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APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 1
No Stone Unturned
President Allan Rose
Secretary Jeanne Mora
Editor & Publisher:
Jeanne Mora
News and views of the
Cairns Mineral & Lapidary
Club Inc
Ph: 0450 185250
Email:
[email protected] Opening Times:
Monday: 7:00pm-9:30pm Wednes-
day: 8:30-4:00pm (7:00pm-9:30pm
tuition) Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm
Club Rooms:
Youth Centre Grounds,
129 Mulgrave Rd. Cairns,
PO Box 389,
Westcourt
Queensland 4870
Happy Easter to All
The Beauty
of Malachite
With its incomparable variegations
and patterns, large deposits of
malachite can be carved into such
objects as the commode (top),
bath tub (above), or a trinket box
(right)
The Tsars of Russia loved colourful minerals including malachite
which they used in huge amounts in palaces and cathedrals. St
Isaac's Cathedral alone incorporates 35,280 lbs of malachite. It was
carved into huge columns and massive urns. It was used on walls
and ceilings as decorative features. The Hermitage Museum in St
Petersburg features a magnificent malachite room (pictured above)
To really appreciate the splendour of the Russian malachite, you
need to view the many photos available on the web.
This malachite was mined in Siberia. Although
beautiful with its concentric rings of varying shades of
green, the mineral is fairly soft. It is soluble in
hydrochloric acid and is even susceptible to the slight
amount of impurities in tap water so should be cleaned
only with distilled water.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 2
CLUB PHONE NUMBER: 04 5018 5250
CLUB EMAIL [email protected]
CLUB PATRON HON. DESLEY BOYLE MP
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Allan Rose* President 40545850
Trevor Hannam* Vice President
Jeanne Mora* Secretary 40330028
Carolyn Whittaker* Treasurer
Tim Franklin
Vic Lahtinen
OTHER PERSONNEL
Assistant Secretary David Croft
Assistant Treasurer Jan Saal
Purchasers Bill Hall*, Betty Reece
Specimen Curator David Croft,
Cabochon Instructors Trevor Hannam
Silver Instructors Bill Hall, Sylvia Rose, Jan Saal, .
Faceting Advisor Jim Lidstone*, Joe Ferk,
Carving Advisors (position vacant)
Field Trip Officer (position vacant)
Machinery Curators David Croft, Jim Lidstone
Specimen Testers David Croft, Trevor Hannam
Gem Consultant & Tester Vic Lahtinen
QLACCA Delegate Bill Reece
Youth Centre Delegate Bill Reece
Librarians Betty Reece, Jean Morrow
Events Coordinators (position vacant)
Honorary Auditor Vic Cummings
* Club key holders
Please give these people all the help and support that you can!
MEMBERSHIP FEES (due January 1st)
Family: New $60:00 / year
Family: Renewal $40:00 / year
Adult Member: New $30:00 / year
Adult Member: Renewal $20:00 / year
Junior Member: New $ 20:00 / year
Junior Member Renewal $10:00 / year
(Members are those over 12 years of age. Children
under the age of 12 are welcome on field trips and in
the main Clubroom under their parents’ supervision.
(They must not enter the workrooms.)
CLUB HOURS
Monday Nights: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Wednesday; 8:30am to 4:00pm
Wednesday Night: 7:00pm to 9:30pm (Classes)
Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Club closed on long weekends and public holidays.
WORKROOM FEES
Monday Night: $4:00
Wednesday: $8:00 all day $4:00 morning only
Saturday: $6:00 all day $4:00 half day
NB:
• NON-FINANCIAL MEMBERS MAY NOT USE THE WORK
ROOMS.
• VISITORS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN WORK ROOMS UNLESS
THEY ARE BEING SHOWN AROUND THE CLUB BY A
MEMBER
• MEMBERS MUST ABIDE BY CLUB RULES AT ALL TIME
INSTRUCTION CLASS COSTS
Dates will be advertised on notice board..
Cabbing $30:00 (includes material)
Jewellery $100:00 (may change subject to
silver costs)
Faceting $72:00 (includes material)
Carving $8:00 (includes materials)
Casting $5:00 firing/flask (materials extra)
(Purchase of all materials for casting., can be made at the
front counter. Please see Bill Hall to order commercial
waxes, which take up to three weeks to arrive. We sell
carving wax, for those who’d like to make their own wax
mould.)
