A petrological study of the Wallaroo and Moonta mining districts

Abstract

Introduction: The country in the neighbourhood of the mines is flat or slightly undulating. On the west coast there is usually a low cliff; the country then rises slowly to the east side of the peninsula. There are almost no lines of drainage and there are no creeks at all.

At the time when the mines were first discovered the area was covered wit scrub, mallee, broombush, sheoak, sandalwood, quondong, saltbush and various grasses and herbage, and was held under pastoral lease. It has now been cleared and is used for farming, mainly wheat.

Deep soil, a light sandy loam, covers the whole district and this is underlain by a layer of travertine of varying thickness.

Except for the coastal cliffs there are no rock outcrops. This made prospecting difficult and has made any detailed geological study of the area impossible.