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MW-1 Arrakis Revisited Arthur River Magnesite Deposits Personal Protective Equipment Inspection Tom Robinson • Andrew Skinner Boulder Caves of Mount Nicholas No. 186 • SEPTEMBER 2011 F Coming Events New editor for This list covers events of interest to anyone seriously interested in caves and karst. The list is just that: if you want further information A S e-speleo the contact details for each event are included in the list for you to contact directly. The relevant websites and details of other eet Ian Binnie, the new international and regional events may be listed on the IUS website Meditor of e-speleo. Ian caves http:///www.uis-speleo.org/ or on the ASF website http://www. with Highland Caving Group (HCG) caves.org.au. For international events, the Chair of International and was previously a member of the Commission (Nicholas White, [email protected]) Macquarie University Caving Group may have extra information. This list only covers events in 2011 (MUCG) for some years. Ian is now and the first half of 2012. retired but in a former life was a tele- On the other hand 2013 looks very busy with the next ASF communications planner, working

s Conference TAGalong in January at Galong NSW, the ACKMA for Optus. He was a planner for the i rt Conference in May at Waitomo Caves, NZ and the international 3G phone network. (UIS) congress in July at Brno, Czech Republic. Caving and computers seem a good ian cu match for Ian who, under interrogation, confessed to Tuglow being his favourite cave and to ‘… just like being in caves … the magic 2011 takes over.’ September & October Ian foresees little change in e-speleo, and is planning to bring out Jenolan & Wombeyan Caves Volunteer Weekends, 2011: Sycamore War 3-4 four issues a year, to come out between the Caves Australia issues. September, 29-30 October & Wombeyan Weed Whacking Weekend 17 & 18th September Registration is required. Details were published in the last Contact Ian by email at [email protected] e-speleo. Contact: Trish Kidd, NPWS Oberon (Trish.Kidd@environment. nsw.gov.au) Ph: 6336 1972 Mob: 0423 527 740. November 25—26 Centre for Gippsland Studies. Monash University, Churchill, Victoria Cliefden Caving Gippsland Environments and Human Interaction: Past, Present and Future (Workshop and Conference). liefden Caves are located on the picturesque Belubula 2012 River between Orange and Cowra. The area contains the C January 7 first limestone discovered in colonial NSW. ASF Council Meeting, Bankstown Grammar School, Sydney. The Cliefden Caves are on private property (three properties) May and have been accessed through the Orange Speleological Society ACKMA Annual General Meeting, Wee Jasper, NSW. (OSS) since the late 1950s. There are well over 100 numbered features. The caves, mostly horizontal, range from the straightforward to the utterly confusing. Refer to the Australian Karst Index 1985 for more cave information. Significant caves are gated. To visit the area contact OSS (P.O. Box 752, Orange 2800) well in advance or telephone the Cliefden Coordinator (currently Denis Jenolan Cottage Marsh 02 6365 8330), to check available dates. You will be sent a Visitor Request Form where you give details of your proposed trip: Association Inc who will be coming, when, and what you would like to do. An OSS representative will liaise with the property owners for permission before advising conditions for access. or over 23 years the accommodation costs for staying in Fthe cavers’ cottage at Jenolan have remained the same, but now we have to increase the fees. Following the Association’s annual general meetingon 12th July, 2011 it was decided that from 1st August, 2011 the fees would have to increase as follows: ❚ Subscriber clubs will pay $160 in deposit and $40 per weekend and $15 per additional day. ❚ Casual clubs/users will pay $50 per weekend and $20 per addi- s

i rt tional day. Improvements have been made over the years and include a new ian cu bathroom, a new roof, improved barbeque area and a slow combus- There is a cavers’ hut (The Cliefden Hilton) which has cooking tion heater in the fireplace, amongst other things. facilities, water for washing and showering, toilet, an open fire and Water and electricity are increasing in cost and our accounts eight bunks. A small fee is paid to OSS for hut maintenance. In ad- were “in the red” at the end of this financial year. dition a small levy is paid to the property owner to cover electricity J Bonwick if camping over. It is possible to camp around the hut, which is Chairman situated on a working sheep station. Visitors are reminded that the G Matts Central West can be extremely cold in winter and hot and dry in Treasurer summer. The caving area is only open to members of ASF clubs.

Page 2 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 CAVES AUSTRALIA A S Caves Australia is the Journal of the Caves Australia Australian Speleological Federation and is F published quarterly. No.186 September 2011 This work is © copyright 2011, Australian Speleological Federation Australian Speleological Federation PO Box 388 • Broadway • NSW 2007 • www.caves.org.au Incorporated, although copyright in articles, ABN 15 169 919 964 photographs and illustrations remains with ISSN 1449-2601 • Registered Publication NBQ0005116 the authors. Aside from any fair dealings for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1974, no part Contents may be reproduced without the written consent of the author and/or publisher and New editor for e-speleo...... 2 the inclusion and acknowledgement of the source. Cliefden Caving...... 2 The views expressed in Caves Australia are not necessarily those of the Editor or Coming Events...... 2 Publisher (the Australian Speleological Federation) or its Executive, Commissions Jenolan Cottage Association...... 2 or Committees. Editorial...... 4 Editor: Ian Curtis President’s report...... 4 Email: [email protected] MW-1 Arrakis revisited...... 5| Production and Advertising Manager: STC returns after 20 years Alan Jackson Janine McKinnon Email: [email protected] Proofreading: Chillicon 2011...... 8 Susan White Wendy Lander Greg Middleton Joe Sydney Commercial and Recreational Values of Magnesite Deposits...... 10 Jodie Rutledge near the Arthur River, NW Tasmania, Australia ASF: [email protected] John Wylie For all ASF publications: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Inspection Requirements ...... 18 [email protected] — Fact or Fiction Editorial contributions are welcome! David Doughty For contributor guidelines, contact the Production Manager. Obituary: Tom Robinson...... 20 Advertising Les Pearson Contact the Production Manager for commercial, caving community and Obituary: Memories and reflections on the life of Andrew David Skinner ...... 21 classified rates. Rates range from $5 to $400 of Hastings, Southern Tasmania for full page mono back cover. Discounts Arthur Clarke apply for placements of 4 adverts and an up-front payment. Exit Cave survey project...... 23 Issue Dates Exitravaganza 2012 survey camp — February 2012 March, June, September and December Asf Awards 2011...... 24 Magazine Subscription Stan Flavel Journals are included within ASF membership fees. Subscription to magazine Boulder Caves of Mt Nicholas...... 26 is also available to non-ASF members at A. Slee, P. McIntosh and G. Tempest $40.00 including postage within Australia for one year (four quarterly issues). Change of address Notify us immediately of any address Cover: Pitch 1, MW-1 Arrakis, Tasmania. Photo by Matt Cracknell changes to ensure delivery of your Caves Australia. ASF Executive President Stan Flavel Senior Vice President Joe Sydney Vice President Jim Crocker Vice President Phil Maynard Vice President John Cugley Layout and Production by Treasurer Grace Matts Summerleas Print, Kingston, Tasmania Executive Secretary Debbie Hunter General Secretary Bob Kershaw Membership Colin Tyrrell

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 3 F EDITORIAL

A S The ASF Conference at Chillagoe President’s report was a resounding success. Energetic cavers enjoyed swimming and wad- ing through flooded towers, flying s aging bones feel the slowing over them, viewing Aboriginal rock Aeffects of a winter morning I am glad art and poking around old industrial that I am still able to write and read of the ruins and cars – never a dull moment. gratitude and satisfaction that speleology Steadier club delegates and mature brings to each of us. speleos found the informality refresh- We are a collection of people who are ing and conducive to the business of passionate about pushing the boundaries conferences. The town enjoyed us and the inner landscapes of caves as well as and we enjoyed the town. Well done, minimising the impact of cave destroyers. Chillagoe! Well done, Chillagoe Cav- In this issue of Caves Australia I have ing Club! summarised the recipients of the Awards as Stan admits in his President’s Re- announced during the recent conference in port to feeling humbled when read- Chillagoe. It is heartwarming and humbling ing through the ASF Awards. Flick- to read and write brief snapshots of people ing back through the past few Caves whom we recognise and in a special way say years. It was a time of contented fulfilment Australia I agree with his sentiment. thank you to for their individual contribu- that each of us share, and not because we are I read of club members - ordinary tions to the understanding of processes and coerced into caving, but more that desire is Joes - fearlessly standing up to coun- environmental factors affecting caves. in our blood that will not leave us. cils and powerful interests intent on I will pay tribute to the multitude of not The politics of ASF is necessary. The exploiting karst; I read of lawyers and yet recognised cavers who use their skills, delays and frustrations of a system that geologists freely giving their time and time and money to find and explore the relies on a mixture of characters in different energy defending limestone; I read of gaps in the ground and the gaps in our stages of careers and different States work- club members selflessly putting up knowledge. Keep up the good work ing in this big country in their spare time shelves, cleaning out tips, working on One might ask what is happening in may seem unacceptable to some but I say databases, advising government de- the world of speleology in Australia? I the job is being done well. I commend all partments and helping farmers; even, would say much and refer to a club library of the Executive and Commission members yes even, writing trip reports. that contains documentation of trips and for the tireless work they do. ASF is in a Nicholas White (VSA) submitted reports and membership reports and sum- strong place and is moving forward to meet the following. It serves as an example mary of meetings and be convinced that the needs of a changing community and a of ASF at its best. speleology is far from a dead science and shrinking world. ‘In Caves Australia #180, there caving is not just a pastime of us oldies. I Winter is a good time to go caving, was a Conversation on Conserva- see families joining in on trips. I see cave either because caves are relatively warmer tion article on the WA and Federal managers working with cavers to better than their icy surrounding or you are lucky governments’ proposal to nominate manage and make cave access and inter- enough, like me and others, to have trav- Ningaloo Reef and the Cape Range pretation safer and more information-rich. elled north to a warmer place. for listing as World Heritage. In I see new cave discoveries jumping out of There is no one ideal or model caver in June 2011, the Ningaloo Coast was pages to thrill fellow hunters. I do see the Australia to aspire to be like. ASF is the or- granted World Heritage listing by the passing of notable people and I do see the dered and yet random assortment of unique UNESCO World Heritage Commit- announcements welcoming new members colours on the painter’s palette. The picture tee. The area includes the spectacular in most clubs around the country. we paint to the world is rich with the same Cape Range with its many caves On a long weekend in June I went on diversity of the colours of the Australian and very significant cave fauna. The an exploration and reconnaissance trip landscape. Appreciate the diversity and listing was based on Criteria 7 and to one of my favourite cave-rich sites in harmony that can exist between us. 10 for the area’s superlative natural the Flinders Ranges and found new caves, Let us get down and dirty, phenomena, its habitat value and looked for lost caves and explored caves In Caving biological diversity. This includes that had changed form over the previous 20 Stan Flavel recognition of the karst values, both geological and biological. ASF played its part through successfully object- Articles for ing to mining and assisting with the Wanted Caves Australia! discovery of the cave biota. It remains for cavers to be vigilant that the man- Whether caving, cave diving or generally just caving, Caves Australia agement protects these cave and karst readers are interested in YOUR story. values in an area with increasing It is only with YOUR contribution that we can produce a quality tourism and population pressures as magazine for all to enjoy. For writing and style guidelines, contact the well as offshore oil exploration.’ Editor or Production Manager for further information.

