Economic mineral collection

The state's Economic Rock and Mineral Collection (ERMC) contains about 24,000 specimens. It includes examples from almost every known mineral deposit in NSW and is a scientific resource for the study of the state's rocks, minerals and ores. Many of the specimens provide the sole evidence of the output and geological environment of mines which are now closed-down and rehabilitated and so have become part of our geoheritage. Significant areas which are represented include Broken Hill (part of the Hugh Dixon Bequest), Cobar and the New England district (Sachs molybdenite specimens). Gold samples dating from the rushes of the mid 1850s include the largest surviving Australian nugget of the 19th century - the Maitland Bar (or Jubilee) Nugget (10.7kg), found in 1887 near Mudgee. There are also interstate and international mineral specimens which provide a valuable comparative reference resource.

Access to the reference collections

Specimens from the Economic Rock and Mineral Collection are available for loan, at departmental discretion, to recognised educational institutions, public museums, industry associations and mining companies, for the purposes of research or display.

For further information contact the Collection Manager: (02) 4777 7800