A fossil refers to any remains or traces of past life that are preserved in the rock. It could be remains of plants or animals. Fossil leaves are commonly found on different types of rocks. These fossils can go as far back as the Triassic Age just like the series of fossil plants collected at Denmark Hill, Ipswich in Queensland. Fossils leaves are formed when dead plants get buried by sediments like mud, sand, or volcanic ash. Often, it gets detached cleanly from stems along a special layer of weak cells, then twigs, and, less commonly, cones of conifers and fruits and seeds of flowering plants. Over time, the leaves or pieces of leaves get buried by more sediments and eventually gets 'lithified' or hardened into a rock. Erosions and mining can cause the rocks to break and reveal the fossils buried in it. Fossilisation frequently takes place at sites in the lowlands where deposits of clay, silt, sand are found. This is usually due to weathering and erosion of rocks. Fossil leaves can provide information about ancient Australia's way of living. It contributes to Victorian biodiversity records and its botanical collections. It also contributes information on the geographical profile of Victoria as fossilisation usually occur at estuaries and deltas of rivers, river flood plains, ponds and lakes. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.Piece of light brown rock with fossilised leaves in shades of golden yellow and brown.Existing label: Fossil Leaves / Locality unknown / might be worth checking if this is Glossopteris, a Permian age plant. / C. William 16/4/21 geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, fossil leaves, fossilization, 1868 geological survey of victoria, lithified, rocks, fossilised leaf, rock, fossils, leaves

Galena is the natural compound of lead and classed as a sulphide, it crystallises in a cubic pattern and its chemical formula is PbS. Galena is a primary source of both lead and silver. This specimen of Galena comes from Broken Hill. Broken Hill has one of the world’s largest and most significant deposit of ore for the production of lead. Mining of Galena at Broken Hill began with the staking of land by Charles Rasp in 1883. By the following year, in 1884, Rasp and six others had formed Broken Hill Mining Company. Broken Hill Mining Company eventually evolved into BHP group limited and is currently the largest mining company in the world and the largest company in Australia. There is archaeological evidence from artefacts discovered in Turkey that humans have been extracting lead from galena by the process of smelting since at least 6500 BCE. This specimen also has quartz on the top surface which is frequently discovered alongside Galena. This mineral specimen is of historic significance as a sample of Galena extracted from Broken Hill during the 19th century. Mining for Galena in Broken Hill begin in 1883 by Charles Rasp and evolved into the world’s largest mining company – BHP Group Limited. Broken Hill is one of the world’s most significant deposits of ore for the production of lead. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.A flat, hand-sized, grey sulphide specimen that is the natural compound of lead with a quartz formation on the top surface. Existing Label: GALENA / (with quartz) / Locality: Broken Hill / N.S.W 120 x 70 x 29geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, galena, galena quartz, quartz, charles rasp, broken hill mining company, bhp group limited, bhp, lead, ore, lead sulphide, sulphide, silver, broken hill

The book was used by Charles Bacon who studied at the University of Nevada in the late 1930s/early 1940s. Bacon worked at Bunker Hill Mines and Kellogg Idaho, before arriving in Australian in 1951. He worked for CN Myers, a company involved with paper converting. CN Myers was a family business (on Charles Bacon's maternal line). William Emmons was Professor and head of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Minnesota; Director of Minnesota geological Survey; and previously Geologist, Section of Metalliferous Deposits, United States Geological Survey.Maroon soft covered book of 529 pages. Chapters include Magmatic Segregations, Pegmatities, Hypothermal Deposits, Sedimentary Depostis, Openings in Rocks, Metasomatic Processes, Mineral Associations and more.Inside front cover "Charles Bacon 1940 Lincoln Hall Ass. University of Nevada Reno, Nevada"charles bacon, mining engineering, metallurgy, university of nevada, mackay school of mines, geology, california

Patterned hard cover, black binding on spine.Written across top of first page: South Frederick the Great GM Coy N.L. Inside pages a double spread recording the 'Gold Purchased by Bank; weight advanced upon, amount of advance, weight after melting, mint and bank charges, eq standard weight, value and balance of assay. Dates from August 1934 to December 193k7. Inserted in pages of gold book: a. receipts " Commercial Banking Company of Sydney (Bendigo) recording the particulars of gold melted and assayed on account of South Frederick the Great Co. N.L. and slips from Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, showing out turn of deposits left for coinage. Weight before and after melting, assay reports of gold and assay report of silver and standard gold oz., total value assessed. b. Letter May 13th, 1935 from Herbert L. Archbold, enclosing cheque for 9/5/- for described weight: 11 tons, 18 cwt, 3 q. bendigo, margaret roberts, south frederick the great gold mining co. n.l., sebastian, mccoll, rankin and stanistreet