Page 4 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 CA V E VISIT MW-1 Arrakis revisited STC returns after 20 years

Janine McKinnon STC

rrakis is a dolomite cave located on the first one and a half hours until the first Athe north-eastern slopes of Mt Weld, major creek. It improves a bit from there to in South West Tasmania. I’m not sure Trout Creek half an hour later. This is the about its original discovery, but it was lost, last surface water before Arrakis. It then and then rediscovered on 13 July, 1985. took just over an hour to get to the Arrakis Considerable effort went into the ex- doline. Old trip reports talk of the slightly ploration and surveying of the cave in the less than two-hour walk in. They were either following two years and three maps were very fast, or the track has deteriorated a lot subsequently produced by the Southern in the intervening 25 years. A bit of both, I Caving Society in 1988. The cave was then think. pretty much left alone and forgotten. We set up camp with several of us biv- The cave, and all nomenclature within it, vying under the overhang in the doline and comes from Frank Herbert’s novel Dune as a the rest setting up tents, bivvies and a couple reference to the difficulty of obtaining water of hammocks nearby. when camped near the entrance (Arrakis is The group then split into two for the ac- a desert planet). tivities for the weekend. Five of us were rig- The Arrakis doline is huge. It is also a ging and bottoming the cave that afternoon. very impressive and beautiful entrance. A 20 The others were going surface trogging and m wide arch covered in saplings and bushes doing the cave Sunday morning, de-rigging separates two collapses and the steeply dip- as they exited. ping doline floor is a forest of tree ferns. I was kitted up and started to rig the en- Just out of the daylight zone, but still in a trance pitch at 1:30 pm. Alan was showing passage of huge dimensions, there is a 68 m nn o n off his shiny new trog suit and the others drop (Gom Jabbar Pitch). The cave contin- were kitting up at a more leisurely pace, e m c ki ues steeply from the bottom of Gom Jabbar expecting to be waiting a while before they A nin Pitch with a couple of short pitches until a J started down. Arrakis — the camp and the entrance final 8 m climb and then a low grovel to its Alan was ready to go by the time I had termination at -236 m. We thought for quite a while, and eight of the pitch rigged and he followed me down In early 2009 one of our keen young us returned in mid-December 2010. to the obvious spot for the installation of members had been reading through the The long-talked-about trip to Arrakis fi- the safety line needed to get down Selamik club archives and developed a desire to “do” nally got underway at 6:30 am on a pleasant Chamber to the pitch head without risking Arrakis. After several months of nagging on Saturday morning. The weather report for slipping to one’s doom. her part, we finally got a group together in the weekend wasn’t that flash, but as water The cave was originally rigged with spits, November 2009 to walk the track to investi- was probably going to be a bit of an issue and so these were now more than 20 years gate what would be needed to visit the cave. at our proposed campsite at the cave, we old. Two sets had been put in on the big The walk starts along an old abandoned thought a few rain showers would be good. pitch (in different locations) over a couple logging road, and so now it is a walk through The two cars rendezvoused at Banjo’s of years, and so, despite their age and ques- mud and cutting grass (Ghania grandis) for bakery in Huonville, loaded up with coffee, tionable safety, we were going to try to use the first one and a half hours. Then it gets a muffins and breakfast, and then convoyed to the second set, put in on the left hand wall, bit better as you climb through the rainforest the trail head. We noted that both forestry rather than install more bolts. to the entrance. The walk to the entrance do- gates were padlocked open. All went well until I started the approach line took about three hours with day packs. After the distribution of group gear and to the top of the big pitch, at the low point of So a full assault with caving gear was going to the consumption of festive home-made the doline. Then I struck a problem. Without be a bit slower — definitely a weekend camp- chocolate-covered raspberries and short- spending pages in lengthy explanations, I ing trip with camping gear AND caving gear bread, we headed off into the Ghania at 9 had basically misinterpreted the description to carry, making the walk in slower still. We am. The track was as unpleasantly muddy of the approach to the big pitch in old trip went home to think about it. and Ghania-shrouded as I remembered for reports. I ran out of rope on the safety line I

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 5 MW-1 Arrakis Revisited

was on long before I got to the pitch head. I discussed this with Alan, who was following behind me, for a few minutes and we decided to use the 10 m rope I had brought for a climb at the bottom of the cave just in case it really needed a handline. I tied it in to the safety line and was off again. I aimed for the left-hand side where the most recent bolts were placed but I still had insufficient rope

V E VISIT to get across to there. I also didn’t really like the look of the approach or the presumed rigging point. I went to a small gully on the CA approach line and ran out of rope again. Alan and I had one of those shouted discussions over 40 m and then I tied on the 76 m rope for the big pitch. I looked again at the rigging point options from the previous trips and didn’t like them much at all. That really just left the right hand wall. This actu-

nn o n ally looked pretty good to me, albeit from a bit of a distant vantage point. So I found a e m c ki safe spot, got off rope and called Alan down A nin J for a second opinion. Alan and Amy in camp As he was on rope when he reached me, after a brief discussion, he headed to the ledge above me on the right hand wall to have a look. The ledge itself is a little ‘airy’ near the end, without a traverse line, but it led to a good site for rigging the drop — a much better takeoff point than either of the two previous sites used. Why they hadn’t used it originally I don’t know. Plans were back on track then. Good. I came up and we started looking for some- where to rig a backup/traverse line to get to the proposed pitch head. This took a long time. We couldn’t find anything trustwor- thy. Loose rocks, crap rock, no threads. We were desperately trying not to put a bolt in

nn o n but hopes were fast fading … Meanwhile, the others were waiting e m c ki further up the doline, probably gnawing off A nin J the less necessary bits of their anatomy for Jane on pitch 1 stimulation, as they waited interminably. Just as we were about to admit natural anchoring defeat and put in a bolt for the approach line, Alan found a rock jammed solidly at the back of a small alcove. We both checked it carefully and declared it good enough. Forward movement was on again. We rigged this fairly quickly and moved out to the end of the ledge to decide on bolt placement. This was fairly quickly achieved and I put in one bolt. Alan occupied himself doing some gardening whilst the bolt was going in. He cleared the worst of the loose stuff but it was still a ledge to be treated with rock-kicking respect. The rebelay bolt went in fairly quickly

nn o n after and then I was finally away on the big pitch. We weren’t sure if we had much spare e m c ki rope so I put in a really tight loop, or lack A nin J thereof. At the bottom I found we had a few Matt enters Selamik Chamber metres to spare so Alan re-jigged the rebelay

Page 6 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 MW-1 Arrakis Revisited

on his way down. CA The others started down to the pitch head while Alan and I moved on down the cave. They caught up to us looking for the V E VISIT crack from which we were supposed to rig the 3 m pitch. After finally finding it, it was declared the wrong size for the nuts we had and a bit dodgy anyway, so we put a bolt in above the drop. On down to the next pitch. This has a corroded old spit that is only part way into the rock. This is totally unnecessary as there are three good naturals in very convenient spots, so why anyone put in the effort, with a hand drill, remember, to place this spit I have no idea. As it is only part-way in, I wouldn’t trust it anyway. Luckily the 8 m climb proved to be very easy so we were all able to get to the chamber at the bottom where the stream comes in. (We had used that rope much further back, remember.) We headed downstream first with all of us going almost to the end of navigable passage. Then we went upstream to the end of the easy going stuff. The trip out went easily. Alan and I had decided that a second bolt on the pitch head of the 68 m pitch was a better idea than the single one we had put in, and so he re-rigged the pitch at the rebelay to give us the extra rope at the top. We had seen that we had enough — just. It’s interesting to see how attitudes change over the decades. Back in those days we were quite happy with a single spit anchor on a big pitch and now we want two 8 nn o n mm x 90 mm throughbolts to feel safe. Alan waited at the pitch head for me as e m c ki A nin the others went out and then we decided J where to put the second bolt. As usual, the Looking up Selamik Chamber best place was out of my reach for manipu- lating a drill, and so Alan put in this bolt. We re-rigged the pitch head so that the next day’s group would have the mental reassur- ance of two bolts at the primary anchor. I headed up last and was out at 7:30 pm after a very enjoyable but inefficiently slow trip. Amy was cooking dinner for us, which was a wonderful treat. All I had to do was get changed, get a glass of port from Tony (who had carried in a small cask!) and start eating the pre-dinner nibbles people had

supplied while I waited for my tuna and nn o n lentil dinner to be ready. How did we do for water? you ask. One e m c ki A nin of the others did a 90-minute round trip J back to the last creek in the afternoon to get Sarah and Tony starting down some, but this proved to be unnecessary as group bottomed and de-rigged the cave, We all slogged our way back out along it drizzled most of the time we were there. and we repeated their Saturday afternoon the track again in the afternoon. This turned out to be a good thing as we set activity of forest wandering. Many interest- Party members: Serena Benjamin, Matt up water collecting systems on our tents and ing potential caves were noted during these Cracknell, Sarah Gilbert, Alan Jackson, Ja- fly sheets and thus had plentiful supplies. wanders which warrant a return when the nine McKinnon, Jane Pulford, Ric Tunney, The following day the second half of the enthusiasm can be mustered. Amy Robertson, Tony Veness, Geoff Wise.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 7 Chillicon 2011

Wendy Lander CCC FERE N CE ON

C he quiet town of Chillagoe in far Tnorth Queensland was filled with the hustle and bustle of Chillicon for the week 17th to 22nd of April. This conference was hosted by the Chillagoe Caving Club with Alan Cummins acting as co-ordinator. It started off with a welcoming BBQ Sun- day night. This gave us a chance to meet other participants and get our bearings within the 3 or 4 streets between accommodation and the town hall of Chillagoe. Each day there were many and varied speakers on a broad range of topics, all pertaining to the caving environment. These presentations took place in the town hall which was within walking distance of, well, everywhere. Scrumptious morning teas, lunches and afternoon teas were enjoyed by all and provided by local caterer, Andy. There were also workshops and demonstrations at various locations, local history tours, walks — an endless list of activities was available. For those who enjoy caving every spare moment was filled with it. If people had Polo shirt $25.00; cap $9.00; sticker $4.00; mug $12.00 enough energy there were day trips into the tourist caves, night trips and day trips into the wild caves. We were fortunate to still have a lot of water in the caves which is unusual for the area, but swimming through passages was enjoyed by those from colder climates and endured by those of us from the tropics. Bbrrr. (I didn’t want to look silly and wear my 10 mm wetsuit.) Karabiner 8GB USB stick with conference logo and proceedings. $30; The speleosports provided some inter- 8GB USB stick with conference logo only $25 esting challenges and great merriment for onlookers as teams of three, joined together dancing enjoyed by all. There are also polo shirts ($25), caps with approximately 1 m of rope space be- Conference goers had the opportunity ($9), stickers ($4) and mugs ($12) available. tween them, tackled the course. There were to take a flight over the area, with half-hour These will be posted to you anywhere in some very interesting / compromising posi- morning flights and evening flights as well Australia for no extra cost. tions witnessed during completion of the as one-hour flights available. This was an Thank you to everyone who helped individual challenges. amazing way to see the unique limestone to make the Chillicon conference such a Wednesday night and we followed the tower karst and countryside. wonderful success. Without their efforts candle-lit path, and gazed at the lit up For those who were unable to make it to join us from near and far or the people bluff, before finding a seat under the white to the conference we have the proceedings who helped in all aspects of creating this marquee for the Caveman’s Dinner. Once on an 8 GB karabiner USB stick ($30) or if conference we would not have had such an again there was a magnificent feast provided you would just like a novelty 8 GB karabiner excellent speleological event. by Andy, with music by local band Now USB stick ($25) there are some blank ones or Never. There was much merriment and available.

