From the Ballarat School of Mines.Quartz Crystalsgeology, rock, quartz crystals

Quartz is an extremely common mineral to find across the world. Quartz can have two forms; Microcrystalline quartz or Crystalline quartz. Microcrystalline quartz is a fine grain quartz where crystalline quartz is often a large crystal. This specimen is a crystalline quartz. Made of silicon oxide, this specimen is called smokey quartz crystals because of its brownish colour. However, the colour of quartz can vary. In addition, quartz are formed in deep-seated igneous rocks and crystallized through hot aqueous solutions. This type of crystal can be found all over Australia, including Beechworth in Victoria. Other places quartz can be found is the Ashburton River area in Western Australia, Marlborough in Queensland, the Lune River area in Tasmania and Kingsgate in New South Wales. This specimen is significant because it is common to find this kind of mineral. While the location of where this specimen was originally from is unknown, it highlights the many places in Australia where quartz is found. It demonstrates that quartz makes up a large portion of Australia's geology. In addition, quartz itself can vary in its colour and shape. This specimen represents one of these variations. That being smoky quartz crystals. 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 large hand-sized quartz mineral with shades of brown and gray throughout.Smoky quartz / crystals /locality/ unknown / (needs a wash) /BBgeological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, microcrystalline, quartz, quartz mining, quartz reefs beechworth, smokey quartz crystals, crystals, crystalline, silicon oxide, brown, colour, igneous rocks, magma, ashburton river, western australia, marlborough, queensland, lune river, tasmania, kingsgate, new south wales, nsw

A man leans over and insects quartz crystals. Two microscopes are present in the background. harold yates, hec yates, geology, quartz, microscope

David Gordon Collection.

No information is available on these two items which would have been collected and polished by someone, probably someone interested in lapidary. The quartz would probably not have come from our area (Western District of Victoria).These items have no known local significance and will be useful only for display. These are two white quartz crystals with gold and silvery encrustations and markings. They are rough on the top and cut into geometric shapes and polished on the bottom part. The larger piece seems to have been fused together or split at one stage. quartz crystals, warrnambool

8304.1 - Curiously dark rhyolite or rhyolitic volcanic rock. Coarse-grained feldspar quartz crystals within five-grained dark groundmass.

Tourmaline specimens are members of a crystalline silicate mineral group based on boron but influenced by elements including aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Specimens present a wide variety of colours and forms according to the specific mix of these elements. Tourmalines are semi-precious gemstones with many applications, including commercial jewellery production. The word 'tourmaline' derives from the Sinhalese term for the carnelian or red-shaded specimens, "tōramalli". This specimen has been classified by geologists as 'Black Schoalou/Tourmaline in quartz'. Schoalou may equate to a common black-hued type of Tourmaline associated since around 1400 with mines in Saxony, Germany near a village called Schorl (today's Zchorlau). If this specimen is part of the 'Schorl' species of tourmaline it is a member of the most common group of Tourmalines, a divalent sodium ion influenced group accounting for 95% of specimens. On assessment, it was noted that the crossed lines (XIs) of this tourmaline have been fractured and rehealed by the quartz matrix in which the tourmaline rests. This item is significant as an example of its type of gemstone and the geological processes leading to its formation. A solid medium-sized piece of Black Schoalou/Tourmaline in a cream and peach coloured quartz matrix. Existing label: Black Schoalou / Tourmaline in / quartz. / Tourmalines XIs have / been fractured and / rehealed with / quartz / C. Willman / 15/4/21 /geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, north-east victoria, tourmaline, quartz, boron, crystals, minerals, gemstones, semi-precious, black schoalou, zchorlau, schorl

''Memories of the late Mrs Lucy Hill'' A series apparently published over the pseudonym of ''Joch'' in the Bendigo Advertiser (ca. 1973) with a variety of article Headings e.g. Bendigo Mining Fields; The Quartz King - and Quartz Crystal; The last cab home; Court Highlight. These are obviously drafts prior to publication. Mention in attached page (News Letter) that Mr and Mrs Hill published in the Bendigo Advertiser in a column titled ''In the Spotlight''. Attached page also is a short 'biography' of Mrs Hill (nee Lucy Robotham), wife of Mr W T Hill titled ''Success of Bendigo Poetess'' (may be extract from Bendigo Advertiser??)person, individual, lucy hill, journalist, advertiser, aunt evelyn, the centenary song, gravel hill state school, in the spot light, an unexpected achievement, bendigo.

