Lyla Lindsey
Amber is a fossilised tree resin that is highly prized by jewellers, scientists and collectors. It is rare in Australia, but small amounts have been found in Victoria, Tasmania, and Queensland. The largest pieces of amber discovered in Australia were found on the beaches of Far North Queensland, on the Cape York Peninsula. These pieces are at least 4 million years old, and some are as big as a football. Amber has also been found in the Fingal valley in Tasmania, dating back 230 million years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amber sources in Australia | Cape York, Fingal valley, Gippsland Basin, Flaxman and Waarre formations of Victoria, beaches in northern Queensland, Tasmania, southeastern Australia |
| Age of Australian amber | 4 million years old, possibly much older; some amber is 40-42 million years old |
| Colors | Red, yellow, fluorescent blue |
| Origin | The source tree of Cape York amber is unknown, but it is believed to be a conifer or from the flowering plant family Dipterocarpaceae |
| Amber inclusions | Mating flies, slender springtails, ants, beetles, spiders, flowers, fungi, moss, fern spores, pollen, bubbles of gas and water, beetles, mites, scaly insects |
| Other notes | Amber is rare in Australia; it has been found on beaches and in coal mines |
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What You'll Learn
Amber found on beaches in Far North Queensland
Amber is a term used to describe fossilised tree resin. It is often used in jewellery, but it is also highly prized by scientists and collectors because it sometimes contains the remains of small animals and plants. Amber is rare in the fossil record of Australia, but small amounts have been found in Victoria and Tasmania, as well as older Cretaceous sites.
In 2003, amber-like material was discovered on a beach on Cape York in Far North Queensland. The discovery was significant because it was initially dismissed by some researchers as having been misidentified. The source tree of the Cape York amber is not known, but it is thought to be a conifer or from the flowering plant family Dipterocarpaceae. The amber is translucent to opaque and comes in many colours, including red, yellow, and fluorescent blue. Some of the Cape York ambers have been bored by molluscs, indicating they have been in the sea for an extended period.
The age of the Cape York amber is uncertain, but it is thought to be Miocene, dating back to 23-5.3 million years ago. Nearly one in five of the amber pieces found on Cape York contain fossils or bubbles of water or gas. The researchers believe that the amber washed up on the beaches from elsewhere on the coast, and they estimate that it came from an area 200 kilometres away.
The discovery of amber-like fossil resin on the beaches of Cape York is an important scientific find, providing insight into the botanical history of the region and the potential presence of new species.
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Cape York amber
Amber is a term used to describe fossilised tree resin. It is often used in jewellery, but it is also valuable to scientists and collectors because it may contain plants, fungi, and animals, such as spiders, insects, and mites.
Amber is rare in the fossil record of Australia, but small amounts have been found in Victoria, Tasmania, and older Cretaceous sites. In 2003, an amber-like material was discovered on a beach in Cape York. Some researchers dismissed it as having been misidentified. However, the Cape York amber contains tiny insects and plant material, including flowers.
The source tree of the Cape York amber is unknown. It was initially believed to be a conifer, perhaps related to the hoop pine or Kauri Pine (Araucariaceae). However, while Kauri Pines are found in Australia, the evidence for this identification is inconclusive. More recently, it has been suggested that the amber may be from the flowering plant family Dipterocarpaceae, which occurs in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea but not Australia. This suggests that the amber may have been carried to the Cape York area by ocean currents.
The amber from Cape York is translucent to opaque and comes in various colours, including red, yellow, and fluorescent blue. Some of the Cape York amber has been bored by molluscs, indicating that it has been in the sea for a long time. The age of the amber is uncertain, but it is thought to be Miocene (23-5.3 million years ago).
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Amber in Victoria
Amber is a fossilised resin of trees that sometimes contains the remains of small animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms. It is a rare find in Australia, but small amounts have been discovered in Victoria.
In Victoria, Australia, amber has been found in the Flaxman and Waarre formations in the south of the state. These deposits date back to the early Late Cretaceous (Turonian) period. The Gippsland Basin in southern Victoria has also yielded Late Cretaceous amber pieces from the Santonian stage (~86-84 million years ago). This amber was discovered in the Tuna-1 petroleum well and is mostly transparent with rare semi-opaque orange and red pieces.
Additionally, small amounts of Early to mid-Paleocene (~66-62 million years ago) amber have been recovered from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Core Lab from drill cores in the Gippsland Basin. This amber was found at a depth of 1967.9 meters in the Barracouta-1 petroleum well and is characterised by translucent to semi-opaque orange and red colours.
Amber has also been discovered in Cenozoic-aged coals and lignites in Victoria, as well as older Cretaceous sites. A fossil spider has been described from fossil resin found in the state. These findings contribute to our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems during the Cretaceous period and provide insights into the flora and fauna of that time.
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Amber in Tasmania
Amber is fossilised tree resin that can sometimes contain the remains of small animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It is highly prized by jewellers, scientists, and collectors.
Amber has been found in small amounts in Tasmania, Australia, dating back to the Late Triassic and Paleogene periods. The Fingal Coal Measures in Tasmania are one of the oldest sites of amber deposits in Australia, dating back to the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic.
Small amber fragments have also been reported from the early Paleogene (early Eocene) of western Tasmania. These fragments represent the most southerly recorded occurrence of Cretaceous amber in Australia.
The source trees of amber found in Tasmania are uncertain. While it was initially thought to be from conifers, there is now evidence suggesting it may be from the flowering plant family, Dipterocarpaceae, which is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea but not in Australia. This suggests that the amber may have been carried to Tasmania by ocean currents.
Amber from Tasmania can come in various colours, including red, yellow, and fluorescent blue, and some pieces have been bored by molluscs, indicating that they have been in the sea for an extended period.
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Amber in New Zealand
Amber is a fossilised tree resin that is highly sought after by jewellers, scientists, and collectors. It is most commonly used for jewellery, but it is also of great scientific value as it can contain the remains of small animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms.
In New Zealand, amber has been found in the Chatham Islands. These amber pieces represent internal plant resin canals (no exuded amber) and small to minute amber fragments. The Chatham Islands amber deposits date to the Late Cretaceous period.
Amber deposits from the early Paleogene (early Eocene) have also been found in New Zealand, specifically in western Tasmania. These deposits contain small amber fragments.
Additionally, New Zealand has a history of producing ambergris, also known as whale ambergris or grey amber. This substance, produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, has been used for centuries in perfumes, medicines, and as an aphrodisiac.
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Frequently asked questions
Amber has been found in several locations across Australia, including Victoria, Tasmania, Cape York Peninsula, and New South Wales.
Yes, specific sites include the Fingal Coal Measures in Tasmania, the Gippsland Basin in Victoria, and the beaches of northern Australia, such as the Cape York Peninsula.
Some sites, such as those between Temple Bay and Cap Grenville, are only accessible by boat.
Amber found in Australia varies in colour and can be translucent to opaque, including red, yellow, and fluorescent blue.
