PHOSPHATE MINERALS OF VICTORIA

There are at least 50 phosphate minerals found in Victoria. Most of the known environments in which phosphate minerals crystallise are represented in Victoria. There is a range of sedimentary environments, from deep marine to deep lead deposits. Igneous rocks, particularly granites host more than half of the recorded species. Unusual environments include guano deposits in caves, and megacrysts in mafic lavas and dykes.

Three Victorian sites are type localities for phosphate minerals. Newberyite and hannayite were first described from guano deposits in a lava cave near Skipton, as were schertelite and dittmarite although their status is doubtful. Ulrichite was identified in granite from near Lake Boga, in north-west Victoria and the unusual zirconium-bearing phosphates wycheproofite and selwynite were discovered in pegmatite veins in granite at Wycheproof.

Since the publication of the book Phosphate minerals of Victoria (available from the Mineralogy Section) in 1993 several new occurrences have been documented while others are under investigation.

PHOSPHATES IN GRANITIC ROCKS

PHOSPHATE MINERALS IN OXIDISED SULPHIDE DEPOSITS

SEDIMENTARY PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS

PHOSPHATE MINERALS IN CAVE DEPOSITS


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