BACK CREEK, PINKETT NEAR GLEN INNES
NSW AUSTRALIA
Back
Creek is the first major creek south of Yarrow Creek on
the Pinkett road, about 25km south east of Glen Innes. As seen from the road,
there are numerous granite outcrops, especially on the eastern side. Near the
point at which the creek moves away from the road, outcrops disappear and sand
appears to make up the creek bed from here on. At the point where the Pretty Valley
road crosses Back Creek there is nothing to be seen but sand. All this country
is private property, needless to say, so access will need to be arranged for
fossicking.
The above quote comes from the book “Exploration Data Package for the Glen Innes
1:100,000 Sheet Area” by RE Brown (1995). The DIGS reference is GS1995/231.
It strongly suggests that good
gemstones are to be found in these south eastern areas. Our numerous trips to Yarrow
Creek confirm that this is indeed true; however there have been sapphire
mines at various places along the Yarrow where sufficient accumulation of wash
has happened.
Yarrow Creek is shown as
a sapphire bearing stream in the following references:
Sapphire
in NSW 1983 DIGS reference Information Brochure 40, Sapphire in NSW 1995 DIGS
Information Brochure 41, Quarterly Notes 103 (1997) DIGS reference
QN 103, Records of the Geological Survey of New South Wales, Volume14, Part 1 by
AA McNevin (1972) DIGS Records 14(1) .
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| Back Creek topaz |
Interestingly, neither Pretty Valley, nor Rainy
Swamp nor Back Creek appear on any of the maps in these references. In the case
of Rainy Swamp sapphires were certainly mined there. Pretty Valley appeared to
be virgin when we first investigated it. Back Creek showed signs of old
prospecting along both of its major tributaries upstream of the Pinkett road.
Yet no trace could be found in DIGS of any mining or prospecting in these three
areas. All three have produced good gemstones on our many visits.
I have mentioned in the Blog entries on both Rainy
Swamp and Pretty Valley that their gemstones differ from those in Yarrow Creek,
but resemble each other. The same is true for the gems from Back Creek. Indeed,
I think it likely that the Rainy Swamp deposit is a former course of Back
Creek. It would not be difficult to imagine Back Creek having formerly flowed
where Bladey Grass Creek is today (Pretty Valley).
The typical wash from
Back Creek produces a concentrate containing sapphire, zircon, spinel,
tourmaline, topaz and cassiterite. There is a great deal of clear and smoky
quartz. The topaz has been found in pieces up to 150 carats, mostly colourless
but with some blue and apricot coloured stones. There is a lot of black
tourmaline and I have seen one piece only of gemmy tourmaline. The sapphire is
mostly opaque but clear stones of all the usual colours turn up. There is a
little beryl to be found as well.
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| Gemmy tourmaline from Back Creek |
I have seen two “bonanzas”
found there when dozens of cutters suddenly appeared in a relatively small
area. I was involved in finding a third and it was extraordinary to come upon
wash peppered with all the gems mentioned when it was normal to see just a few
in the sieve. That’s what gem hunting is all about and I have to say that it
was a sad day when we lost access to the best part of the creek in 2002. This was the result of fossickers on a Minerama trip not filling in their holes.
If I ever had the opportunity to fossick again, Back Creek would be the place I would go.
I have no photos of fossicking
at Back Creek, unfortunately, and just a few of some finds from there. I’m
looking forward to reading about future successes by readers of this Blog.
You can experience
fossicking around Glen Innes through my You Tube site until you pay the area a
visit. Click here.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos
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| Back Creek topaz |
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