The Maddingley area of Bacchus Marsh was surveyed for brown coal deposits in the 1930s. By the early 1940s brown coal in large quantities was being extracted and was transported to Melbourne where it was used to fire boilers for the Australian Paper Mills (APM) company. By the 1970s APM was using natural gas instead of coal. Maddingley brown coal was then used to fire boilers for the CRA/VISY cardboard factory at Bacchus Marsh. This factory closed down in 1990. During the 1990s the mine was acquired by the Calleja family company who ran transport and waste management operations.The Maddingley Brown coal mine was a major industry in Bacchus Marsh for 50 years. A sample of coal from the mine is a reminder of the importance of this local industry over an extended period of time.Two cylindrical plastic containers mounted on rectangular baseSample of pulverised brown coal produced from Maddingley brown coal deposit located at Bacchus Marsh Victoria, October 1981. Moisture content 12% - Specific energy - 22 GJ/Tonne - Particle size - 25% +90 Microncoal mines, mining, brown coal, maddingley brown coal mine

Handwritten notes by Albert Richardson, with typed copy, on a Geological report of main section in a length of 5 miles. Report mentions sandstones and slates, with occasional calcareous bands, which show a cyclic arrangement. Also mentioned are different zones of sediments, anticlines, structure of the field and references: Page 1028 Formation of Bendigo Quartz Reefs by F R Stilwell to 1032 and pages 160 to 163 'Ore deposits as Related to Structural Features - A H Newhouse. document, gold, mining reports, mining reports, geological report of main section of goldfield, the bendigo goldfields page 1015, formation of bendigo quartz reefs by f r stilwell page 1028 to 1032, ore deposits as related to structural features pages 160 to 163 a h newhouse

Two page document titled ' Report on lease blocks Nos. 5360 and 5361 Garden Gully line of reef, Bendigo. Produced by the Department of Mines 1899. The area described is about 'one mile and a quarter southeast from the centre of the city of Bendigo, immediately south of the Great Southern Gold Mining Company's workings and is intersected by two auriferous gullies ... Salomon's Gully and Derwenter's Gully'. The alluvial deposits, the Garden Gully line, the Great Souther Co.and old workings are discussed in the paper. A map of the Garden Gully line of reef is attached to the report, showing claimholders and mine names along that section of the reef. Mines named on the map: Great Southern Garden Gully United Ulster Londonderry Burrows Horwoods Sea Amalgamated Garden Gully United Victory and Pandora Unity Carlisle and Garden Gully and Passbye United Cornish United Koch's PioneerJames Stirling, Government Geologistbendigo, mining, garden gully line of reef mines

BHS CollectionDiggers & Mining. Diggers and miners. In some localities, diggers formed co-operative parties to mine for gold in a small way. But, in general, the exploration of deeper deposits was outside the capacity of the diggers, who lacked both the capacity of the diggers, who lacked both the capital and the technical knowledge required. So wealthy men formed gold mining companies, which established gold mines to exploit the deeper deposits. Markings: 23 994:LIF I. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

BHS CollectionDiggers & Mining. Diggers and miners. The rush might be small or big; it might last for a couple of months, of for years. Eventually, as the yields from near-the-surface deposits declined, diggers would leave the field. Generally a field declined in importance gradually; but, if reports of another rich diggings began to circulate, thousands might leave a field in a few days - as they left Fiery Creek (Beaufort) for Ararat in 1857. Markings: 20 994:LIF I. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

BHS CollectionDiggers & Mining. Diggers and miners. On many fields, even the surface alluvial deposits had been worked out, there was still much gold to be got, but it lay in the deeper strata - - - Markings: 21 994:LIF I. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

3 page document. Letterhead 'Edward Dyason & Co., member of the stock exchange of Melbourne, Safe Deposit building, 92 Queen St., Melbourne, dated November 7th, 1935. Document is an analysis of the 'world situation' and discusses the economic and political situation of the world . In particular, the equipment industries by ' re-arming programme's 'There is little doubt that the great activity in metal manufactures is partly for war purposes. Despite the building of armaments, nobody really wants war .....'business, mining, mccoll, rankin & stanistreet, metalliferous industries, dyason & co., stock exchange, shares