Dendrites are deposits of black minerals, typically manganese oxides that precipitated from water seeping through fractures in fine-grain rocks like a sandstone or limestone. Dendrites are much less regular than plant fossils and lacks vein structures. The manganese cryztallizes through the process called 'supercooling'. Some samples of dendrites occur in volcanic rocks in the Lilydale district, east of Melbourne. Sandstones are made of tiny sand grains that may have been deposited in the sea and later formed together. Most sandstones are made of quartz which are chemically-resistant minerals. This particular specimen was donated by Alfred Selwyn in 1868 as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria. It is connected to the original 1875 catalogue on Geological Specimen with number 189 'Quartz Crystals_Quartz Crystals (two are polished)'Dendrites on sandstones This specimen is an important contribution to the geological history of Victoria, as well as its links to the 1868 Geological Survey of Victoria. This specimen is part of larger collection of significant geological specimens in the Burke Museum that was collected from around the world between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collection as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria 1852-1974. The Geological Survey of Victoria was an organisation founded in response to the Victorian gold rush to explore the geological and mineral resources and to record a detailed map of the state. It was headed by British geologist, Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn (1824-1902), who was responsible for issuing over 60 geological maps during his 17 years as director. These maps were all hand-drawn and coloured and became the benchmark for accuracy for geological mapping. 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 hand-sized slice of light brown sandstone with dendrites formed from crystallized manganese oxide.Existing label: Not sure what / 'Slica dondrites' / means. / Sample is sandstone and original label / identifies it as from / the Grampians near Stawell. / C. Willman / 15/4/21 Other label: [illegible] / stone [ illegible] / from Grampians Stawell / 1894 /geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, dendrites, sandstones, quartz, lilydale district, geological survey of victoria, grampians, victoria rocks, minerals, rocks, manganese oxides, alfred selwyn

This specimen was recovered from Sedgwick, VIC. Spotted slate is a fine-grained porphyroblastic metamorphic rock with a number of compounds including muscovite, quartz, graphite with cordierite poikiloblasts and more. The cordierite poikiloblasts are rounded crystals that size up to 2.5 mm. the growth of these crystals is in response to metamorphism of low to medium intensity. The town Sedgwick was named after British geologist Adam Sedgwick 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 rectangular hand-sized spotted slate specimen in a shade of light grey with darker flecks throughout Spotted Slate / Locality: Sedgwick Victoria | This is an early specimen / from the Quarter sheet / map. See sample 62 / page 18. Described as 'Spotted Slate' but these / days we would call it spotted hornfels / C. William 15/4/21 slate, spotted slate, victoria, beechworth, burke museum, geological specimen, mineralogy, sedgwick, sedgwick victoria, spotted slate specimen

Agate occurs when amygdales (gas pockets) form in the upper levels of basaltic lava flows. If these pockets or bubbles are iniltrated by water bearing silica in solution, the fluid dries and hardens in layers, forming round or egg shaped nodules or geodes within the rocky matrix. Agate is formed of a silica mineral chalcedony similar to quartz. Although relatively common and semi-precious, agate has been prized since at least 1450 BC - an intricately carved agate seal was found in the 2015 excavation of a grave belonging to a Mycenaeum priest or warrior near Pylos in Greece. Agate is also used in jewellery and other decorative or ritual purposes due to its often striking appearance. Quartz is found all over Australia, including Beechworth in Victoria. It is formed in deep-seated igneous rocks and crystallized through hot aqueous solutions. It can have two forms; Microcrystalline quartz or Crystalline quartz. Microcrystalline quartz is a fine grain quartz where crystalline quartz is often a large crystal. The colour of quartz can vary. These specimens were collected in Victoria in the vicinity of the Burke Museum. Victoria and other regions of Australia were surveyed for sites of potential mineral wealth throughout the 19th Century. The identification of sites containing valuable commodities such as gold, iron ore and gemstones in a locality had the potential to shape the development and history of communities and industries in the area. The discovery of gold in Victoria, for instance, had a significant influence on the development of the area now known as 'the goldfields', including Beechworth; the city of Melbourne and Victoria as a whole.The specimens are significant as examples of surveying activity undertaken to assess and direct the development of the mineral resource industries in Victoria and Australia, as well as the movement to expand human knowledge of earth sciences such as mineralogy and geology in the nineteenth century.Geological specimens of Agate and Quartz respectively; the fist-sized piece of Agate has peach/coral colouring with grey concentric patterning and the smaller piece of quartz is a uniform yellow/orange shade. Existing label: Local pebbles / (agate and / quartz / (yellowish) / egg-shaped). / BB geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, agate, quartz, north-east victoria, indigo shire, geological surveys

