Rex Mine, Mt Riddock Station, Harts Range (Harts Ranges; Hartz Range; Hartz Ranges), Central Desert Region, Northern Territory, Australiai
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
23° 3' 33'' South , 134° 57' 40'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
55763
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:55763:5
GUID (UUID V4):
b3937acb-d283-4cf4-8970-52fc2103f384
An abandoned mica mine. The mine is about 2 kilometres north-east of Mount Palmer, at the northern end of a low north-west to south-east trending ridge. The site has extensive mullock heaps. It is easier to reach than the Mount Palmer mines. Proceed along the track south-east of the Spotted Tiger camp ground towards the Disputed Mine base camp, but take the left fork before reaching this.
The mine had a main shaft of some 80feet with numerous drives and stopes. In 1943 a small open cut was also in operation.
The pegmatite strikes east-west, dips shallowly south, and is 10-15 feet wide. High quality mica was said to have come from shoots on the Hanging Wall. Ruby coloured muscovite, and lesser biotite is common on the dumps. The quartz-feldspar intergrowth has a graphic texture, and is stained with pyrolusite dendrites.
Cassiterite is reported from the rock walls of the mine, and rutile in some of the pegmatites surrounding the mine, but rare. Small glassy deep red garnets are found in the mica sheets, with some loose around the slopes. Large garnets to 2 cms can be found in biotite schist material on the upper slopes, but are not as well formed, or transparent as the smaller garnets described above. Members of the Northern District Lapidary Club Sydney reported streams full of hundreds of garnets, some up to the size of golf balls, and 24 sided in the area, but opaque.
Almandine garnet can also be found 500 metres south-east from the junction of the Rex and Disputed tracks.
Nothing was found for the early history of the mine, and a few scraps of information noting names only for later. In the early 1940's, before the Commonwealth Government took over the mines, B. Rech is noted as owner. Doug Briggs is mentioned as an owner sometime after, but no date is given.
Antonio Pangrazio took over the mine in 1948, from Colin Hope, the mine closing in 1951.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| β 'Biotite' Formula: K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| β Cassiterite Formula: SnO2 |
| β 'Garnet Group' Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| β 'Manganese Oxides' |
| β 'Manganese Oxides var. Manganese Dendrites' |
| β Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| β Rutile Formula: TiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| β | Cassiterite | 4.DB.05 | SnO2 |
| β | Rutile | 4.DB.05 | TiO2 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| β | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Unclassified | |||
| β | 'Biotite' | - | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| β | 'Garnet Group' | - | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| β | 'Manganese Oxides var. Manganese Dendrites' | - | |
| β | '' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| H | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| O | β Cassiterite | SnO2 |
| O | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | β Rutile | TiO2 |
| O | β Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Al | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Si | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | β Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| K | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Ti | β Rutile | TiO2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Sn | Tin | |
| Sn | β Cassiterite | SnO2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Australia
- Arunta OrogenOrogen
- Irindina ProvinceGeologic Province
- North Australian ElementCraton
- Northern Territory
- Kalkarindji Igneous ProvinceGeologic Province
Australian PlateTectonic Plate
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