Page 8 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Chillicon 2011 C A message from ON Elery Hamilton-Smith FERE N CE

lery was absent from Chillicon and tacular surface was to Chillagoe in 1964 — Esent his apologies. This email was and my last similar experience was a 35 km read at the Cavers’ Dinner and received a day walk along the Danxia of South China. standing ovation: But there are other great things – my solo I am sorry that it is impossible for me to walk from Uluru across the Nullarbor to the be at Chillagoe with all of you. Head of the Bight gave me a great new sense As many of you already know, I have of my own bondage to our land. spent a lot of my life as a researcher, educa- But it is not just what I have seen. There is tor and consultant on caves and cave protec- a wonderful silence and peace sitting alone tion, and for the last 15 years have spent a lot in the darkness of a cave; the musical sounds of time out of Australia. In the course of that of running water; stunning patterns of crys- work, I have visited caves in over 50 coun- tal facets; the great companionship of explo- tries and have had all too little opportunity ration; and the evidence of our first people for caving in Australia. in their art and ritual sites, all of which have I have reached that stage in life where I Photo needed an aura of their own. am overflowing with reminiscence and re- Again, Chillagoe is a wonderful place to flection. As much as I have found happiness light to another. I came away with a great see the art and to respect the meanings of and satisfaction in all my professional life, sense of scenic wonder and beauty. My the men’s initiation site. the simple caving which underpins my pro- memory is full of the great things I have Words and photographs are not adequate fessionalism is the thing which I remember seen and the sheer pleasure of gazing at the to capture all of that. I only hope that the with most joy. wondrous landforms of karst remains very qualities which caving experiences have My first ever visit to Corra-lynn led me much alive to me. given to me are shared as much as possible walking and crawling from one scenic de- Of course my first visit to a truly spec- through my work.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 9 UE S Commercial and Recreational Values of Magnesite Deposits near the Arthur River, NW Tasmania,

VING ISS Australia CA John Wylie SRCC

Introduction World Magnesite Deposits An opportunity to visit the Arthur/Keith Magnesite has been forming since River magnesite karst for the first time with Archean times with major magnesite depos- fellow members of Savage River Caving its occurring in the Precambrian (Schroll Club (SRCC), occurred on 10 February 2002). The world’s economic magnesite 2009, (Gray 2009), with a further trip to take resources are estimated to be about 8600 photos on 28 and 29 March 2010, with Paul million tonnes with China having the larg- Darby, Lyndsey Gray and Greg Middleton. est deposits followed by Russia, then North In light of the continued commercial inter- Korea, and Australia fourth, with workable est in developing the magnesite deposits deposits of magnesite in every state of Aus- near the Arthur River, (http://www.bhrplc. tralia except Victoria, (Geoscience Australia com/projects/Tasmania/Tasmania-Magne- 2011). A geological report, Magnesium, site.html), although present drilling is in its Alloys and Compounds (Kramer 2001), an area where no known caves exist (Ford including the history and the massive grow- 2011, Kempton 2011), it is still important to ing demand globally for magnesite, makes continue working to protect this magnesite interesting reading. karst system. Australian Magnesite When I contacted Ian Houshold seek- Deposits ing literature on the magnesite deposits, he Tasmania has the third largest demon- indicated it would be very useful to have strated resource of magnesite in Australia a comprehensive chronological review of (195 million tons), with South Australia the on events in the area — hence this report. largest (344 Mt), followed by Queensland

I have probably not exhausted every (Towner 2009). States have put out detailed iddl et

avenue in putting this chronology together, reports on their magnesite deposits: South g m

although I believe that the most important Australia, (Ludbrook 1980, McCallum g re publications have been picked up. Further, 1990); Queensland, (Gnielinski 2010, Jones Lyndsey Gray among Karst spires Lyons River most of the referenced items have their own 1995); Tasmania, (Bacon, et al 2008); North- The only other literature since found comprehensive lists of relevant literature re- ern Territory (NT Dept of Mines & En- on magnesite with caves relates to some in lating to the magnesite deposits, that could ergy 1998); Western Australia (Abeysinghe England. Ric Halliwell of the Craven Pothole provide further useful reading. 1996); New South Wales (Brownlow 2006); Club provided a number of publications A visit to the area, particularly the Central and Victoria (McHaffie & Buckley 1995). on English magnesite caves (Anon. 1974, Creek karst, is an easy day trip, and anyone Karst Development in Anon. 1978, Anon. 1979, Lowe 1974, Gib- with a passionate interest in unusual karst Magnesite – an unusual son et al 1976, Speight 1987), with one cave, landscapes, should certainly put this area on occurrence Smeaton Pot, being extended in the ‘90s, to their ‘must see’ list. Caves and karst features in magnesite 295 m long and 35 m deep (Shooter 1994) Members of SRCC would be happy to appear to be unusual (Kiernan 1995a), with after Ric and Pat’s recent speleological trip assist interested ASF members to visit the few documented. There is at least one sig- down under (Halliwell 2010, Wylie 2011). area provided arrangements were made well nificant cave in Slovakia around 73 metres Discovery of Magnesite in in advance. long (Houshold et al 1999 p. 22). Tasmania

Page 10 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania

There are six main magnesite deposits, CA divided into two areas. In the South these are on Bowry Creek, Main Creek and Sav-

age River, and in the North, on Lyons River, ISS VING Keith-Arthur River and Central Creek (Calver 1999, Sharples 1997). Other minor deposits have also been noted (Houshold et al 1999). 1934 The relatively remote geographical location of the Arthur River magnesite deposits has prevented their becoming a viable

proposition since their discovery in 1925, S UE although there were occasional signs of interest, such as indicated by Nye, et al (1934), and by others in the 1960s.

Turner et al. 1992. Geology and prospectivity of the Arthur Mobile Belt. Bull. Geol. Surv. Tasm. 70:227-233. [pp232] The first known deposit of magnesite area generally from the Arthur River in the in Tasmania was reported by Government north to the Pieman River in the south, and Geologist P.B. Nye in 1925 who also noted from Sandy Cape on the West Coast to the caves in the magnesite: “It outcrops boldly Murchison Highway in the east, with the in huge irregular bodies, in and between magnesite deposits falling near the middle which tortuous passages, caverns and caves, of this magnificent wilderness area that occur.” (Nye 1925). has become known as the Tarkine (Brown on An earlier geological report (Waller 1995). iddl et 1902), certainly acknowledges magnesia, Geological/ g m

vughs, cavities of considerable dimensions Geomorphological and g re and warm springs in the vicinity of the Speleological Reports, Walking down Lyons River near Victory Mine, and in 1925 on testing grab 1925—2011 Magnesite spires and caves samples, the dense fine-grained mineral was Our understanding of the distinct land- 1960s found to be magnesite (Nye 1925). These forms and drainage of karst is constantly As geological survey work continued on would certainly be the first known caves in improving, requiring people with exper- the mineral-rich areas of the West Coast, magnesite in Australia, and the only ones re- tise in the relevant fields such as geology, another area of magnesite was discovered ported to date in the Southern Hemisphere. geomorphology, hydrology, climatology, during 1962, to the north-east of Savage The Commercial AND biology, palaeontology, archaeology and River (Urquhart 1966). Recreational Values of the speleology to continue their studies and The Department of Mines noted that no Magnesite Deposits document their findings. This progress has production of magnesite had been carried It was only a matter of time before the been particularly evident in relation to Tas- out to that time in their 1967 geological magnesite deposits of North-West Tasmania mania’s magnesite karst. survey bulletin and, interestingly, didn’t would become of commercial interest, and 1925 mention the Keith River Deposits (Jennings this was realised by the Mines Department The Tarkine geology/geomorphology is et al. 1967). back in 1925 when a pulp paper mill was complex, and has been studied and reported 1970s being contemplated (Nye 1925). on by a number of people over the decades In 1971 mineral exploration was under- Substantial deposits of magnesite were since at least 1925 when Nye compiled his taken on the Arthur River deposits, 500 noted in 1989 (Turner 1989 p. 6) within the report for the Department of Mines (Nye metres north of the New Victory Mine and tectonic feature now known as the Arthur 1925). west of the Arthur River on the Lyons River Lineament, also referred to as the Arthur with an extensive report being prepared on Metamorphic Complex (Turner 1989 p. the magnesite (Nye 1971). 22). It is further briefly described in another 1980s and 1990s article on the potential of the Proterozoic Through these decades exploration of the rocks of North-West Tasmania (Turner, et magnesite lenses continued, with numerous al 1992). authors giving accounts of the history of Conservation Stirrings on discoveries and the geology and mineralogy Efforts towards preserving this area iddl et of the magnesite deposits during this period started back in the 1960s (Pullinger 2004) g m (Frost 1982, Dickson 1990, Calver 1999). and since then environmental groups (The g re Henry Shannon and Frank Salt carried Wilderness Society 1992, (Konkes 1996), Paul Darby on Magnesite on Central Creek in cool out field investigations and later informed have been lobbying for the saving of the temperate rain forest Kevin Kiernan that karst landforms had

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 11 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania

developed on magnesite in the Savage River landscape (Kiernan 1995a, b). area (Kiernan 1988a); he referred to it as Several Tasmanian departments and au- ‘parakarst’, that is, karst-like features devel- thorities published papers between 1989 and oped on rock with less than 50% carbonate 1994 on significant geoconservation sites, minerals (Gunn 2004). one in particular included the magnesite UE S The Tasmanian Department of Mines put deposits, noting their geologic, geomorphic out a report on the Precambrian magnesite and pedagogic values (Bradbury 1995). promoting it as “Tasmatine Marble”, (Bacon The Tasmanian Conservation Trust Inc, 1989), possibly after samples were provided prepared a report for the Australian Heri- by Mineral Holdings Australia and laid in tage Commission on the Tarkine area, with the foyer of Mineral Resources Tasmania a chapter on the magnesite karst, providing head offices at Rosny Park, Hobart. How- information on mining exploration to date ever, probably owing to its hardness and and the geology and significance of these fracturing, it was not commercially viable Precambrian magnesite deposits (Sharples VING ISS (Sharples 1997 p. 69), although it was being 1995). considered for making headstones accord- The magnesite deposits were acknowl- e CA ing to one report (Anon. 2002). edged within a geoconservation report to An inventory of the north-west coast Forestry Tasmania for the Murchison For- est District which identified the landforms

carbonate deposits in the Smithton district John wyli was undertaken by the Forestry Commis- and geological sites within that district to Eroded magnesite, Lyons River sion of Tasmania (Henricksen 1990), as a provide an inventory of significant features contribution to a proposed “Atlas of Tasma- that forest managers could use to facilitate nian Karst”, with information coming from the better management of those landforms numerous speleological publications and and geological sites (Sharples 1996). the Australian Speleological Federation Karst Logging was not new to this area, and Index (Matthews 1985). recommendations for the proper management of forestry operations on other karst areas had been provided back as early as 1988 (Kiernan 1988b & 1989, Henricksen e 1990).

By 1997 Chris Sharples had added sig- John wyli nificantly to the knowledge of the Tarkine Magnesite outcrops, Lyons River karst (Sharples 1997) and this was to greatly assist others in the future, in relation to both commercial and environmental aspects. Renewed interest in the magnesite deposits once again arose in 1997 from numerous mining interests to develop the resource; a broad summary of their findings was provided by Calver (1999). It was this renewed interest by mining

a sm ania companies, that encouraged Savage River Caving Club (SRCC) to start investigating r c es t

ou the magnesite deposits near the Arthur River about 500 metres north of Victory al res

er Springs, and the Old Victory Mine, result- in

m ing in the first speleological club report on e Tasmatine “Oatmeal” Marble, polished sample of the magnesite (Heap 1997a). Magnesite from Arthur River in foyer The information that initially assisted of MRT Head Office. Dave Heap of SRCC was from Kiernan’s John wyli (1995) Tasmanian karst atlas and the later Greg Middleton (left) and Paul Darby at entrance to The Wilderness Society put forward a Lyons Den (KR 9) Lyons River World Heritage Proposal in 1992 (The Wil- “Karst geomorphology and values of the derness Society 1992), for an area proposed Tarkine” which included a useful map of way down through the magnesite, where to be called the Tarkine. The Department the various carbonate deposits within the numerous runnels, grikes, caves, arches, of Mines critically reviewed the geological Tarkine region (Sharples 1997 p. 22). amazing pinnacle outcrops and a small and geomorphological aspects of the TWS SRCC continued to document, survey narrow gorge have evolved within a myrtle submission (Turner 1993) and one of the and tag the caves at Central Creek and rainforest. speleological groups reviewed the submis- Lyons River during 1997 (Heap 1997b, c, Five hundred metres south-west of Cen- sion and made notes on it (Lichon 1992). d, Gray 1997), significantly adding to the tral Creek, a number of thermal springs were Subsequently, An Atlas of Tasmanian overall knowledge of the karst. discovered possibly at the same time as the Karst by Kevin Kiernan highlighted the The significance of the hydrology of the Old Victory Mine commenced operations in significance of the magnesite, provid- Central Creek karst is the underground the 1900s although there is no evidence as to ing further insight into the conservation drainage (Sharples 1997, Houshold et al when they were first recognised (Houshold values of this unusual geomorphological 1999) which over millennia has etched its et al 1999 p. 39, Sharples 1997 p. 93). Warm

Page 12 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania

than cave-adapted fauna, and a literature CA search indicated three species of rare freshwater snails are noted as being in the Bowry

Creek area (Richardson & Doran 1998). ISS VING Both of the above reports by Williams and Richardson & Doran put strong em- phasis on ensuring that detailed sampling and studies are undertaken on the efflux water from drill holes, and more importantly from Victory Springs, for any deep hypogean fauna, together with a survey of the distribution of the rare aquatic snails

along with zoological sampling of surface S UE habitats and importantly within the caves including a baiting program. e e In 1999 an article was published in Wild magazine (Bunton 1999), giving a brief overview of the threats to the magnesite John wyli John wyli in the proposed Tarkine World Heritage Resurgence at Central Creek Paul at Thermal Spring, Old Victory Mine area. 1998, Carrigg 1998, Hollister 1998). 1998 Ian Houshold, Clive Calver and Chris also saw publication of A Decade of Caving Sharples prepared a very detailed Tas- by SRCC (Gray 1998), in which the Keith manian Government publication on the River Karst was shown to be one of those magnesite karst of Northwest Tasmania, areas being documented, with eleven caves covering a wide range of aspects of the being described, tagged and surveyed. deposits (Houshold et al 1999). A further three visits were made to the Throughout 1999, speleological groups area by SRCC during 1998 (Heap 1998a, b, reported on the karst (Gray 1999), SRCC c) with one of the reports being written up indicating that the mining interest seemed by Arthur Clarke (Clarke 1998a) and partly to have waned (Salt 1999). Mole Creek reprinted in Speleopod (Clarke 1999). Caving Club published a brief report on A number of articles noting the impor- the proposed mine and the dangers to the tance of this most unusual karst area and karst if mining went ahead (Hunter 1999). why it should be preserved were presented 2000s by various people in the ACKMA Journal Speleologists continued to report on from 1998 (Kiernan 1998, Houshold visits to the area (Bunton 2000) and on the

on 1998, Clarke 2002), with one speleo group conservation status of the karst (Clarke reprinting some information from the 2001a). iddl et Ozcaver e-mail list (Clarke 1998b). There In the Australian Speleological Fed- g m was also a follow-up of the outcomes of an eration (ASF) 2001 Annual Report, Clarke g re ACKMA bid to carry out a survey of the (2001) reported that due to the economic Narrow gorge among magnesite spires, Central Creek magnesite (Houshold 1999). situation the proposed smelter plant had karst springs of geoconservation value also The hydrology of the Tarkine is unique been postponed. exist on the Lyons River (Houshold et al in Australia, due to very little river/stream A former director of Crest Magnesium, 1999 p. 7). regulation and abstraction, although pol- Peter Salter bought out Thomas Natural The renewed interest in the magnesite lutants enter the upper sections of the Spring Waters’ lease at Victory Springs deposits resulted in one of the mining Arthur River from mining operations. De- (Sharples 1997 p. 91) in 2001 and set up personnel also seeing an opportunity to spite various studies of the freshwater habi- his own company, Tiger Spring Ltd, on the make further financial gains by marketing tats of the northwest coast, little had been original Victory Springs site (Grube 2001). the mineral spring waters. This involved done to address conservation of aquatic 2002 began with a report by Arthur capping one of the natural thermal springs invertebrates in the Tarkine. Helen Dunn Clarke in the ACKMA Journal on the state and greatly altering the area. The operation made the first moves towards addressing of play, noting the presence of water-filled was not a success (Sharples 1997 p. 91, this issue (Dunn 1998). subterranean cavities, proven by explora- Houshold et al 1999 p. 39), leaving the In late 1998, the Tasmanian Govern- tion drilling, which could support a diverse infrastructure to be pilfered over time. The ment organised an independent report on range of aquatic fauna (Clarke 2002). significance of these thermal springs lay the geoconservation values of the Keith Chris Sharples was able to collect some in the fact of their being the only warm River magnesite karst (Williams 1998), sediment samples from two caves in the springs in magnesite in Australia — if not which included a note on the biota and Keith/Arthur River magnesite karst, with a the world (Kiernan 1995a Vol. 1, p. 129). hydrological values that warranted further palynological result showing an abundance By 1998 the general public was very investigation. of fossil pollen (Harle 1996). much aware of the proposed magnesite The University of Tasmania School of A review of geoconservation values of mine and processing plant, with divided Zoology undertook a fauna study of the the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage opinions appearing in the various Tasma- magnesite karst. The field collection results Area was undertaken, along with adjacent nian papers (Agatyn & Diwell 1998, Anon. indicated a diverse range of forms, other areas, noting that the Arthur River magne-

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 13 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania

site carbonate tower karst is well developed, the best examples still remains unprotected During the last few decades modern globally rare with hydrothermal processes, (Sharples 2003 p.13, Eberhard 2007). equipment has made it possible to further biologically significant, and has exceptional Threats to geodiversity continue “as it is reveal the area’s natural resources, with a geomorphic features (Sharples 2003). considered that earth features are rugged number of dozer tracks being pushed in 2003 also marked 15 years of cave and do not need to be managed,” (Pember- and around the Central Creek magnesite UE S exploration by SRCC, marked by a brief ton 2007). deposits to help assess the possibilities of history of the club’s activities and on-going In fact, these features, if not managed, these being economically exploited. documentation of the magnesite karst and are easily lost or degraded due to lack of A quarry has been developed on the views on the proposed mine (Gray 2003, geoconservation knowledge. karst for road base and the latest commer- Salt 2003). 2010 cial endeavour has been the extraction of Mineral Resources Tasmania presented A further review of the protection status mineral waters from Victory Springs. a summary of opportunities for mineral of Tasmanian karst in a recent issue of the These developments have all had their exploration and development indicating ACKMA Journal, acknowledged “that more impacts, and although some restoration 75% of the State was then available for of Tasmania’s karst estate is reserved than has been carried out, it’s not possible to VING ISS exploration and mining, with a reference at any time in the past, [but] the devil is undo what has been done. Many of the to the very large deposits of magnesite in the detail and some critical gaps are still scars of yesterday are still visible — for-

CA (Anon. 2004). outstanding” (Eberhard 2010). tunately, they are slowly healing but will Exploration continued with Mineral What now for this important natural never totally disappear. Holdings Australia presenting its annual resource? Hopefully, common ground can be report on its findings with some detailed Tasmania is well known for its natural – found in the light of the greater knowledge maps of the Cann Creek deposits (Duncan especially mineral – resources (Anon. 2004) of the natural beauty and geodiversity that 2005). with huge quantities being transported out has evolved in this particular area of the Arthur Clarke presented a one-page ab- of the State since settlement. This has had North West Coast, and with the proper stract at the 25th ASF conference in 2005, its impacts on the island’s geoconservation management measures taken, all of those on cave invertebrate fauna in Tasmania in values as there were few management plans who either live there or visit can continue which he briefly noted the magnesite as a or abatement measures at the time. to enjoy the region. site with no cave fauna recorded to date The Arthur River area was initially The magnesite karst is different, has tak- (Clarke 2005). logged many years ago and the Old Victory en millions of years to evolve and, as noted Since 2003 very little has been written Mine opened back in the 1900s. Since then by Jason Bradbury, comprises “essentially on the magnesite karst, and to the present the area has been heavily exploited for its non-renewable resources” (Bradbury 1995 day the 385 ha acknowledged as containing natural resources. p. 1).

NOTE Pothole Club, many thanks for providing On a March 2011 SRCC trip another information on the magnesite caves back cave was tagged and surveyed on the Lyons home in the UK, and providing the only River. This will be reported in the next issue other records of caves in magnesite found to of Speleopod, making a total of 12 caves now date, going back to the 1960s. documented in the area. To Magnesite Tasmania general manager, Alan Daley, many thanks for granting Acknowledgments permission and giving us access to investi- For making this article possible I must gate and photograph the karst, with the as- first thank Paul Darby, Lydnsey Gray and sistance of field foreman Andrew Eastaugh, Michael Simco of SRCC for taking me to saving us many kilometres of walking. one of nature’s natural wonders, the magnesite karst near Victory Springs on the Arthur Essential reading for an River, which has certainly left a lasting im- understanding of the pression. Also, thanks to Greg Middleton for landscape and karst of the taking lots of photos to illustrate this article. Tarkine Others who have contributed to the The four publications below, in my view, documentation of this unique geological provide key details, not only of the magnes- region have not only provided valuable ite, but of the whole area: reports but numerous other references 1. Forgotten Wilderness: North West Tas- providing many hours of interesting read- mania, D.N. Harries 1995. ing — I truly appreciate your efforts and 2. Karst Geomorphology & Values of the words of encouragement — so thanks to: Tarkine, Chris Sharples 1997. Ian Houshold, Chris Sharples, Helen Dunn, 3. Magnesite Karst in Northwest Tasma- on Greg Middleton, Ross Ellis, Ralph Bottrill

nia, Ian Houshold, Clive Calver and Chris iddl et and Kylie Lau for further enhancing my Sharples 1999. g m

knowledge of the carbonate deposits of the 4. Geology and Mineral Resources of g re Tarkine, North-West Tasmania. Tasmania, C.F. Burrett & E.L. Martin (Eds.) Magnesite outcrop, Lyons River To Ric and Pat Halliwell of Craven 1989.

Page 14 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania CA ISS VING S UE on iddl et g m g re Paul Darby entering new cave Lyon Down Hole (KR12) Lyons River.

References Report, Department of Mines Tasmania Carrigg, David 1998 Magnesite dreams. Abeysinghe, J.B. 1996 Talc, pyrophyl- 1989/11. The Sunday Tasmanian [Hobart], 21 June lite and magnesite in Western Australia. Bacon, C.A., Calver, C.R. & Pemberton, 1998 p. 5 Western Australia Geological Survey Mineral J. 2008 The industrial mineral deposits of Clarke, Arthur 1998a Exploring the mag- Resources Bulletin 16. 118 pp. Tasmania. Mineral Resources Tasmania 13. nificent magnesite karst east of Arthur River Agatyn, Martin & Diwell, Stuart 1998 Department of Infrastructure, Energy and in NW Tasmania. Speleo Spiel, 310: 11-12. Mine news spells jobs joy. Advocate [Bur- Resources: Hobart, p. 29. Clarke, Arthur 1998b New mine for nie], 31 May 1998, pp. 1-2. Bradbury, Jason 1995 Continuation of magnesite karst – Tasmania [reprint from Anon. 1974 Caves in the magnesian preliminary inventory of sites of geoconserva- Ozcavers] Newcaves Chronicles, 11: 7. limestone of Southern Yorkshire, Derby- tion significance in Tasmania/Central, north- Clarke, Arthur 1999 Trip reports - re- shire and Nottinghamshire. Moldywarps ern and western Tasmania. Report to Parks print. Speleopod, 32: 6. Speleological Group Journal, 7: 16-22. & Wildlife Service, Tasmania, p. 55. Clarke, Arthur 2001a New mine propos- Anon. 1978 Two caves in the magnesian Brown, Bob 1995 Introduction [in] Blak- als threaten the Tarkine magnesite karst. limestone. Moldywarps Speleological Group ers, Rob (Ed.) The Tarkine. Endangered wil- Carbonate Capers, 95: 3-4. Journal, 10: 23-26. derness. The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Clarke, Arthur 2001b Conservation Anon. 1979 Caves of the magnesian Inc: Hobart, Tasmania, p. 7. Commission Reports 2001 [in] Dykes, limestone, Journal of the Yorkshire Subter- Brownlow, J.W. 2006 Magnesite (Chap- Peter (Ed.) ASF Inc. 2001 Annual Report. ranean Society, 2: 50-52. ter 2) [in] Whitehouse, J., Brownlow, J.W., Melbourne, Victoria. Anon. 1998 Karst safe, claims geologist. Burton, G.R., Ferguson, A.C., Glen, R.A., Clarke, Arthur 2002 A summary of re- Advocate [Burnie], 27 June 1998. Lishmund, S.R., MacRae, G.P., Malloch, cent cave and karst conservation issues in Anon. 2002 Arthur River Magnesite Proj- K.R., Oakes, G.M., Paterson, I.B.L., Pien- Tasmania. ACKMA Journal, 46: 44-45. ect RL 8718, Annual report on the period munne, J.T., Ray, H.N. & Watkins, J.J. (eds) Clarke, Arthur 2005 An overview of cave April 2001 to March 2002, 8 pp. Tasmania Industrial mineral opportunities in New areas and the invertebrate cave fauna in Magnesite N.L. [TCR02 – 4741]. South Wales. Geological Survey of New South Tasmania, [in] Goede, A. & Bunton, S. (Eds) Anon. 2004 Mineral exploration opportu- Wales Bulletin 33. Department of Primary CaveMania 2005 Proceedings, 25th Austra- nities in Tasmania. A summary of opportuni- Industries. 214 pp. [pp. 101-107]. lian Speleological Federation Conference, ties for mineral resource development in Tas- Bunton, Stephen 1999 Tasmania. Mag- Dover, Tasmania. p. 10. mania. February 2004. Mineral Resources nesite karst threatened. Wild, Summer Dickson, T.W. 1990 Arthur River and Ly- Tasmania, Dept of Infrastructure, Energy (January-April) 1999, 71: 93. ons River magnesite deposits, [in] Hughes, and Resources. 28pp. Bunton, Stephen 2000 In search of Vic- F.E. (Ed.), Geology of the mineral deposits Australian Conservation Foundation tory Springs. Speleo Spiel, 318: 6-7. of Australia and Papua New Guinea. The 2004-2011 http://www.wwf.org.au/archive/ Calver, C.R. 1999 Tasmanian magnesite Australasian Institute of Mining and Metal- tarkinetimeline/ resources: a summary. Tasmanian Geologi- lurgy: Melbourne, pp. 1181-1183. Bacon, C.A. 1989 Industrial minerals in cal Survey Report, 1999/07, Department of Duncan, D. McP. 2005 Exploration Li- Tasmania - granite and marble. Unpublished Mines Tasmania. 5 pp. cence 10/2003 Cann Creek, NW Tasmania.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 15 Commercial and Recreational Values of Arthur River Magnesite Deposits, Tasmania UE S VING ISS CA on iddl et g m g re

