Australian conference draws 1,300

The conference Bicentennial Gold 88 held in Melbourne, Australia, May 14-19 brought together some 1,300 geologists, geochemists and geophysicists from 40 countries and a strong delegation from nine Canadian provinces.

The 5-day technical session provided a forum for paper presentations from geoscientists from five continents, with field trips to all the principal gold camps in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Emphasis was placed on epithermal gold deposits with particular attention to the recent discoveries in the Western Pacific Ocean Islands. Not to be overlooked were presentations on new epithermal deposits recently found in northern Queensland, such as Placer Dome’s Kidston mine.

Nevada epithermal gold deposits were described and, although they are substantial in size and grade, the South Pacific Islands are apparently developing mines that equal or surpass the Carlins and Battle Mountains of Nevada.

Richard Sillitoe best brought the South Pacific story together in his talk titled Environments, Styles and Origins of Gold Deposits in Western Pacific Island Arcs. Five large deposits in the mining, development and exploration stages, containing over 400 tonnes of contained gold (greater than 12 million oz) are present at Lahir, Panguna (Bouganville), Misima and Porgera, and Papua New Guinea and Baguet in the Philippines.

In addition there are eight deposits in the 100- to 400-tonne range (3.2 to 12.9 million oz) that are located in the western Pacific island arc from Japan, southward through the Philippines and Papua New Guinea to New Zealand.

A strong contingent from Canada headed by the Ontario Geological Survey gave a variety of papers on gold genesis in Archean terrains that were countered by papers by Australian geologists who gave excellent presentations on the origins of deposits in Western Australia. In 1987, 26 new gold mines were commissioned in Western Australia and 46 are scheduled to be opened in 1988. The territory, in 1987, produced 76 tonnes of gold or 76% of the nation’s total (108 tonnes).

The Core Shed (Shack) — Poster Display presentations were exceptionally well done and saw graphic and sample material from Brazil, China, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa and Fiji, in addition to high quality displays from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The free interchange of information from state and federal surveys and mining companies made the conference a “real ripper” in the true Australian sense.

The 3-volume text of proceedings can be purchased from the Geological Society of Australia Inc., 10 Martin Place, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000, Australia.