INSTRUCTION CLASSES ARE ADVERTISED ON THE SANDWICH
BOARD NEAR THE FRONT DOOR. MEMBERS SHOULD CHECK
DATES AND DETAILS AND SIGN UP AT THE FRONT COUNTER IF
INTERESTED.
Inquiries may also be made at the front counter
ROCK CUTTING FEES 30c / inch² (members)
50c / inch² (non-members)
MEETINGS
General Meetings are held at 1:00pm on the first Saturday of each month. (unless otherwise advised). We keep the meetings as short as practical.
Please come along and meet fellow club members and have your say on how your club should be run.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 3
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
HEAR HEAR
Have you ever had a look around the club and realized how many members have a hearing problem? I am includ-ing all those souls who would never admit to this condition publically.
The truth is that because of the advancing age of our membership most of us are affected..or inflicted or infect-ed as you would have it. Most of us were subjected to overt noise in times past when damage to our hearing was less considered. The ego finds it hard to admit that this most precious attribute (our hearing) is diminishing ineffectiveness. I am led to believe that this is a perfectly normal part of the process of ageing
Hearing aids are capable of helping us to overcome our feeble hearing but most people including myself find them uncomfortable and downright annoying. Personally speaking..I enjoy the peace and quiet afforded by my “disability”. I have become so used to the quietude that I jump when I do, on special occasions, wear the darn things. Somebody close to me would prefer that I wear them all the waking hours of the day and I will admit that this prejudice of mine toward the world of quiet causes friction.
I do wear aids during meetings. I have discovered some-thing new and exciting which I will be trying and if the experiment is successful I will subsequently write a piece about it.
Allan Rose
DATES TO REMEMBER
2 QLACCA Management Meeting,
Gunya Club Rooms.
22-24 Darling Downs Bottle & Collectables
Club, Rock Swap. Warwick Show Gnds
22-25 47TH GEMBOREE, NATIONAL GEM &
MINERAL SHOW. Bathurst Show
Grounds
25 Anzac Day
30 Redcliffe Gem & Mineral,Jewellery Craft
Show.
30 QLACCA General Meeting. TBA
1 Redcliffe Gem & Mineral,Jewellery Craft
Show.
3 Labour Day
8 Mother’s Day
TBA Lismore Gemfest,Lismore Showgrounds
21 Mt Gravatt Gem Show, Club Rooms
1873, Logan Road
28-29 Gunya Annual Display, Mt Cootha Botanical
Gardens, Auditorium
BIRTHDAYS
We send birthday greetings to all members born in
April 2011.
Bill Hall, Joe Ferk, Betty Reece, Bill Reece, Craig
Ford, Peter Perry, Jodie Sawyer, Chris Woolgar,
John Kilby, Pat Smith.
(If I have missed your name, please let me know so that I can send
you a birthday “hello”. Jeanne)
Those born in April have sapphire, diamond and rock
crystal as your birth stones.
Because of their colour, lustre, form and rarity, gem-
stones have always been regarded by humans as
special. They have always been surrounded by a touch
of mystery and many people believe they possess the
ability to protect the wearer against injury, to enhance
inner strength and to alleviate the symptoms of medical
conditions.
“The Crystal Bible” by Judy Hall has this to say about
the April birth stones, Sapphire, Diamond and Rock
Crystal.
“Sapphire is known as the wisdom stone, each colour
having its own particular wisdom. It focuses and calms
the mind and releases unwanted thoughts and metal
tension, bringing peace of mind and serenity.”
“Diamond is a symbol of purity. It’s pure white light can
help you to bring your life into a cohesive whole. It
bonds relationships, bringing love and clarity into a part-
nership.”
For those interested in the Zodiac:
Those born under the zodiac sign of Aries (21/3—20/4),
Red Jasper and Carnelian are your birth stones but the
following are said to be closely aligned to your sign:
Bloodstone, Chalcedony, Chrysoprase, Ruby and Silex.
(Silex is jasper which is yellow and either spotted or
striped with a brown-red colour).
Those born under the zodiac sign of Taurus (21/4 to
20/5), carnelian and rose quartz are your birth stones
but the following are said to be closely aligned to your
sign: golden topaz, coral, lapis lazuli, quartz sapphire,
sard and emerald
EASTER AND ANZAC DAY
The Easter weekend and Anzac Day holiday fall at
the same time this April (making a very long week-
end from Friday 22nd
and up till Tuesday 26th
). This
means the club will not be open on Saturday, 23rd.
Monday, 25th. Please mark these dates on your cal-
endar.