Paul Darby and John Wylie standing on magnesite exposed and eroded in the bed of Lyons River Annual report on exploration to March sland minerals. A summary of major mineral T4, T6 and T9 13 March 1996, [in] Sharples, 2005. Mineral Holdings Australia Pty Ltd resources, mines and projects 2010. Dept of Chris (Ed.) Karst geomorphology and values (TCR05_5165), 27 pp. Employment, Economic Development and of the Tarkine. A report to the Australian Dunn, H. 1998 Macroinvertebrate com- Innovation. Geological Survey of Queen- Heritage Commission and the Tasmanian munities and National Estate values of sland: Indooroopilly, Queensland. CD. pp. Conservation Trust Inc. pp. 166-169. streams in the Arthur-Pieman catchments, 63-64. Heap, Dave 1997a Trip report for Keith north-west Tasmania. Report of National Gray, Lyndsey 1997 Trip report, Keith River. Speleopod, 23: 26-27. Estate Grant Program Project 0521/9611, River (30 Oct. 1997), Speleopod, 26: 22. Heap, Dave 1997b Trip reports: Keith School of Geography and Environmental Gray, Lyndsey (Ed.) 1998 A decade of River-8/5/97 & 11/5/97; Caves of the Keith Studies, University of Tasmania: Hobart. 67 caving. Ten year book, February, 1988 – Feb- River area. Speleopod, 24: 14-17, 25-32. pp. ruary, 1998. Savage River Caving Club Inc: Heap, Dave 1997c Trip report for Lyons Eberhard, Rolan 2007 Land classification Burnie, Tasmania, pp. 21-29. River-29/5/97. Speleopod, 25: 5. and Tasmania’s karst estate — A GIS based Gray, Lyndsey (Ed.) 1999 The magnesite Heap, Dave 1997d Trip reports – belated: review. ACKMA Journal, 66: 10-14. caves of Keith River. Tasmania Underground Keith River (20 Feb. 1997). Speleopod, 26: 8. Eberhard, Rolan 2010 Protection status Series No 2. Savage River Caving Club Inc. Heap, Dave 1998a Trip reports: The Ly- of karst in Tasmania. ACKMA Journal, 81: 14 pp. ons River-6/11/97, Speleopod, 27: 10-11. 10-14. Gray, Lyndsey (Ed.) 2003 Savage River Heap, Dave 1998b Keith River magnesite Ford, Sean 2011 Karst cave system ‘would Caving Club Inc. A record of caving XV years – 10/1/98, Speleopod, 27: 9. be safe’ The Advocate [Burnie], 8 April, 2011, and then some. February 1988 to December, Heap, Dave 1998c Trip reports, Keith p. 3. 2003. Savage River Caving Club: Ulverstone, River-8 Aug. 1998, Speleopod, 30: 7. Frost, M.T. 1982 The geology and miner- Tasmania, p. 32. Henricksen, D. 1990 Tasmanian karst at- alogy of the magnesite deposits of North West Gray, Lyndsey 2009 Trip reports, Keith las project – Smithton District karst inven- Tasmania, [in] Green, D.C. (Ed.), Geology, River 10th February 2009. Speleopod, 66: tory. Unpublished Report to the Forestry mineralisation, exploration: Western Tas- 12. Commission Tasmania. mania. Geol. Soc. Aust. and Dept. of Mines, Grube, Kathy 2001 Ex-Crest boss taps Hollister, James 1998 Cave claims “mis- Tasmania. pp. 35-36. into water. The Mercury [Hobart], 22 Janu- leading”. Advocate [Burnie], 9 June 1998. Geoscience Australia 2011 Magnesium ary 2001. Houshold, Ian 1998 Andysez 29: Magne- fact sheet. www.australianminesatlas.gov. Gunn, John 2004 Fluviokarst [in] Gunn, site karst in Tasmania. Australasian Cave & au/education/fact_sheets/magnesium.jsp John (Ed.) Encyclopedia of caves and karst Karst Management Association Journal, 33: (accessed June 2011) science. Fitzroy Dearborn: New York, Lon- 43-50. Gibson, R., Bliss, M. & Shackleton, R. don. pp. 363-364. Houshold, Ian 1999 Magnesite karst in 1976 Caves of the magnesian limestone, Halliwell, Ric 2010 Down under, way Tasmania. Newcaves Chronicles, 12: 5-6. including area maps and surveys. Journal of down under. Craven Pothole Club Journal, Houshold, Ian, Calver, Clive, & Sharples, the Yorkshire Subterranean Society, 1: 9-22 98: 17-24 (April 2010). Chris 1999 Magnesite karst in Northwest (March 1976). Harle, Kate 1996 Report on the palyno- Tasmania: geology, geomorphology and hy- Gnielinski, Frederich von 2010 Queen- logical analysis of cave sediment specimens drology. Report to Division of Investment,

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Hunter, Deb 1999 News and conserva- Institute of Mining and Metallury: Mel- Wilderness World Heritage Area. Nature ISS VING tion update. Illuminations [Journal of the bourne. pp. 1151-1154. (See: http://www. Conservation Report 03/06; Department of Mole Creek Caving Club], 4: 2-6. pir.sa.gov.au/minerals/geology/mineral_re- Primary Industries, Water & Environment, Jennings, I.B., Noldart, A.J. & Williams, sources/commodities/magnesite; accessed Tasmania. pp. 150-152. E. 1967 Geology and mineral resources of June 2011) Shooter, Graham 1994 Smeaton Pot, Tasmania, Geol. Surv. Bull., 50, p. 79. McHaffie, I.W. & Buckley, R.W. 1995 Journal of the Yorkshire Subterranean Soci- Jones, M.R 1995 Magnesite in review. Industrial minerals and rocks of Victoria. ety, Vol. 3: 28-30. Queensland Mining Journal, 96(1121): 11- Geological Survey of Victoria Report 102. pp. Speight, Alan 1987 Smeaton Pot. Caves & 20. 141-143. Caving (Bulletin of the British Cave Research

Kempton, Helen 2011 Drills in Tarkine Northern Territory Department of Association), 35: 33-35. S UE wilds. The Mercury [Hobart], 8 April 2011, Mines and Energy 1998 Magnesite: fact Towner, Roy 2009 Magnesite [in] Aus- p. 9. sheet. Northern Territory Dept of Mines & tralia’s identified mineral resources 2009. Kiernan, Kevin 1988a Caves and karst Energy, Public Relations Unit,April 1998. Geoscience Australia: Canberra. p. 42 (See: areas of Tasmania. J. Syd. Speleol. Soc., 32(6): 9pp. www.ga.gov.au/image_cache/GA16805.pdf, 112 Nye, P.B. 1925 Dolomite and magnesite accessed June 2011) Kiernan, Kevin 1988b The management deposit near the Victory Mine, Arthur Turner, N.J. 1989 Precambrian [in] Bur- of soluble rock landscapes: an Australian River. Unpublished Report, Department of rett, C.F. & Martin. E.L. (Eds) Geology and perspective. Speleological Research Council Mines Tasmania 1925: 105-107. mineral resources of Tasmania. Special Pub- Inc., Broadway, Sydney, 61 pp. Nye, P.B. 1971. Progress reports on lication 15, Geological Society of Australia Kiernan, Kevin 1989 Karst, caves and Exploration S.P.L.56, Arthur River district, Inc. pp. 6 & 22. management at Mole Creek, Tasmania. A north west Tasmania during 1971. Mineral Turner, N.J. 1993 Review: Geological/ Report to the Forestry Commission and Holdings Pty Ltd, [TCR72-868]. geomorphological aspects of the Wilder- National Parks and Wildlife Service. Occa- Nye, P.B., Finucane, K.J., Blake, F. 1934. ness Society’s September 1992 proposal for sional Paper No. 22, Department of Parks, The Smithton District. Geological Survey a World Heritage Area in the North West Wildlife and Heritage Tasmania. 129 pp. Bulletin No. 41, Tasmanian Department of forests. Unpublished report, Department of Kiernan, K. 1995a An Atlas of Tasmanian Mines: Hobart, p. 94] Mines, Tasmania 1993/04: 11. karst. Tasmanian Forest Research Council, Pemberton, Michael 2007 A brief con- Turner, N.J., Bottrill, R.S., Crawford, A.J. Inc. Report 10. Vol. 1, pp. 129-130. sideration of geodiversity and geoconserva- & Villa, I. 1992 Geology and prospectivity Kiernan, K. 1995b An atlas of Tasmanian tion. Unpublished paper, Biodiversity Con- of the Arthur Mobile Belt. Bull. Geol. Surv. karst. Tasmanian Forest Research Council, servation Branch, Department of Primary Tasmania, 70: 227-233. Inc. Report 10. Vol. 2, p. 307. Industries and Water, Tasmania. 7 pp. Urquhart, G. 1966 Magnetite deposits of Kiernan, Kevin. 1998 Karst management Pullinger, Phil 2004 The Tarkine in brief. the Savage River-Rocky River region. Bull. news from Tasmania. Australasian Cave & See: http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/ Geol. Surv. Tasmania, 48: 89-94. Karst Management Association Journal, 30: news.asp?news_id=412 Waller, G.A. 1902 Report on the recent 18. Richardson, A.M.M. & Doran, N. 1998 discovery of cannel coal in the Parish of Konkes, C. 1996 Tarkine Wilderness for Fauna of magnesite karst: field report and Preolenna, and upon the New Victory Cop- World Heritage: A fool’s guide to the Tarkine. scientific assessment. Unpublished report per Mine near the Arthur River. Report of Tasmanian Conservation Trust: Hobart, 72 to Tasmanian Department of Investment, the Secretary for Mines, Tasmania, 1901- pp. Trade & Development, 23 pp. 1902: 77-89. Kramer, Deborah A. 2001 Magnesium, Salt, Frank 1999 News around and about, The Wilderness Society 1992 A proposal its alloys and compounds, U.S. Geologi- magnesite headlines. Speleopod, 33: 3. for a Tarkine Wilderness Rainforest World cal Survey Open-File Report 01-341, U.S. Salt, Frank 2003 On conservation. Spe- Heritage Area. The Wilderness Society: Ho- Department of Interior. 29 pp. (See: http:// leopod, 50: 13. bart Tasmania. pp. 38-39. pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/of01-341/index. Schroll, Erich 2002 Genesis of magnesite Williams, Paul W. 1998 Report on the html; accessed June 2011) deposits in the view of isotope geochemis- geoconservation values of the magnesite Lichon, M. 1992 New karst discoveries try. Boletim Paranaense de Geociencias, 50: karst in northwest Tasmania. Unpublished in the Tarkine wilderness. Illuminations, 1: 59-68. report to Government of Tasmania, 9 pp. 28-29. Sharples, Chris 1995 Geomorphology Wylie, John 2011 A bit of a Wander with Lowe, Dave 1974 Two caves in the mag- (Chapter 6) [in] Harries, D.N. (Ed.) For- English Cavers, around some NSW karst nesian limestone (Permian) of Yorkshire. gotten wilderness: North West Tasmania. A areas. J. Syd. Speleol. Soc., 55(3): 68. Sheffield University Speleological Society report to the Australian Heritage Commis- Journal, 2(3): 26-29. sion by the Tasmanian Conservation Trust. Ludbrook, N.H. 1980 A guide to the geol- p. 154. ogy and mineral resources of South Australia. Sharples, Chris 1996 A reconnaissance of Magnesite. Department of Mines and En- landforms and geoconservation significances ergy South Australia. Government Printer: in the Murchison Forest District. Report to Adelaide, pp. 184-187. Forestry Tasmania, Vol. 1, 70 pp. & Vol. 2, Matthews, P.G. (Ed.) 1985 Australian 120 pp. Karst Index 1985. Australian Speleological Sharples, Chris 1997 Karst geomorphol- Federation Inc: Broadway, NSW. ogy and values of the Tarkine. A report to the McCallum, W. S. 1990 Magnesite depos- Australian Heritage Commission and the

