History · Geology
About Dundas Mineral Field
The Dundas mineral field in western Tasmania is the world’s premier locality for crocoite — the brilliant orange lead chromate that is also the official mineral emblem of Tasmania. The Adelaide and Red Lead mines in particular have produced specimens unmatched anywhere else.
Geology
The deposit is a complex Pb-Zn-Ag-Sb sulfide-replacement system in Cambrian sedimentary rocks intersected by mafic intrusives. Deep oxidation under chromium-rich groundwaters produced abundant crocoite in cavity-lining clusters.
Notable Minerals
Crocoite (vivid orange prismatic crystals in clusters up to 30 cm — world-best), cerussite (gem-grade), pyromorphite, dundasite (the type locality), vanadinite, wulfenite, and other rare oxidized Pb species.
Collector Notes
Dundas crocoite clusters are among the most spectacular and most-photographed mineral specimens in the world. Active mining for collector specimens continues at the Adelaide Mine.
Minerals Produced Here
- Cerussite (白铅矿)
- Crocoite (铬铅矿)
- Pyromorphite (磷氯铅矿)
- Vanadinite (钒铅矿)
- Wulfenite (钼铅矿)
