Mining/Geology

Amethyst – Wave Hill Station – Northern Territory

A nice example with good crystal definition. Deep but smoky purple, clear at the root, Some hematite inclusions along one edge.

Amethyt is a quartz group mineral with trapezohedral crystals [six sides prism ending in a six sided pyramid].

The Greeks thought that it could counter intoxication and therefore carved drinking vessels from it – they really did have style. The not getting drunk idea is the Greek translation …

Whilst silicon dioxide is the foundation, iron creates the purple hue, other metals make subtle changes.

Wave Hill Station is a bit of a trek.

Weight 250 gm 9.0 cm by 8.0 cm x 5.0 cm matrix.

Wave Hill Amethyst could keep you sober …

$30.00

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Chrysocolla [Green Botryoidal Form] – Burra Burra Mine

A nice bright lump of the green chrysocolla from the historic Burra Burra Mine in South Australia. Distinctive botryoidal form.

Chrysocolla a hydrous copper phyllosilicate mineral of still debated structure.

The name ancient Greek and first recorded used by Voyager hero Theophrastus.

Chrysocolla can arise in a more blue form – we quite like the even underlying green tone of this sample.

It is of secondary origin and forms in the oxidation zones of copper ore bodies.

Weight 340 gm 9.0 cm by 8.0 cm x 7.0 cm matrix.

Burra Burra beauty

$85.00

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Stilbite – Western India – ex Werner Hoch Collection

A sizeable and attractive lump of stilbite from Vaijapur, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India.

We are told from whence it came that it was originally part of the Verner Hoch collection, the main part of which is now in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.

Stilbite [after Greek – stilbein “to shine”] is a tectosilicate part of the zeolite group of minerals. Formed often in a basaltic volcanic environment.

This example is characteristic of it’s found location [it takes various forms in different parts of the World – Iceland, Scotland etc]. Here we have a peach/ pink hue and a translucent characteristic. The large form is often described as a “bow tie” and you can see why. This is a particularly good example with larger forms sitting on a bed of crystals on the host structure.

13cm by 8cm by 6cm weighing 330gm.

Super example of Stilbite with dominant bow-tie structure – nice hue

$95.00

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Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

Very good condition magic lantern slide from Newton & Co Fleet described in cursive writing.

We date the slide to around 1910. New & Co were at 43 Museum Street London. They were the world’s longest established suppliers of scientific instruments being formed by Sir Isaac Newton’s cousin J. Newton in 1704. At the time of this slide the proprietors were still from the Newton family. The British Museum have Newton & Co out of business at Museum Street in 1913, but other references have it continuing

A really broad view which magnifies to present incredible detail. Standard British size in fine condition. We believe this slide and image is pretty rare.

Kalgoorlie was discovered by Paddy Hannan and Tom Flanagan in 1893. There horse had thrown a shoe and when they stopped to sort it out they noticed gold …. Well … on the ground everywhere. Hannan staked a claim and the rush was on. By 1896 the rail had arrived and the area had taken over from Coolgardie as the primary WA goldfield.

As an aside the Newton & Co address is as you might suspect in sight of the British Museum in London and also opposite The Plough … a favourite Voyager pub.

Rare Australian Gold Mining Lantern Slide

$80.00

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The Gladstone Colony [An Unwritten Chapter of Australian History] – J F Hogan – First Edition 1898

Published in London by T. Fisher Unwin 1898. Octavo, 279 pages. Original plum coloured with gilt lettering to front and spine and top edge gilt. A very good copy. From the library of writer historian Harold L Sheard with his distinctive bookplate at front.

Much about the goings on associated with the establishment of Gladstone.

Where we find it interesting is in July 1858 when gold is discovered on the Fitzroy River and then at Calliope. Mayhem ensues as it usually did and within a short time over 400 men were working diggings and making better than a good living – one man 100 Pounds worth in a fortnight 16,000 Pounds in today’s money. Inevitably followed soon after by a chapter titles “a host of disappointed diggers”!

The book on the establishment of Gladstone – and the gold rush.

$140.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1880

Printed at the “Mercury” Steam Press Office and published 1881.

Briefer than usual but full of papers presented by the most notable observers, natural scientists with an interest in the Society.

A new Helix fossil is found in the Kent Group by geologist R.M. Johnston – with engraved plate. Johnston also reports on a new fish species in the Derwent.

Notes on some Tasmanian plants by the distinguished baron F von Mueller.

Robert Etheridge jnr [now in London] reports on a Unionide found in the Launceston Tertiary Basin – with engraving.

And, reports from discoveries elsewhere – Algae from the New Hebrides and the Lichens of Queensland by expert F.M. Bailey.

Original soft wrappers, 64 pages of papers, followed by meteorological tables [in detail – a daily record presented twice monthly] and the annual reports and accounts, list of Fellows etc Very good condition.

istinguished contributors to a tight honed edition – 1880.

$60.00

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Amethyst – Wave Hill Station – Northern Territory

Chrysocolla [Green Botryoidal Form] – Burra Burra Mine

Stilbite – Western India – ex Werner Hoch Collection

Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

The Gladstone Colony [An Unwritten Chapter of Australian History] – J F Hogan – First Edition 1898

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1880

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