XV. The Bismuth and Tin Deposits of Australia

Abstract

The stanniferous deposits of Australia extend over large areas of the colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, and from them a large proportion of the total Tin production of the world has for some years past been derived. New South Wales ranks first in respect to production of Tin, Tasmania second, Queensland third, while discoveries of the ore in the northern territory of South Australia were only reported a few weeks before my departure from the colonies in October of last year. As the same description will practically apply to the whole of these colonies, I will dwell somewhat in detail on the first discovered, and up to this time the most prolific, Tin-field of the group, viz., that of the mother colony of New South Wales. If you will be kind enough to look at the rough map which I have prepared (Plate III.), you will observe an irregular patch, shaded with diagonal lines, on the N.E. frontier of the colony, which shows the extent of the Tin-producing area. A similar patch on the southern boundary of Queensland shows an extension of the deposits into that territory, and in both Tin is found under precisely similar conditions. In the northern territory of Queensland this valuable metal has been found, in recent years, distributed over two very extensive areas; where, in addition to alluvial ore, numerous wonderfully rich lodes have been opened up. There is at present good reason to suppose that from her northern territory This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract