SAPPHIRE DEPOSITS NEAR EBOR, NSW AUSTRALIA
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. A reference about the park ( here) indicates 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.
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I have found a few blue sapphires at Snowy Creek near the road, and a goshenite beryl at Biscuit Creek. A lot of work for a small find, but good comradeship!
ReplyDeleteYes snowy creek has abundant black spinel and black sapphire as well. Small cloudy blue chips can be found but nothing worth keeping .Old miners were thourough. I would say the areas within the park would indeed hold substantial deposits and hence why it has been made a national park to prevent destruction. Along the road edge is not national park. some people fossick here and mainly get spinel and small topaz and smokey quartz.(please fill in your holes and be warned the nearby property owners are NOT FOSSICKER FRIENDLY as either are the MASSIVE King Browns that make thier home along these creek edges.((natural guards)) All in these creeks too small and fractured I expect due to the immediate vicinity of the Volcano and the ferocity Ebor detonated with hence why a bit more up toward guyra in the swap areas is much better finds.. Further away up toward Guyra hold deposits of Green/blue sapphire in the swap areas and ancient creeks but these are all within private properties . I use wires to find old creek beds and have had quite good success locating ancient gravels in river beds long hidden. Buscuit creek turned up gold on panning and also strangely I managed to find a large piece of what I suspect to be closed c-axis Paparadashe (salmon pink/orange corundum.) I suspect that Biscuit creek having it's origins more toward the Dough Boy Volcanics that perhaps the doughboys hold a deposit of Paparadashe somewhere along Biscuit creek.
ReplyDeleteI have heard as well from some old timers that most of the swamp areas around the boundary areas hold Blue/Green keepers but again private property and BIG snakes...stick to the tried and true areas around guyra and inverell. :)
Please note now the roadside is mostly closed all the way to Inverel. Whole gemfields roadside area shut off and made sensitive roadside environment Day visitors hacked it all up for nothing as not even proper deposit wash... Chips and bits from deeper hardrock held deposits.. to protect it from morons not backfilling digging up drains under roads and even digging up farmers dam walls obviously for nothing but cow poo and mud.. . You must approach Council in respective area to purchase license for council fossiking areas. Well worked but worth a look for sure. Or the two tourist parks in situ camping on deposit near Inverel. Access can be has through clubs and such but even that is getting tough due to legalities. The area Glen Innes has great local sourced high quality cut and set stones from older mining times stock of quality sapphire crystal. and availability of inexpensive productive gem deposit gravel bags of virgin gem wash is the way to go.. Tourist accommodation parks at Glen Innes have on site fossiking with good virgin wash. Decent chance of getting something gemy without getting shot bitten by a 7 foot brown or a cranky Stephens snake for a few useless chips... and without needlessly wrecking environment for really only chips and bits outside of actual and secret well hidden and very VERY limited small deposits which are not anywhere I or anyone else can get to. Besides council areas and tourist parks really cover what good stuff is still about.
ReplyDeleteCouncil zones turn up some good stones as well. Private B and B arrangements or farmstays can be found advertised. Gone are the days of a roadside kick and look as too much damage by careless inconsiderate fools. You now get checked out even just specking or having a leak. National Parks have surveillance cams everywhere. Stick to the places you will get something from proper wash but none of that is roadside.