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 17 Y T Personal Protective Equipment

S AFE (PPE) Inspection Requirements — Fact or Fiction

David Doughty ASF & HSC; PPE Inspector (THS)

have been involved in caving, rock You may even be asked for inspection Iclimbing, canyoning, abseiling for ad- registers or currency of the PPE you intend venture, fun, data collection and training to use in these locations. Already most land for close to 30 years. In that time I have management groups require the caver or seen equipment substantially change in caving ‘club’ to have a level of insurance if quality and durability. Labeling require- they wish to cave within their boundaries. ments have increased as manufacturers This should lead you to the question: have become exposed to litigation. Equip- ment instructions have become elaborate AM I COMPETENT TO INSPECT MY and often in multiple languages to cover OWN PPE? the wider sphere of users and the varying If you can understand what is meant by levels of knowledge they have. the eight points above then you are well on Gear I have seen used by other cavers, your way. If you have read and understand rock climbers, canyoners and abseilers has the manufacturer’s instructions you are varied in its state of care from excellent closer still, and if you have read the ap- to suicidal. Some examples that spring to plicable manufacturing standard you are mind are: closer again. The balance of the information

❚ ropes worn through to the core and be- y required to make you competent at inspect- yond; ing your own gear comes from finding ❚ descenders with over 50% of the friction out the acceptable wear as stated by the

surface missing; D ough t avid manufacturer and from hands on practical ❚ tape so abraded and faded that it was like D inspection experience. A tad too much wear, I think paper; Just to be clear, inspection is different ❚ pulleys where the axles are seized because The PPE item has: to pre-use checks. Pre-use checks are what of mud and corrosion; ❚ been damaged to a level where it is no you do prior to leaving home; putting on ❚ sisal laid rope rigged in one continuous longer safe to use; your PPE; and before you use it e.g. abseil- length from the entrance of Tuglow Main ❚ come in contact with a chemical or a sub- ing down a pitch. Inspections require you Cave to the streamway, via the rock pile stance that changes the properties of the to look in detail at your PPE, completing with no re-direction or re-anchoring; PPE; visual, functional and sometimes smell ❚ karabiners covered in so much corrosion ❚ passed the manufacturer’s expiry date; analysis, then documenting the results. that they looked like a piece of cauli- ❚ components missing; You may ask: ‘Why document the inspec- flower. ❚ been stored or transported in a location tion?’ There are a number of reasons: Gear we use, or as it is referred to now, that affects it; ❚ it allows you to record the product in- PPE (personal protective equipment), is ❚ been used incorrectly or for the wrong ap- formation e.g. manufacturer and serial expensive and will last a long time if used, plication e.g. towing your car; number; maintained and stored correctly. We have ❚ been modified outside of the manufac- ❚ it gives you information on product dura- to remember that equipment will not last turer’s guidelines e.g. painting helmet; bility and life span; forever and we should plan to replace it Workplace Regulations that ❚ wear can be used to indicate training when its usable life time ends. From here define the PPE requirements requirements. For example, if you keep on in I will use the acronym PPE to indicate Generally work place regulations do not tearing rope fibres or creating pulls in equipment cavers, rock climbers, canyon- apply to the recreational world cavers / club the sheath of your rope when practising ers, abseilers use. members operate in. ascending skills then it means you are not How do we know when the Having said that, they could apply if the disengaging the cam sufficiently — not PPE we use is at the end of its club is carrying out work for a farmer, as the that the sheath tension is not right (as I life? farm is his workplace, or land management was informed once by someone complain- There are a number of ways you can tell if authorities (e.g. NPWS in NSW) where ing about their rope); your PPE should be removed from service. OH&S regulations apply. ❚ it aids in the maintenance process e.g. PPE

Page 18 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Personal Protective Equipment Inspection Requirements

a competent person/PPE Inspector. This is S AFE usually close to the section saying you need training in the use of this product as it can kill you. Carrying out inspections should be done in a clean environment with good lighting T — not, as I had one person explain how they inspected their PPE while watching Y the Sunday evening movie! The PPE we use keeps us alive so the inspection, storage and y maintenance of it need to be taken seriously y too. As a general rule the lifespan of PPE is:

avid D ough t avid ❚ 10 years for textile based products; D ough t avid D D ❚ 10 years for plastics e.g. helmets; and The owner of this paint-encrusted helmet used it for ❚ for hardware items it is based on PPE A Petzl ascender with a worn cam. It was still in use work as a painter and then caving on the weekend at the time of inspection inspection. should be washed prior to inspection; Having said this please check with the They vary from three to five days dura- ❚ in this litigious world we live in the docu- manufacturer on what they recommend is tion and are very informative. The longer mentation is a must if the gear is being the life span of their product. Some manu- obviously covers a lot more types of PPE. I used by other people e.g. slings on an facturers give guidance of life expectancy have been inspecting PPE for over 20 years, abseil setup; based on the amount of use. the last ten as part of my job, and I recently ❚ it can be used to show land management If you do not feel you have the knowl- went to Petzl to do some refresher training authorities that your gear has been rou- edge or depth of experience to inspect your in PPE inspection and learnt a whole lot tinely inspected. own PPE then you should contact a training more. This is not an area where you stop When you read the manufacturer’s in- organisation or manufacturer (if they have learning. structions, almost all recommend that PPE a course) and enroll on a PPE Inspectors Cave safely and I may see you in a cave be inspected on a 6 or 12 monthly period by course. soon.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 19 Tom Robinson Obituary

Les Pearson IT UARY B O om was born in Cairns on 19th July T1935 to Leonard and Jan Robinson, their only child. He grew up on their cane farm and was schooled at Caravonica and North Cairns State Schools before being sent to Church of England Gram- mar School in Brisbane for his secondary education. On returning home Tom worked on the farm with his father and gradually took over the management and operation of the farm. He also became involved with management of the cane industry becoming a member of the Hambledon and later the Mulgrave Suppliers’ Committee. When a nearby cane farmer filled in the district’s main drainage channels, in levelling his farm, Tom became the Chairman of the Canegrowers’ Drainage Board for the Smithfield area and on supervised the re-establishment and maintenance of drainage in the area.

As a young man he became a member l es pe a rs of Smithfield Junior Farmers’ Organisation On 23 April 1973 Tom was present at the He had much satisfaction when he saw de- (later called Rural Youth) where he progres- inaugural meeting of the Chillagoe Caving velopment in these young men as a result. sively became involved in the management Club along with fifteen others. When the During the 1970s and 1980s Tom’s home of his club. In the 1950s Tom took a Rural Club got going Tom took the position of became the centre for visiting cavers from Youth exchange to the United States of Survey and Record Keeper, a position he overseas and down south to make first con- America where he lived with several families held until 1990. During this time he es- tact. for approximately six months gaining wider tablished a system of caving records which He provided accommodation and experiences in farming practices. At the end enabled him to edit the Club’s publications enthusiastic guidance for visiting sci- of this exchange he took an opportunity to Chillagoe Karst and Mitchell Palmer Karst entists, particularly Brother Nicholas visit the United Kingdom before returning that are essential documents for cavers in Sullivan and the expeditions to Chilla- home. Tom later became an adult advisor these areas. goe and beyond funded by his New York for Rural Youth assisting various Clubs in In 1984 Tom’s work on Chillagoe and Explorers’ Club. management of their activities. Mitchell Palmer caving records was recogn- These expeditions introduced a range I first met Tom in late 1972 in the Queen- ised by the Australian Speleological Federa- of international scientists to this hitherto slander Cave at Chillagoe on his first sur- tion with the award of a Certificate of Merit. unknown area that was crying out for inves- veying attempt with Paul Wilson. We were In 1991 the Chillagoe Caving Club awarded tigation. all surprised at meeting anyone in the cave Tom its first Life Membership. The Cairns Penny Bank invited Tom to as it then had little visitation. This first sur- When the Caving Club went on its first become a Director about 1990 as his back- vey was done using a compass with paced trip to Mitchell Palmer in May 1977 farm ground was seen as being useful to the bank. distances, as they had no tape or clinometer. work prohibited Tom’s joining the expedi- Unfortunately soon after he commenced he This survey gave a very rough indication of tion. However, during the cane slack season began to show signs of memory loss due to the cave layout. However, in subsequent he led numerous exploratory trips searching his then undiagnosed terminal Alzheimer’s years he became more insistent on accuracy for better access to this quite inaccessible disease and was unable to continue. and often sent cavers back to resurvey sec- area and to the individual towers, making After a steady decline in his health Tom tions of the Queenslander where he noted up for his earlier absence. was moved to the Carpentaria Nursing inaccuracies or unsatisfactory close errors. Tom was an outgoing personality and Home when he could no longer walk mak- Tom’s exploration and mapping of Queen- was usually at the centre of social activity. ing it impracticable for Miriam to look after slander Tower became a dominant activity Over many years he involved a number of him at home. After several months there he for the club for several years and the result young people in caving, which he saw as a died in his sleep on 18th April 2005, a few is something for him to be proud of. challenging and character building activity. months short of his 70th birthday.

Page 20 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 O B Memories and reflections on the IT UARY life of Andrew David Skinner of Hastings, Southern Tasmania 8 January 1953 to 15 May 2011

Arthur Clarke STC er r o s kinn

irst child of Roy and Emily (Pem) of Andrew’s earliest recollections of life easily swim three lengths of Hastings pool, FSkinner, Andrew was born in Ar- at Hastings Caves, was the early morning underwater with one breath! madale (Melbourne) on 8 January 1953. ritual of doing the weather readings then Andrew inherited, or absorbed by osmo- Andrew came to Tasmania in 1954, when spending up to two hours every day clean- sis, his father Roy’s interest in caves and be- his father, Roy, was appointed Assistant ing up the rubbish from the previous day. came a very keen caver. Andrew recollected Manager at the then-recently rebuilt Coles As a youngster, the learn-to-swim early visits to Mystery Creek Cave with his Bay Chateau (now Freycinet Lodge). Later paddle-board used in the original thermal father in 1960, when the Ida Bay Railway that same year, Roy took up the position pool was made especially for him by family was still operating and together with caving as Assistant Guide at Hastings Caves, us- friend Olegas Truchanas, the well-known club members they rode the empty lime- ing the Hastings Cave Chalet as the family Lithuanian-born Tasmanian conservation- stone wagons into the old Blaneys Quarry residence. ist and nature photographer. Olegas subse- on the northern side of Marble Hill. He From boyhood, Andrew assisted his fa- quently taught Andrew to swim properly recollected overnighting with his father and ther, Roy, in maintaining a full meteorologi- and as Ros (Andrew’s wife) recalls, Andrew other cavers in a dilapidated paling board cal station reporting temperature, humidity, gained a reputation as a local swimming quarry workers’ hut beside the Blaneys rainfall and wind speeds at the caves. One champion, proudly boasting that he could Quarry limestone railway terminus.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 21 Andrew Skinner

