Ebor is a small settlement on the eastern side of the New
England Tableland. Its best known attractions are the Ebor Falls, where the
river drops over a series of basalt flows, Cathedral Rocks National Park, Point
Lookout (one of the most expansive views in Australia) and the Dutton Trout
Hatchery, which you pass on the way to Point Lookout. Round Mountain is not
only the highest point in New England, but you would have to travel several
thousand kilometres northwards to find higher ground (Mt Bartle Frere, south of
Cairns in north Queensland, in fact).
The sapphire deposits are located in places not far from the
basalt margin (especially the outlying basalt on Round Mountain) and I would not be surprised if more remain to be discovered. The
map adjoining is taken from “Records of the Geological Survey of NSW, 14 part
1” (1971). This includes an important article on Sapphires in the New England
District. Ebor is on the extreme right of the included map. The DIGS reference
is R00050764. The creeks highlighted in green are those known at the time to be
gem bearing.
Apart from this map (which led me to check out the place)
there are few other sources of information. There are several in the
Dorrigo/Coffs Harbour Metallogenic Data notes and one in particular I found
when searching DIGS – “V. Evans' Snowy Creek Sapphire Prospecting parish Rigney
county Clarke, Ebor area” (DIGS reference R00039966).
Now, before you go rushing off in the hope of finding your
fortune, take note of the fact that the areas mentioned are now in the
Cathedral Rocks National Park where fossicking is not allowed. Two references
about the park (here (missing) and here) indicate the park boundaries and also that the
remains of the sapphire prospecting are regarded as historic relics.
My own visits to the area included (a) Biscuit
Creek at the top right of the map above (zero finds) (b) Native Dog Creek
(black sand, probably ilmenite) (c) Boundary Creek, also top right of map
(black sand) and (d) Snowy Creek (the area highlighted
in green on the map) (abundant black spinel).
This is a
summary of the five areas indicated as gem bearing in the Metallogenic Mine
Data (full title Metallogenic Study and Mineral Deposit Data
Sheets Dorrigo - Coffs Harbour 1:250 000 Metallogenic Map (SH/5610, SH/5611)
(explanatory notes)) The DIGS reference is R00037128.
Snowy Creek:
described as a placer deposit carrying sapphire and topaz. “There is evidence
of small-scale mining and fossicking activity along Snowy Creek upstream from
its crossing by the Ebor-Guyra road. Position approximate. Not visited in the
field."
Snowy Creek West:
described as a sapphire alluvial placer.
Biscuit Creek:
described as a placer deposit carrying sapphire and cassiterite, worked by
dredging and/or sluicing.
Yooroonah
(presumably near or in the Oaky River, south of the National Park): sapphire
placer deposit worked by dredging and/or sluicing.
Oaky River,
locality Yooroonah: sapphire and cassiterite placer worked by dredging and/or
sluicing and by shallow pits.
This information is derived from the various reports
concerning V Evans’ prospecting areas.
During 1978/79
The location of the various areas mentioned may be found on
the map below, extracted from the Dorrigo/Coffs Harbour metallogenic map. It
may take a little searching, but they are there!
418
– Biscuit Creek, 419 – Snowy Creek West, 422 - Snowy Creek, 667 and 669 – Oaky
River/Yooroonah.
My gem hunting/mining You Tube playlist may be found here. I have three other playlists - the Blue Mountains, Glen Innes and New Zealand.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html
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