A
P
R
I
L
M
A
Y
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 4
Malachite
Mankind has always had a fascination with nature’s brightest coloured stones,
especially those soft enough to fashion into personal adornments, to decorate
utensils and buildings or to carve into figurines. In previous editions, turquoise and
jade were discussed, but this time our feature stone is usually dark green (often
almost black) and the massive form, when cut shows swirling concentric circles of
lighter and darker greens through it.
Malachite and its properties has been known to
humans for thousands of years, archaeologists hav-
ing unearthed evidence that crushed malachite was used as eye-shadow (quite possi-
bly because it is mildly antiseptic), as pigment for colouring pottery, glass and stones,
and of course as beads for jewellery. Somewhere in antiquity, man also discovered
that malachite, when heated to a high temperature, will produce copper, which in itself
was a very useful metal. This would have led to the search for other ores which would
produce metal when heated and could be alloyed to form metals strong enough for tools, weapons and armour, and
finally to the whole industry of metallurgy (involving prospecting, mining, refining and the creation of metal objects).
This industry still prospers today and underpins the economy of many countries.
Malachite belongs to the family of carbonates defined by Chris Pellet in “Rocks and Minerals” as compounds in
which one or more metallic elements combine with the (CO3)-2
carbonate radical. Malachite’s scientific name is
Hydrous copper carbonate shown as the chemical formula:- Cu 2(CO3)(OH)2 which indicates that the compound
contains copper (Cu), the carbonate radical -carbon combined with oxygen - (CO3) and hydrogen and oxygen (OH)2.
The name
“malachite”
comes from the Greek meaning mallow, a plant with leaves of the same colour. Malachite is not rare and is found in
many countries including Australia. It occurs naturally in several forms, rounded nodules, grape shapes, cone
shapes, stalactitic and (rarely) as encrusted slabs. Malachite is often found with azurite (which is also a copper com-
pound coloured a brilliant blue) and ingrown with turquoise and chrysocolla which is called Eliat stone. All are found
in or near copper deposits.
An interesting fact is that the old masters (painters) crushed both malachite and azurite to use as painting pigments.
Over time, azurite turns into malachite so now some old paintings now have pale green skies.
Because both malachite and azurite are copper compounds and share some properties, the following table on page
5 compares azurite and malachite.
Above: Malachite can occur in
massive deposits
Characteristic concentric circles
Left some of
the natural
formation of
deposits of
malachite
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 5
A great case of not letting the truth get in the way of a good story is
Malachite man. Briefly (as it’s a long and involved saga) the bones of
two males (coloured by malachite) were found near Big Indian Copper
mine near Moab near Utah. This area is also the location of numerous
dinosaur bones.
Almost immediately, a zealous reporter wrote an article which led to
the erroneous speculation that the bones were embedded in very hard
sandstone and had been unearthed with dinosaur bones ergo man
lived at the same time as dinosaurs. Many people “jumped on the
band-wagon” including creationists and the debate really began.
Finally, archaeologist John Marwitt, Field Director for the Utah
Statewide Archaeological Survey who had been called in within days
was able to clarify the facts of the find. The bones were modern and had been
interred in loose sandblow. This finally put the speculation to rest.
It was finally concluded that “ The Moab / Malachite Man bones represent the number of intrusive burials in the
Dakota sandstone, and are not integral parts of the host formation. The bones evidently represent intentional or acci-
dental entombments of native Americans in a mining environment. As reported by a number of conventional workers
and even some creationist authors, the bones are largely unfossilised and of essentially modern appearance , ex-
cept for the greenish stain. There is now foundation for the claims of a few creationists that the bones contradict
mainstream geology or support the dinosaur/human cohabitation. “ Man did not walk the earth with dinosaurs.
Properties Azurite Malachite
Colour Dark blue, azure blue Light to black-green, banded
Colour of streak Sky blue Light green
Moh’s Hardness 3.5 to 4 3.5 to 4
Density 3.7 to 3.9 3.25 to 4.10
Cleavage indistinct perfect
Fracture Conchoidal, uneven, brittle Splintery, scaly
Crystal System (monoclinic) short columnar, dense
aggregates
(monoclinic) small, long prismatic, usually
aggregates
Chemical Composition Cu2(CO3)2 (OH)2, basic copper carbonate Cu2(CO3)(OH)2, basic copper carbonate
Transparency Transparent to opaque translucent to opaque
Refractive Index 1.721 to 1.848 1.655 to 1.909
Double refraction + 0.108 to + 0.110 - 0.254
Dispersion none none
Pleochroism Definite, light blue dark blue absent
Absorption Spectrum 500 Not diagnostic
Fluorescence none none
Malachite Man is Unearthed
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 6
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s
about learning how to dance in the rain”
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS;
Allan, Brenda and Callum Gale, nardia Torrisi, Sara
Dibden, Sid Young, Caleb and Carina Puszkiewicz,
Rene Nath and Anthony Testa.
