km southeast of Penneshaw. The mineral elbaite, a form of tourmaline, has been found at this site. Elbaite tourmaline can be found in a variety of colours, including the coveted blue, as well as green and indicolite.
In addition to tourmaline, Dudley Pegmatite is also known for its quartz. The site is described as a granite pegmatite with small shafts for extracting gem tourmaline. The extraction of tourmaline at this site suggests that it is valued for its gem-quality, likely due to its colour and clarity.
The Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island offers spectacular and unspoiled coastal scenery, perfect for outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing, as well as historical sites dating back to 1836. The Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, built in 1852, is another notable attraction in the area, providing sensational views of the coastline.
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$35
Maude and Yellow Girl Mine, Glen Valley, East Gippsland Shire, Victoria
Tourmaline can be found in several places in Australia, including Maude and Yellow Girl Mine, Glen Valley, East Gippsland Shire, Victoria. This mine is known for its gold, arsenopyrite, and tourmaline mineral commodities. The tourmaline found in the mine dumps at Maude and Yellow Girl Mine is a thin section of aplite that exhibits beautiful blue to brown zoning.
The mine is located in the Glen Valley, East Gippsland Shire, in Victoria, Australia. The main shaft cavern of the mine is situated deep within Mount Wills, approximately 700 meters along the No. 5 adit. The mine is also known for its banded aplite, aplitic dyke, and sulphosalt formations.
The Maude and Yellow Girl Mine has yielded a variety of mineral specimens, including an acicular grey sulphosalt and an acicular black sulphosalt. These sulphosalts have not yet been analysed, but their identification is based on their colour and characteristics. Several sulphosalts, including jamesonite and boulangerite, are often found intergrown with other minerals in the Maude ores.
Additionally, the mine has produced a 2-centimetre-long rod of andalusite embedded in vein quartz, as well as a 1-millimetre-thin aggregate of gold associated with minerals such as sphalerite, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and possibly stibnite and tetrahedrite-type minerals. Uraninite grains have also been discovered in the pegmatite from the mine.
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Warriedar Station, 450 km north of Perth, Western Australia
Warriedar Station is located around 450 km north of Perth, in the Yalgoo Shire of Western Australia. It is known for hosting an unusual deposit of black tourmaline, also known as Warrierite, which is found on an island in the middle of a normally dry salt lake within the station. Warriedar Station was once a large sheep grazing property.
The Black Tourmaline from this deposit is characterised by its very fine grain structure and massive size, often with pieces weighing 50 kg or more. It does not form crystals and has been identified as a microcrystalline form of dravite-schorl through trace element analysis and other tests. This variety of tourmaline takes a very high polish, with a MOH's hardness of 7-7.5.
The age of the Black Tourmaline deposit at Warriedar Station has not been conclusively determined. However, it is believed to be part of the Warriedar Fold Belt, an Achaean geological formation that is approximately 3 billion years old. This ancient formation adds to the geological significance of the site.
In addition to the tourmaline deposit, Warriedar Station has a history of mining activities. Sources mention the Desert Sunset Mine, the Fields Find Gold Mine, and the Golden Eagle Gold Mine, indicating that the area has been of interest for mineral exploration and extraction.
Tourmaline has also been found in other locations across Australia, including South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. Some specific sites include the Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island, the Olary Province, Wallangra in New South Wales, and the Maude and Yellow Girl Mine in Victoria. These sites contribute to the diversity of tourmaline deposits within Australia.
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Yinnietharra, Western Australia
Yinnietharra, in the Upper Gascoyne Shire of Western Australia, is a large cattle station with some complex Precambrian high-grade metamorphic rocks, including pegmatites, corundum, and tourmaline deposits. The Yinnietharra Dravite Mine, also known as the Tomkap tourmaline mines, is a well-known locality for very large and well-formed dark brown dravite crystals. The deposit was discovered in 1918, and mining began in 1968. During the initial period of mining, from January 1969 to January 1971, more than 12 tons of dravite crystals were produced.
The Yinnietharra North deposit, located 1.5 km north of the Yinnietharra dravite open pit, contains black tourmaline, specifically a type of black dravite with an MgO content of 9.85%. This deposit is characterised by black phlogopite schist with large, euhedral black dravite rhombohedra, some of which exhibit double terminations and internal zoning. The maximum crystal size recorded at this deposit is impressive, measuring 60 mm in diameter and 23 cm in length.
The Tomkap tourmaline mines consist of two pits located roughly 1 km apart and parallel to each other. Brown dravite is found in the southern pit, while black dravite, also known as "Povondraite," occurs in the northern pit. The dravite crystals are embedded in a phlogopite-plagioclase schist on Morrissey Hill in the Gascoyne Province of Western Australia. The existing pit at the mine is about 30 meters long and is home to a friendly goanna.
The Yinnietharra area is remote and arid, lacking fresh water sources. As such, anyone planning to visit the region is advised to be self-sufficient and equipped with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
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Olary Province, South Australia
Olary Province is located within the federal division of Grey, the state electoral district of Stuart, and the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia. The community within Olary receives municipal services from a South Australian government agency, the Outback Communities Authority.
Olary Province is known for its mineral deposits, including tourmaline. Tourmaline is a gemstone that occurs in a wide range of colours, from intense greens to clear blues. The name is derived from the Singhalese "Tura mali," which means mixed colours.
The province is also home to the historic Bimbowrie Cobb and Co coach house, which underwent a traditional restoration operation in 2010 with the assistance of tradespeople and low-security prisoners from the Port Augusta Prison. Nearby is the Mount Victoria Well & Whim Historic Site, listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.
Olary Province is also known for its copper mines, such as the Dome Rock Copper Mine in the Boolcoomatta Reserve, and other mineral deposits like beryl and biotite. The area has been of interest to mineralogical societies for field trips and exploration.
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Frequently asked questions
Tourmaline can be found in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Tourmaline has been found in Yinnietharra and on an island in the middle of a dry salt lake known as Warrier Island, located around 450 km north of Perth.
Tourmaline can be found in the Olary Province and on Kangaroo Island.
Tourmaline can be found in the East Gippsland Shire, specifically at the Maude and Yellow Girl Mine in Glen Valley.
