THE METEORITE CRATERS AT HENBURY, CENTRAL 



AUSTRALIA ^ 



By Arthur Richard Alderman, M. Sc, F. G. S. 

 Lecturer in Geology and Mineralogy, University of Adelaide 



[With 3 plates] 



111 the early part of 1931 public interest in South Australia was 

 stimulated by the fall of the Karoonda meteorite ^ on November 25, 

 1930, and its subsequent discovery by an Adelaide University party 

 led by Prof. Kerr Grant. In consequence of this Professor Grant 

 was informed separately by Mr. B. Bowman, of Tempe Downs, and 

 Mr. J. M. Mitchell, of Oodnadatta, that fragments of meteoric iron 

 were to be found surrounding several craterlike depressions near 

 Henbury cattle station in Central Australia. The number of craters 

 was variously described as three and five. 



Prof. Kerr Grant placed this information before the authorities of 

 the South Australian Museum, and Prof. Sir Douglas Mawson, the 

 honorary mineralogist to that institution, immediately suggested 

 that the museum should investigate the reports. The author con- 

 sequently was commissioned by the museum authorities to make 

 a preliminary survey of the area. In this he was fortunate to be 

 assisted by Mr. F. L. Winzor, of the chemistry department, Univer- 

 sity of Adelaide. 



LOCALITY 



Henbury is situated on the dry watercourse of the Finke River 

 about 120 miles, by motor, from Rumbalara railway station. This 

 distance is shortened by about 10 miles if the journey is made by 

 camel, the usual means of transport of the country. The meteorite 

 locality (fig. 1) is situated 7 miles west-southwest of Henbury and 

 adjacent to a strong ridge which runs in an east-west direction and 

 which forms an outlying spur of Bacons Range. The locality is 

 Imown locally as the " Double Punchbowl," due apparently to the 

 two largest craters being in close proximity. 



^ Reprinted by permission from the Mineralogical Magazine, vol. 23, No. 136, pp. 19-32, 

 March, 1932. 



2 Grant, K., and Dodwell, G, F., Nature, vol. 127, pp. 402, 631, London, 1931. (Min. 

 Abstr., vol. 5, p. 15). 



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