47 
favorable signs. Owing to the soft nature of the clay and the land-slips on the 
sides of the valley, there would be considerable difficulties in the way of 
mining operations. 
It appears that this magnesite is in its natural position, and has not been 
carried down from a higher level by a landslip. One nodule resembling 
magnesite was found just below the level of the basalt, but this proved to be 
too rich in lime to be of commercial value (No. 3 below). 
Analyses were made in the Geological Survey Laboratory. 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
No. 3. 
No. 4. 
per cent. 
per cent. 
per cent. 
per cent. 
Carbonate of magnesia 
.. 96-44 
.. 95-45 
.. 67-21 
.. 80-59 
Carbonate of lime 
.... 1-65 
.. 3-10 
.. 29-93 
.. 5-67 
Alumina and iron 
.. 006 
.. 0-05 
.. 009 
.. 0-23 
Silica * 
.. 0-09 
.. 015 i 
.. 0-83 
.. 11-27 
Water above 110° C. 
Water below 110° C. .. 
.. 0-62 
.. 0-98 
0 • 65 \ 
.. 0•20 j 
1-92 
.. 2-24 
No 1. Hard nodule of white magnesite from the creek bed. 
No. 2. Soft, clay-like magnesite enclosing harder nodules ; hole sunk near 
creek level. 
No. 3. Nodule from about 80 feet above the level of the creek and near 
the base of the basalt. 
.No. 4. Nodule from the creek level; it has a rough surface unlike the 
usual type found in this locality. 
In the following table 1 the composition of magnesite from some of the best 
known foreign localities is shown for the purpose of comparison :— 
Carbonate of magnesia 
Carbonate of lime 
Alumina and iron 
Silica r .. 
No. 5. No. 6. No. 7. 
per cent. per cent. per cent. 
92 to 94 .. 930 .. 85-5 
1-10 to 3-20 .. 0-12 .. 1-20 
1-75 to 3-20 .. 0*85 .. 3’50 
1*0 to 2-0 .. 5'6 .. 0-75 
No. 5. Magnesite, Greece ; 56,797 metric tons raised in 1909. 
No. 6. Magnesite, Silesia j 125,666 metric tons raised in 1909. 
No. 7. • Magnesite, Hungary ) 
It is evident that the best Spring Creek samples compare very favorably 
with the foreign examples, especially No. 1, which represents the type usually 
found as hard nodules in the creek bed. For industrial purposes the percen¬ 
tage of magnesium carbonate (MgC0 3 ) should be high and the calcium carbo¬ 
nate (CaC0 8 ) low. 
In 1910 the total consumption of magnesite in the United States was 
178,327 metric tons, valued at 1,602,580 dollars, giving an average value of 
£2 per ton in British units. 
Up to the present time Heathcote is the only place where magnesite has 
been mined in Victoria, but it has been reported to occur at Hard Hills, near 
the junction of Jim Crow Creek and the Loddon River, and at Bulla in the 
kaolin beds. 
Clay. 
Overlying the magnesite deposit there is a considerable thickness of white 
clay. Half-a-dozen samples were taken and submitted to the usual briquet¬ 
ting test, which consists of making them up into tiles which are first air-dried 
and then burnt at various known temperatures. They produced excellent 
light-coloured tiles at moderate temperatures, but are not suitable for fire 
clays. They should be suitable for the manufacture of vitrified ware. Some 
of these clays contain fluxes, and are inclined to fuse, but this effect could be 
counteracted if the materials proved otherwise suitable. 
1 Mineral Industry, 1910. 