At one stage Andrew was a member of meetings of the Tasmanian Caverneering club found Beginners Luck Cave (later re- four caving groups, joining the first, TCC Club. While at Parliament Street, there was named as Tiata Kominya), with its multiple (Tasmanian Caverneering Club) as a junior the one and only meeting of the Exit Cave entrances, wombat burrows, megafauna remember at age 13. Later, during his teenage Society attended by Roy Skinner, Jim Casey mains and evidence of Tasmanian Aborigi- years, he became a member of SCS (Southern and Michael Hodgman, mustering support nal occupation. Also that same year (1975), Caving Society), then at age 20 joined NC and finance for the development of Exit Andrew assisted his father and other local (Northern Caverneers) and from 1974 was Cave. cavers in organising the second Australian a member of the Launceston Speleo Club. Aside from caving, Andrew was a keen cave management conference in Hobart. IT UARY He remained a member of these groups till bushwalker and conservationist. He became According to Ros, when Andrew joined

B 1976 when he and wife Ros took up a post involved with the fight to save Lake Pedder Parks he had really only wanted one job, the on Maria Island. In the early 1970s, Andrew and took on the role of Secretary for the Lake Ranger on Maria Island, even though it en- O had an association with a fifth caving group, Pedder Action Committee. In late 1972, tailed less pay, isolation, sometimes danger- the Claremont Caving Club, based in the Andrew and Ros made a trip to Precipitous ous hair-raising boat rides, wild aeroplane northern suburbs of Hobart. Bluff as a reconnaissance for the 1973 expe- landings, a house full of wildlife to evict, Together with his father, about 1965-66, dition by members of the Southern Caving no power on occasions and monotonous Andrew assisted TCC cavers in planning the Society and others. Andrew joined the green paint on everything — inside and out. route and constructing the second major ac- United Tasmania Group — precursor to the Andrew’s devotion allowed him to make a cess track to Exit Cave. Lovingly referred to Greens — to try to make politicians aware significant contribution to the preservation as the “Brooker Highway” (then later “the flat of environmental issues. of Maria Island’s important cultural heritage track”), it ran some seven miles from the old He transferred to the Mt. Nelson campus in a meaningful and respectful way. Later, Catamaran Road along the D’Entrecasteaux of the Tasmanian College of Advanced Edu- on reflection, Andrew said that their years River Plains to Exit Cave. Andrew’s first trip cation in 1973, enrolling in the final year of spent on Maria Island were the happiest in to Exit Cave, on the southern side of Marble a landscape architecture diploma course. his life — fishing, magical walks and endless Hill, was at the age of 13, in 1966; the cave Inspired by his own exploration and other barbecues, plus a superb environment and was then only known up to the talus section, cavers’ adventures in Exit Cave, plus the work that gave great job satisfaction. generally referred as “The Rockfall”. international Churchill Fellowship studies Late in 1978, Andrew gained a promotion Andrew lived with his family at the of tourist cave developments undertaken by to Ranger-in-Charge at Hastings Caves. An- Chalet till 1968, until the larger dedicated his father, for his final year major project, drew arrived there around Christmas 1978 restaurant with improved facilities and Andrew formulated a plan to show how Exit with Ros, young Ailsa and their six month kitchen was built together with adjoining Cave could be developed as a major world old infant daughter, Annie. Newdegate Cave Cave Superintendent’s accommodation. At class tourist attraction. In that same year, had just been rewired so Andrew’s focus was age 15, Andrew established a small mu- Andrew conducted about 20 exploration initially on upgrading the thermal pool area. seum of cave-related exhibits in a corner trips into Exit Cave, producing an extremely In Newdegate Cave, Andrew re-positioned of the dining room; it lasted from 1968 to detailed survey from the cave entrance to most of the cave lights, especially those that 1970. His museum contained a mixture The Rockfall. were aiming towards peoples’ faces. One of of geological items including fossils, rock Despite being poor tertiary students his first major achievements in Newdegate samples, a few speleothems (but not many), with no car, Andrew was so passionate Cave was the final removal of the last lot old photographs, early newspaper cuttings about caving that when he and Rosalind of wooden bridges and stairs in the upper about Hastings, pieces of old caving equip- Bell married in 1973, he insisted that part regions of The Cathedral, including the Ca- ment, old cave lighting fixtures, a carbide- of their honeymoon was spent caving. After thedral Stage and the approach to Titanias fuelled acetylene coach lantern and other completing his tertiary education, Andrew Palace. items of interest borrowed from members moved to Launceston and worked in town As Ranger-in-Charge from 1978 to 1984, of the outlying Hastings, Lune River and planning. It was an exciting time in the State he fought, cajoled and even embarrassed Southport communities. There was also a of Tasmania. The National Parks and Wild- relevant ministers to get what was neces- small collection of philatelic items: postage life Service (NPWS) had been formed in sary for the Cave Reserve. A new water stamps that featured caves, cave tourism or 1971 and in 1974, Andrew gained a position supply, sewage system and amenities that karst features. as an investigations officer in the NPWS re- won awards were the result. He expanded The museum also included some cave sources section, where he worked with Greg the range of responsibilities for the Ranger- interpretation and historical information, Middleton and others. This put Andrew in-Charge to include surrounding reserves, some of which was used c. 1976 by Roy in a position to influence the creation or scrounging paint, materials and labour to and Andrew to produce a booklet: Hastings enlargement of parks and reserves. He was improve the Ida Bay Railway train depot, Caves State Reserve Tasmania — A Visitor’s justifiably proud that he was able to influ- using his own tractor to mark tracks out to Guide. ence extensions to the Southwest National the George III shipwreck monument and Andrew went to University of Tasmania Park, increase the area of Southport Lagoon the Southport Lagoon. in Hobart in 1971, where he was majoring in Conservation Area, enlarge the South Bruny As head ranger at Hastings, Andrew zoology, geology and geography. For those National Park to include Partridge Island also took it on his own initiative to alter next two years, he lived in Parliament Street and strongly supported the public submis- the existing interpretation given for cave (Sandy Bay) sharing a house with other sions to have the Ida Bay and Exit Cave State tours. He dismissed the former tradition of cavers including Kevin Kiernan. Andrew’s Reserves declared. cave fantasy with named cave formations as studies in geography were the inspiration In 1975, Andrew was instrumental in “garbage”, introducing more appropriate de- for Kevin to commence his own Uni studies setting up the Maydena Branch of TCC, scription of the speleothem features in terms and he still has Andrew’s First Year Geog- which included Max Jeffries, Laurie Moody, of their geomorphic origin. Cave guides raphy lecture notes! Known as “Parliament Phil Voss, John Parker, Ann and Steve An- were retrained, to ensure they delivered a House” their house hosted the monthly nan among others. The first trip of the new more appropriate cave science-related in-

Page 22 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Andrew Skinner terpretation, so the cave could be presented particularly the inorganic rubbish such as of the new Southport Community Manage- O as a natural scientific feature. On arrival at broken glass and discarded light globes. ment Centre, of which he spent several the entrance to Newdegate Cave, illustrated However, after spending funds to revamp years as chairperson. Andrew had ceased B descriptions of karst processes now greeted the cave lighting, NPWS was reluctant to active caving by 1990, and applied himself IT UARY patrons, together with a survey profile of the fund any restoration work. to working with the Dover Fire Brigade and cave they were visiting. An alternate walking Andrew later assisted Tony Culberg in then later running the more local Southport track to Newdegate Cave via Fossil Creek running school-based caving at Exit Cave, Volunteer Fire Brigade, as well as taking an Swallet and a suspension bridge over Hot in the Junee-Florentine and at Mole Creek. active interest in local politics. Springs Creek gave Tasmania its first karst Andrew made valuable contributions to Andrew was very humble and always felt interpretation walk. the first set of guidelines for school-based that he should do more. When in 2001, in In 1981-82, Roy Skinner commenced caving, being a member of the caving sub- the year of the volunteer, it was announced planning of a new access route to Exit Cave committee of the Education Department’s that he was the Huon Valley Council Citizen from the saddle between Marble Hill and Committee on Outdoor Educational Expe- of the year he was so shocked and honoured Lune Sugarloaf, behind Benders Quarry. riences (COOEE). that he was left speechless. Andrew had Together with Hobart-based cavers, Andrew After leaving his position at Hastings words for every occasion but at this time, assisted his father in the preparation and Caves, Andrew bought land in Southport he was quite without words. formation of this new more direct walking and later in 1986 at the Hastings Caves Road On a fine and sunny Saturday morning track to Exit Cave. site running a small farm where he, Ros and on 21 May 2011, the cortege into the Dover Formed as a level and contoured pathway the three children raised cattle, living in a Lawn Cemetery was made up of members across the surface karst at Ida Bay, it was house beside the old Hastings Mill bakery. of the local Dover and Southport Volunteer constructed with the aid of various local Andrew ran a rural contracting business, Fire Brigades. Kookaburras in nearby trees cavers (particularly SCS members) and doing all kinds of odd jobs in the district and cackled with perfect timing, as Ros cracked NPWS rangers. Subsequently known as the running their small farm in between. He is some jokes about Andrew while reading “Skinner Track” it is today the only regu- remembered for his role as caretaker at the the eulogy. As his coffin was lowered into larly used route for Exit Cave visitors. On former National Fitness Council Esperance a grave, brigade members held his Col- occasional weekends, in between rostered Camp at the mouth of the Esperance River lingwood Football Club flag above! Carn duties at Hastings Caves, Andrew assisted east of Strathblane. the Pies! his father running the Adventure Cave tours In his spare time Andrew spent three Andrew Skinner was held in high esteem in Exit Cave. years as a Volunteer Ambulance Officer. He within the Far South community. This was Andrew planned a restoration project in was treasurer for the local coast care group the largest gathering at a funeral I have ever Newdegate Cave to remove jettisoned waste, and was a driving force in the establishment seen in Dover. EXPED ITION Exit Cave survey project Exitravaganza 2012 survey camp — February 2012 Tony Veness STC embers of Southern Tasmanian Caverneers (STC) are Mcurrently systematically surveying Exit Cave at Ida Bay in Southern Tasmania. Past survey data and relocatable survey stations are used where possible. The project is in its third year and is supported by the Tasmanian Government through the land management authorities and by Tasmanian Landcare. STC was successful in a 2011 application for an ASF grant to support the project and monies allocated are going towards survey equipment, track marking consumables and costs associated with mounting a survey camp in February 2012. If you would like to participate in Exitravaganza 2012 by coming to tropical Tasmania for a week or more, please contact Tony or Geoff. As per the last survey camp run in 2011, we camp near a horizontal entrance to the Exit system for a week (about 90 minutes from vehicle access) and survey for six to ten hours per day. Under- ground-free rest days are used for sketching or surface exploration in the surrounding rainforest. No vertical cave experience required

though warm caving gear is recommended. Previous experience on d caving expeditions and / or cave surveying experience is advanta- ha r geous though not a necessity. Email now to register your interest

