PHOSPHATE MINERALS IN VICTORIAN CAVE DEPOSITS
Victoria has hundreds of caves in both limestone and basalt, many
of which support bat colonies or have done so in the past. Guano
deposits occur in a handful of the caves but only two, the Skipton
and Parwan cave systems are known to contain significant suites
of phosphate minerals. Skipton Caves is the type locality for
dittmarite hannayite, newberyite, schertelite and struvite.
The following minerals have been recorded from caves in Victoria:
brushite, carbonate fluorapatite, dittmarite, fluorapatite, gordonite,
hannayite, montgomeryite, newberyite, sasaite, schertelite, struvite
and taranakite.
© Museum Victoria Australia
