1918.] The N;Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
361 
so far used. Other and very large deposits of good-grade magnesite have 
been discovered, but distance from seaboard and expense of cartage prevent 
their use.” 
Victoria. 
Mr. W. Dickson, Secretary for Mines, forwarded copies of reports on 
magnesite at Heathcote and Redesdale. The Heathcote report, written 
by Mr. E. J. Dunn, Director of Geological Survey, and dated 12th January, 
1913, may be quoted in full :— 
44 Magnesite at Heathcote . 
4 4 Many years ago an extensive area of ground on the south side of the 
railway-line at Heathcote was sluiced by the late Hon. J. A. Wallace. 
Among the pebbles, blocks of ironstone, and pieces of quartz left on the 
sluiced ground were concretionary lumps of magnesite up to 20 lb. or 30 lb. 
in weight each, and these were fairly numerous. About four years ago 
Mr. A. Wolskel inquired about this mineral, and was referred to this 
locality, and advised to sink along a certain line with the object of 
ascertaining what quantities were available below the surface’ 
44 Since then prospecting-work has been carried out, principally on 
the north side of D. Wood’s block C.I.D., about one mile south-east 
from the Heathcote Railway-station, and with most successful results, 
as sufficient of this valuable mineral has been disclosed to warrant the 
inauguration of an industry for its utilization. 
44 Along the north side of the block named, and between it and the 
railway, which is close by, five shafts have been sunk within a length of 
5 chains to depths ranging from 14 ft. to 62 ft. These have all been 
sunk along the junction of a fine-grained granitic rock on the north side 
and a rock that has a tendency to alter into serpentine on the south side. 
The junction of these two rocks continues for three-quarters of a mile in 
a south-westerly direction, and is well exposed in a large tract of rock that 
has been bared by sluicing operations in the serpentinous rock along 
its junction with the granitic rock, and also in the decomposed granitic rock 
for as much as 16 ft. away from the junction of the two rocks. 
44 At the shaft workings there is a thickness of from 1 ft. to 6 ft. 
of magnesite along the junction, beside branch veins running into the 
decomposed granitic rock. The junction is almost vertical in parts, but 
more generally it dips at about 80° to the southward. Decomposition of 
the basic rock on the south side of the junction has supplied the magnesite, 
which was dissolved out and redeposited along the junction, along the 
joints for several feet back from the junction in the granitic rock, and 
in fissures in the decomposed basic rock itself over wide areas. 
44 In the most north-westerly shaft, which is 62 ft. deep, the vein at 
32 ft. from the surface ranges from 2 ft. to 3 ft. wide in the level, besides 
which there is a considerable amount of magnesite in the branch veins 
in the granitic rock. In the other shafts the magnesite appears to be 
continuous along the junction, and also to average quite 2 ft. in thickness 
fco a depth of 20 ft. 
44 The vein appeared quite strong and of average width in the south¬ 
east shaft, and no doubt continues along the junction in that direction, 
while in the opposite direction magnesite is well shown as veins and nodules 
in the basic serpentinous rock, and at one place where a little work has 
been done at the junction some promising material was disclosed, but 
here it does not appear to attain as great a thickness as in the shaft 