[email protected] or [email protected] r olan eber Exit Cave — the Grand Fissure

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 23 F Asf Awards 2011 A S Stan Flavel President, ASF

very two years ASF calls for nomi- the IUS Commission on Volcanospeleology, water through the cave, scrubbing mud off Enations for ASF Awards to recognise and co-organised the recent ASF-sponsored rocks, removing heavy, wet towels, cleaning significant contributions to speleology international seminar at Undarra. up gear and writing reports to park manag- in Australia. Nominations, which are not Still an active member and Librarian and ers. This alone took over 30 days of cleaning restricted to ASF members, are consid- Archivist of Southern Tasmania Caverneers work and another 60 days of coordination ered by an Awards Commission and an- with many publications to his credit as and organisation. David also initiated and nounced by the President at every Bienni- author or editor, Greg has visited, surveyed coordinated cleaning, track routing and al Conference. My thanks to the clubs and and documented lava caves in Samoa, Mau- rehabilitation in Tailender and Croesus individuals who compiled information in ritius, Iceland, Galapagos and elsewhere and Caves nominations, and my congratulations to currently has a special interest in expeditions As well as all this, David helped establish these recipients for many years of passion to the caves and karst of Madagascar. the Tasmanian Speleological Liaison Com- and dedication to speleology. mittee and has achieved an enviable reputa- Award of Distinction tion as a cave photographer. Edie Smith Award Established to recognise those who have For outstanding service and contributions to made an especially notable contribution to Joe Jennings Award of Australian speleology over a long period. speleology Distinction for Cave Science Greg Middleton David Wools-Cobb Jill Rowling Greg entered caving in the mid-1960s Award of Distinction for Cave and Karst Named in honour of Dr Joe Jennings, through the Rover Scouts with whom he Conservation — for outstanding leadership pioneering cave scientist and former ASF helped organise and install a gate on the in the conservation of caves and karst in President. Colong Caves in 1967, leading to a life-long northern Tasmania, particularly for leader- Jill became interested in caving after commitment to cave conservation. He be- ship and guidance of KarstCare. meeting her partner Mike Lake in 1988. came a member of the Colong Committee A caver and conservationist for 40 years, Many of the contributions for which we formed to fight plans to mine the area, and David has been the driving force behind awarded Mike the Edie Smith Award at Sale wrote several papers in Australia and UK on KarstCare since its formation by Northern in 2009 were done partly in tandem with the significance of the caves and karst there. Caverneers in 2000 as a community part- Jill, for example in making the Karst Index He founded and edited Australian Speleo nership. Database work in its current form. Abstracts for the years 1970 -1979 and has In this role he was the enthusiastic She is an electrical engineer (NSW Insti- been the chair of ASF’s Bibliography Com- coordinator, planner, fundraiser and com- tute of Technology, Sydney 1986) who has mission for over 40 years. He coordinates municator, conducting hours of debates designed many things including software, Australia’s part of the IUS Bibliographic about effective strategies, discussions with firmware and hardware for computers, program. sometimes resistant management, job safety modems, multiplexers, power supplies and Greg worked for NPWS in NSW for sev- analysis and monitoring, as well as the hard gaming machines. Becoming intrigued by eral years, then with the newly formed Tas- yakka of lugging equipment into caves and cave minerals since meeting Michael, she manian National Parks and Wildlife Service around the karst surface. decided to pursue a masters degree in sci- for 25 years, becoming its Deputy Director, Under his leadership KarstCare has ence in this field in 1999, graduating in 2005 and was instrumental in the establishment secured grant money for rehabilitation of at the University of Sydney. She contributed of reservations and the promotion of sound various cave reserves at Mole Creek, and many papers in Helictite and other journals, management practices over several karst spent many days removing rubbish from wrote contributions to the definitive book areas of Tasmania. In the early 1980s he Marakoopa, King Solomons, Gunns Plains, on the subject, Carol Hill’s Cave Minerals of organised cave exploration on the Franklin Harry Creek, Elderberry Hole and other the World, and is an authority in the field. and Lower Gordon Rivers to bolster the northern Tasmanian caves, and dealing with Jill was a Vice President of ASF in the anti-dam crusade. Later he was seconded sycamore at Wet Cave, ivy at Marakoopa 1990s, representing ASF for about 15 years to the government of Mauritius to plan and and erica at Mersey Hill. A major task of on the Bungonia Recreational Advisory organise a system of National Parks in that untiring effort has been the on-going main- Group since its inception, and was an active country including some containing lava tenance in cleaning, track marking and boot caver particularly at Jenolan and Wombeyan caves. From this he took a special interest wash stations in Kubla Khan Cave - hauling where she and Mike have several projects in volcanospeleology, became a member of gear up to the entrance and knap-sacks of under way including surveying and inter-

Page 24 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Asf Awards 2011 pretive walkways to the old marble quarry. since connected with the show cave system. He seized a rare opportunity in recognis- A S Current interests include karst and caves in In the 1980s Bruce was the driving ing the potential of Pungalina in the North- the central west of NSW. force behind the Jenolan Caves Protection ern Territory and in negotiating access for

Jill exemplifies the manner in which Group, a group which the Minister of the the four annual VSA expeditions resulting F recreational cavers without relevant spe- day famously described in Parliament as in documentation of many caves and of cialist qualifications can make a significant one that met in a telephone booth. Never- important bat populations. He is a major contribution to our knowledge of caves and theless, through targeted press releases and and innovative contributor to VSA training karst. This is the spirit in which Joe Jennings the occasional TV camera crew sniffing out programs, ensuring that the club continues worked with cavers and the spirit for which sewage in the Jenolan River, Bruce was in- to have enough active accredited leaders the Joe Jennings Award of Distinction was strumental in obtaining better management established. planning for Jenolan and other karst areas. Certificate of Merit In 1991 he went close to being elected to the For outstanding leadership and service to Award of Distinction NSW Upper House, obtaining 13% of the the Metropolitan Speleological Society and For committed service in many areas in the vote, and was later elected to Marrickville for achievement in cave photography leadership and management of Chillagoe Council as a Green. David Stuckey Caving Club Bruce’s main contributions have been David came to caving through Ventur- Alan Cummins through his professional expertise in book ers, joining MSS and promoting speleology Alan’s passion began at Easter 1964 at editing and production. He was Business through practical and sustained efforts in Chillagoe. He soon formed close contact Manager of Helictite for over 20 years, club activities, special projects and cave res- with the late Vince Kinnear who later produced all editions of Wee Jasper Caves, toration projects over a period of 33 years. became founding President of Chillagoe including the new 2010 one, has co-written He was President for a record 16 years and Caving Club, as a result of which they began or produced three books on Jenolan (no- a respected mentor to others. His particular exploration and thorough documentation tably the “blue book” on the Northern patch has been Jenolan, Abercrombie, Tu- of the caves that has continued for 47 years Limestone), and in the last few years one on glow, Wyanbene and Yarrangobilly. At Yar- with numerous high quality publications Wellington Caves, also producing five Oc- rangobilly he organised teams to work on and reports. casional Papers for Jenolan Caves Historical restoration of Jersey Cave, on repair and re- The value of a great leader to a club’s sur- and Preservation Society. alignment of lighting on South Glory Cave, vival and growth is linked with the leader’s and on de-wiring Harriewood and Castle commitment, involvement and ability to ob- Certificate of Merit Caves to help restore these caves to their tain strong support not only from members For significant contributions to the Victorian original condition. He has also achieved but from cave managers and other com- Speleological Association and Australian recognition in expeditions to France where munity leaders and enthusiasts. The club Speleological Federation Inc. he bottomed Gouffre Berger (-1122 m) on blossomed under his terms as President, Glenn Baddeley an expedition that included some of the providing the vision and long-term planning Glenn has been a highly efficient admin- original explorers of the cave such as Jean needed for the club to procure and develop istrator for both VSA and ASF, especially Cadoux. facilities such as its outstanding clubrooms through his considerable professional com- David has a special passion and skill at Chillagoe, to expand its interests to other puter knowledge. in photographic recording and written areas such as Undara, Mitchell-Palmer and He was President, Treasurer and Records documentation of caves and features. He elsewhere, to assist visiting scientists with Keeper of VSA and led exploration work has developed 2D and 3D-stereo imaging research interests in tropical caves and karst, in the new area of Drik Drik in western to represent caves to cavers and non-cavers to help organise two ASF Conferences in Victoria, he helped organise two ASF Con- alike in national and international bodies. north Queensland and to institute rigorous ferences in Victoria, and for Vulcon was training programs. the Treasurer and Editor of both the Pro- Certificate of Merit Alan has introduced many school, ceedings and Field Guide. As a Scout Team For lasting contributions to cave exploration, Australian Army, Boys Brigade, Cadet and Leader he developed close ties between VSA surveying and documentation in the Scripture Union young people to caving by and the Scout Caving Team to ensure caving Northern Territory involving them in club activities and prac- activities are safe and responsible. He has Bruce Swain tices, in the firm belief that this ensures a been Business Manager of Helictite for over A teacher, leader of outdoor bushwalks good safety record and better environmen- a decade, manages the Helictite web page and accomplished bushman, Bruce did a tal attitudes. and has been digitising earlier issues. huge amount of original exploration in remote areas of the Northern Territory, Award of Distinction Certificate of Merit keeping the light of organised speleology Bruce Welch For significant contributions to the Victorian alive there for over 20 years particularly in Bruce’s father Richard explored Mam- Speleological Association his role as NT State Coordinator & Records moth Cave at Jenolan some 70 years ago Paul Brooker Keeper for the Northern Territory Speleo- and this may have inspired Bruce’s passion Paul has been active in many capacities logical Society. for caves and for Jenolan in particular. His in the Victorian Speleological Association, Knowing of the historical problems of achievements in cave exploration, conser- including President and Treasurer, and in maintaining good records of speleology vation and publication are outstanding. Rimstone which owns and manages the in the Northern Territory, before leaving He helped found Peninsula Speleological caver-owned accommodation Homeleigh Katherine to live in New Zealand he or- Group in 1972 and led its first official trip, at Buchan, including dedicated refurbish- ganised arrangements for the NT records later joining Sydney University Speleologi- ments. He led major trips to Mt Owen area to be coordinated from north Queensland cal Society, of which he is an Honorary Life in NZ, including significant new deep caves until interest in an organised group in the Member. In 1975 he discovered Spider Cave, such as Viceroy Shaft. NT returns.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 25 Boulder Caves of Mt Nicholas UR V EY

A. Slee Forest Practices Authority

V E S P. McIntosh FPA G. Tempest CA Forestry Tasmania

Introduction The Mt Nicholas Range is an isolated dolerite ridgeline rising to 859 m sur- rounded by extensive slope deposits ly- ing between St Marys and Scamander in northeastern Tasmania. During coupe assessment and a mapping project two unusual caves within dolerite slope deposits were located and mapped. Small crevices or rock shelters occupying voids within extensive dolerite slope deposits are common landforms in Tasmania. However, apart from the extensive Lost World dolerite rock topple caves on Mt Wellington there are not many records of features that are of a scale comparable to mapped and documented limestone caves containing large chambers in complete darkness that are suitable habitats for cave fauna. The north-east of Tasmania is a barren landscape for karst with only two small limestone areas known to host caves, the longest of which is Rumpot located at Mt Elephant to the east of St Marys, which has a mapped passage length of 35 m; therefore the modest Hard Hat Cave (MN1) and the more impressive Rumble Cave (MN2) described below are regionally significant caves that are refuges for cave-adapted species, most notably Hickmania cave spiders.

Cave 1: Hard Hat Cave Hard Hat Cave was initially identified by Gareth Tempest, who reported it to the Forest Practices Authority. It is located within a large mass of boulders up to 10 m tall at the front of a dolerite talus ‘lobe’

o s h that may have been deposited during a low-angle landslide event. The cave lies at the lowest point of a 10 M c ineter t P m wide depression reminiscent of a sink- The entrance of Rumble Cave. Man (circled) for scale hole in karst areas.

Page 26 • Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 Boulder Caves of Mt Nicholas

The entrance to the cave is a low 4 m CA wide rift leading to a single sloping chamber 16 m long and 5 m wide. The end of the

cave has undergone significant mechanical V E S breakdown leading to stoping of the roof, increasing the roof height to approximately 2.8 m. The cave appears to have formed by the V EY UR mechanical fracturing of an adjacent boulder which has slipped down slope to form the cave roof. One species of cave spider and a small snail were identified within the cave.

Cave 2: Rumble Cave Rumble Cave (MN2) is located about 1 km away from MN1 and lies near the backwall of an extremely large rotational landslide of unknown but presumably Quaternary age. It is located within a large pile of rounded dolerite boulders that are indi- vidually up to 25 m wide. These appear to have moved rapidly down slope forming the large chambers and rifts that make up the cave complex. From the original discovery it was as- certained to be a significant find and the authors returned to survey the feature. The cave features a impressive 10 m deep rift running between several overhanging boulders into a central collapse zone sur- rounded by 10 m tall cliffs from which radiate large overhangs and cave passages extending into the dark zone. The most extensive passage is located at the back of the rift and features two large chambers totalling >35 m length with roof heights of up to 6 m. Towards the back of the two chambers the roofs of the chambers are decorated by small white coralloid speleothems and rudimentary flowstone; the presence of these presumably carbonate speleothems within dolerite caves is highly unusual and may relate to the chemical dissolution of feldspars within the dolerite by local seep- age along fractures and the precipitation of calcite on the cave roof. One of the other cave passages contains a roomy 10 m wide upper chamber hous- ing a population of cave spiders. In all the length of roofed passage in the complex probably exceeds 80 m with several unex- plored leads. There is also a further 30 m of partially roofed rift. Compared with many karst caves in Tasmania this cave is of modest scale; however, it is a fine example of a large boulder cave that has formed through mass movement processes and to date represents the most extensive known cave complex in

AD Rian s l ee northeastern Tasmania; therefore the site Coralloid speleothems in Rumble Cave is likely to be of conservation significance.

Caves Australia No. 186 • September 2011 • Page 27