This specimen is Cassiterite in Quartz. Cassiterite is a tin oxide metal that forms in thin crystals which can have a beautiful lustre. Quartz is made of silicon dioxide, also known as silica, and is one of the most common minerals on earth. Cassiterite has been a fundamental source of tin ore for humans throughout history, including today. Tin is an important metal that has a wide variety of human uses in different areas, from dying fabric, to making mirrors, and their most well-known use ‘tin’ cans. Tin cans are primarily made of steel and are coated with tin in order to take advantage of tin’s property of being non-corroding. This is a massive step in the history of food preservation. Tinned food first reached Australia in 1815 with early settlers, and it began to be manufactured here in the 1840s. It was incredibly popular, and was a highly exported product, which would be a contributing factor to the ‘tin mining boom’ of the early 1880s. This specimen was collected at Jingellic, New South Wales, in about 1852. Although the Goldfields of the 1800s are much more well-known, tin mines existed alongside the gold mines which began in the mid 19th century and extended almost one hundred years, to the mid 20th century. Specimens like this would have been used as evidence to justify tin mining operations in the region as an investment. 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. The Geological Survey of Victoria was headed by British geologist, Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn (1824-1902), who was responsible for issuing over 60 geological maps during his 17 years as director. These maps were all hand-drawn and coloured and became the benchmark for accuracy for geological mapping. 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 fist-sized solid geological specimen made on one half of tin oxide, which is dark grey, and on the other side of silica, which is brown and cream.burke museum, beechworth, geological, geological specimen

From the Ballarat School of Mines.Geological specimenrocks, geology

The Ballarat School of Mines was the first School of Mines in the southern hemisphere. Its Museum was established in 1872. Donation 600, 4 July 1882, H. Sutton, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: 13th Annual report of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain 2 papers 'from the proceedings of the Royal Society', Nos 217 & 218 - 1882 communicated by the President :on a new electrical Storage battery" by Henry Sutton, Ballarat, Victoria Donation 976, 8 May 1884, H. Sutton, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: * 1 volume "Pluttner on the Blowpipe: (Pluttner's manual of qualitative & quantitative analysis of the blowpipe. Donation 1682, 28 Feb 1887, James Lamb, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: Copy of "The Ballarat Times" newspaper of 3 December 1854, framed, and protected on both sides with glass. Donation 1712, 28 April 1887, Marg. Guerin, Ballaarat. Nature of Donation: Specimens nos (797-806) 797-801 from the New Reform Mine Luchnow, NSW (797) Serpentine with vein of quartz and calcite (798) Surpentine passing into silicous ferruginoous gossan; with drives of rock crystal (&99) Diorite with vein of calcite (800) Auriferous vein stuff (801) Auriferous arrenopyrite with calcite (802) noble opal filling cavities in decomposed traclyte (803-805) from Mr McDonald, NSW (806) arutute (carbonate of lead) in long schombie purni (?) Donation 1730, 23 May 1887, Miss Guerin, Ballaarat. Nature of Donation: Copy of the Victorian Review No 74 December 1 1885, Copy Wide Awake Vol 1 No 6 May 21st 1887Large rough calf covered book recording museum, laboratory and library donations to the Ballarat School of Mines. 4835 donations are recorded.Marbled end papers. Labels on spine and front cover.ballarat school of mines, ballarat school of mines museum, benjamin hepburn, ce clarke, j noble wilson, m hamburger, d christy, edwin jewell, ellery, john gray, go preshaw, cf crouch, henry brind, james darby, rm serjeant, george day, jf watson, stoddart, j hicks, hicks, james hector, sleep, jj sleep, james pearce, henry obree, newman, william tarrant, beilby, william bradford, george lansell, watson, edward gazzard, e morey, john lynch, j hector, rivett bland, bland, costin, whittle, crowther, mitchell, ferdinand krause, krause, joseph mitchell, john walker, bailey, duncan, mica smith, alfred mica smith, james buchanan, buchanan, whitehouse, dr bunce, bunce, james bklack, james bickett, js north, joseph flude, alfred lester, wagemann, fw niven, edwards, william evett, john addis, al elphinstone, henry sutton, ol olden, bh cross, robert hamilton, hancock, ferdinand von mueller, von meuller, berchevaise, j whitehouse, serjeant, henty, james shugg, john ross, james oddie, ralph tate, henry watts, wh wooster, wooster, luplau, rosenblum, heddington, albert furmedge, buley, robert wilson, e. rowlands, ne hall, henry pearce, lee young, nicholls, dusontory, daniel brohpy, brophy, klug, james donaldson, john cherry, ce jones, john feilds, thomas williams, enscoe, e price, shoppee, jacob drew, george wyatt, dimmock, james orr, john hardy, george wyatte, thomas rogers, james lamb, doepel, margaret guerin, bella guerin, guerin, george binns, william laplau, captain baker, baker, crisp, barnard, haffie, bateman, chalmers, richard parker, adam adamson, jn wilson, john noble wilson, papenhagen, towl, government astronomer, royal society, minister of mines, thoams blackett, burbury, denny, thys, p gay, james law, woolnough