Azurite is a secondary copper mineral made by the weathering of copper sulphide ore deposits. Azurite is formed from copper, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. There are over 45 forms of azurite that are more well-known, however over 100 forms have been found. Azurite is also commonly found together with Malachite, and Azurite is often psuedomorphed to Malachite. This specimen was found at the Great Cobar Copper Mine in New South Wales, which was founded in 1870. At the time it was one of the largest mining operations in the world. It was the largest copper mine in Australia and housed the southern hemisphere’s tallest chimney stack. The international price of copper collapsed at the end of World War 1 which led to the closure of the Great Cobar Mine on March 16th 1919. A year later on March 10th 1920 an underground fire in the CSA (Cornish, Scottish, Australian) mine started and burned for 16 years. The closure of the mine and the fire left thousands jobless and many people left the area. These were factors in Cobar facing a long stretch of poverty, until a boom in the 1960s led to the reopening of the mine. The mine still operates today, obtained by Metals Acquisition Limited in June 2023. Azurite is considered an uncommon mineral. Named for its deep blue colour, azurite was historically used for pigment making and as a gemstone, despite its softness. This specimen was donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880 as part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens. Many of the specimens in this collection were obtained as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria, which started in 1852. The Survey aimed to map the scientific makeup of the earth.A solid copper mineral with shades of darker blues almost covering it.burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, mineralogy, cobar mines, great cobar copper mine, cobar mining, new south wales, azurite, azurite specimen

Feldspar, derived from the German word feldspat, is a group of minerals which is the most common mineral group found on Earth, making up more than half of the planet's crust. The major rock-forming minerals in the Feldspar group include albite, anorthite, orthoclase and microcline. (Mindat, Feldspar Group). Orthoclase is part of the Feldspar Group subgroup, Alkaline Feldspar, which are known to be poor in calcium, and mostly rich in potassium. It is further also considered to be a K Feldspar, a subgroup of Alkaline Feldspar that are Potassium-dominant with variable crystal symmetry and Al-Si ordering state. Orthoclase are most commonly Colorless to white, Greenish white, Grayish yellow, or Pale pink and transparent to translucent with slightly pearly cleavage. The mineral rates at a 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. (cannot be scratched with a knife, but scratches glass with difficulty). The stronger green colour of this particular specimen is distinctive to the Broken Hill region (where it was found), and due to a small amount of lead. (BB) Its qualities find it misidentified at times as as microcline variety amazonite. Broken Hill is one of the world’s richest lead-zinc-silver deposits. The huge, 300-million-tonne orebody was discovered in 1883 and the superb mineral specimens attract collectors from around the world. (Australian Museum, Minerals from Australia: Australian mining regions)While feldspar is not by any means rare, this particular specimen has qualities distinctive to the Broken Hill mining district, with these properties leading at times to the mineral's misidentification. This creates potential for further study and identification of these mineral deposits through methods such as microscopic twinning, or using the position of certain d values in XRD patterns to calculate the degree of disorder of a K-feldspar, as discussed on the Mindat website (Mindat.com, Orthoclase:About Orthoclase). This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.A solid small aluminosilicate mineral composition which is primarily pale green and blue-grey in colour with traces of beige and white throughout. Note: green plumbian orthoclase (aka green feldspar) is an indicator mineral for the Broken Hill style lead-zinc deposits.N/Abroken hill mine, geological specimen, minerology

Hematite is an iron ore significant for its high iron content (70%) and as being one of the two main iron oxide minerals, the other being magnetite. Hematite has a rating of 5-6 on the Moh's hardness scale and is often found as an accessory mineral in many igneous rocks. (an accessory mineral being "any mineral in an igneous rock not essential to the naming of the rock" - Britannica) Hematite has historically been the mainstay of South Australia’s iron ore production. (Magnetite: South Australia’s potential) Making up the eastern section of the Gawler Rangers, the Middleback Range is a mountain range on the eastern side of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia that has been a source of iron ore (its main commodity in minerals) for over a century. (see https://www.mindat.org/loc-22576.html). "Large reserves of high-grade iron ore were identified in 1890 in the Middleback Range, west of Whyalla. From 1915 these ores were shipped to Newcastle and later to Port Kembla, both in New South Wales. Local production of pig iron began when the first blast furnace was opened at Whyalla in 1941, and construction of an integrated iron and steel plant began there in 1958." (Britannica, South Australia: Resources and power). This area is home to 24 mines/mineral deposits (according to mindat.org, thought the Sarig Map provided by SA gov on their Energy and Mining website indicates significantly more mining leases).This mineral specimen was collected from the Middleback Ranges before the area was identified as holding large reserves of iron ore and being commercially mined and is representative of South Australia's significant and ongoing history of iron ore mining, and its contribution to Australia's steel manufacturing industry of the early 20th century (this specimen being collected in the prelude to these events).A small ferric oxide mineral composition a mid-blue-grey in colour with specks of rust-brown throughout.HEMATITE / (iron oxide) / Locality: Middleback Ranges, S. Aust.middleback ranges, iron ore mining, mining, south australia