This folding viewer for individual stereoscopic pictures has a cut-out between the lenses to accommodate the nose of the user. The original folding viewer was patented by J. F. Mascher of Philadelphia in March 1853 and was designed to hold stereoscopic portraits using the daguerreotype process. This was at the very end of the daguerreotype era, and originals are quite rare.Metal stereo viewer and many cards including stereoscopic photographs of crystal modals (Bragg's Crystal, Fluorspar, caesieum chloride, zinc-blende, iron pyrites, quartz, Tellurirumetc), and Dr Mullers Universal X-Ray Spectrograph. stereoscope, adam hilger, sir william bragg, w.i. bragg, dr muller, x-ray, crystal, spinel, bismuth, diamond structure, tartaric acid, naphthalene

Majority of Galena in Australia is found in hydrothermal deposits emplaced around 1680 million years ago which have been heavily metamorphosed. Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfaide. It occurs generally as fine to large crystals due to syntectonic remobilization at low temperatures and moves to a suitable location. The colour is a shining lead and silvery gray with high specific gravity between 7.2 and 7.6 gms/cm3 and contains 86.6 lead sulfaide in its purest form. Its cyrstal system is cubic with perfect cleavages, and contract penetration and lamellar twinning. This particular specimen is from the Broken Hill mine, it is one of the largest lead mines located in Western New South Wales and still has ore reserves amounting to 20.9 million tonnes of ore grading of 7.4% lead, 9.4% zinc, and 61.5 million oz of Silver. Throughout its history, it has produced over 200 million tonnes of ore throughout its 127 years of mining history dating back to 1885. Galena mineral ore found in Australia is considered rare, as it is only currently found in the Broken Hill Mine of Western New South Wales. It represents heritage value through the systematic collecting of the geological surveyers in Victoria and Australia during the early to late 19th Century. The fact that it is only found in one mining area of Australia, shows that this specimen is rare for examples of Australian Galena. This mineral specimen is one part to a larger collection, aquistion, and distribution of Garnet in Galena around Australia and parts of the world and donated to the Burke Museum between 1860-1880. While this specimen was not found by the Victorian Geological Survey, it shows the historical need for mapping geological areas around the Gold Rush region to further identify areas of precious metal and gem aquisition. Additionally, collecting these specimens was an important part of mapping the scientific make up of the earth's surface. Many were sent to institutions for further contribution to research and scientific knowledge of the specimens. A solid coin-sized lead and zinc sulphaide and zinc silicate ore mineral in shades of black and red with shiny black points. GARNET CRYSTALS in / GALENA (lead sulphide), / SPALERITE (zinc sulphide), / WILLEMITE (zinc silicate) ore. / Locality: Broken Hill, NSWburke museum, #beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, mineral, galena, galena quartz, broken hill mine, broken hill, nsw