GET WELL SOON:
We wish a speedy recovery to Bill Reece, Val Evans,
Kay Gaad and to all other club members who are feeling
a bit ”under the weather”.
IMAGINATION:
Is it my imagination, or do we spend a large amount of
time on the vexing problems arising from people who
can’t or won’t follow the rules? I appreciate the Australian
attitude of larrikinism which assumes Aussies will always
try to get away with breaking any rules BUT is wastes so
much time and money cleaning up the resulting messes,
maybe we all should start abiding by all rules. I’ve taken
the liberty of printing off the Queensland Government
legislation, pertaining to fossicking for those of you going
bush this Easter. If we are to continue this delightful ac-
tivity of fossicking, we really need to take these rules
seriously or we’ll end up losing the very few fossicking
areas that now remain.
CAIRNS SHOW:
The show is held on July, 22nd, 23rd & 24th and Joe
Ferk (and anyone else who’s interested) will be manning
a site for the Club underneath the DeJarlais Pavilion. Joe
will be demonstrating faceting, handing out club
brochures and Gem Festival flyers to promote our Club.
Joe is asking club members to make (lockable) displays
for the occasion. Any such display will be returned to the
club rooms each night and so will be secure.
There are also 3 competition sections that members may
wish to enter.
A cabochon in a commercial setting.
A handmade silver article (no stone).
A gem-tree
Although you may not like competitions, this is a chance
for us to show the general public just what we lapidaries
are capable of. Ask for an entry form at the counter.
Please help out if you can (especially those of you who
will not be assisting at the Gem Festival).
Happenings from
around the Club
CALL FOR RAFFLE DONATIONS
Bill Reece who is now running all raffles has asked
members to donate articles for
Monthly Raffles (not too expensive)
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?
Where the raw materials the ladies use for their gem-
trees come from. Well the containers are from Kearly
Dent of “Cairns Floral Supplies” who gives a generous
20 0/0 discount to club members. Kerly can be found at
the corner of Scott and Aumuller Streets, Bungalow.
You can contact her by phone (07 40542858) or email:
[email protected]. Her website is www-
cairnsfloralsupplies.com.au
The DAS which forms the trunk and larger branches is
available at the Showgrounds Craft Shop, the gravel
and figurines are found at Crazy Clarks, while the Club
sells the gem chips that are the leaves.
MONSTER RAFFLE PRIZES
The raffle will be drawn during the gem festival and, as
usual there are several prizes, all of which are quite val-
uable. These will be listed in the next edition of “No
Stone Unturned” . The fabulous gem tree below
featuring peridot leaves is one of the prizes.
As the likelihood of our club receiving grants in the
future has diminished, the proceeds from this raffle will
be used to repair and upgrade our machines, so it’s very
important that we support it by buying and selling
tickets.
THANKS TO:
Ken Vaughan for the mats in the saw room and to Tim
Franklin for the halogen lamp for the gem testing area.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 7
Q. Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A. Your heart is only good for so many beats and that’s it! Don’t waste them on exercise. Everything will wear out eventually….speeding up the heart will not make you live longer; it’s like saying that you can extend the life of a car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take naps.
Q. Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A. No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is dis-tilled wine so that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more goodness way. Beer is made from healthy grain! Bottoms up.
Q. How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A. Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one etc.
Q. What are some advantages of participating in an exercise programme? A. Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain……..good.
Q. Doctor, aren’t fried foods bad for you? A. You aren’t listening! Food these days is fried in veg-etable oil. In fact, they’re permeated by it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?!!?
Q. Doctor, Will sit-ups help prevent me from becoming a little soft around the middle? A. Definitely not! When you exercise, muscles get bigger. Only do sit-ups if you want bigger stomach.
Q. Is chocolate bad for me? A. Are you crazy? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa beans! Another vegetable! It’s the best feel-good food around!
Q Is swimming good for the figure? A. if swimming is good for the figure,….explain the whale to me!
(Needless to say, this doctor is very popular and cannot accept any more patients! Sorry!)
(Finally some more from Allan)
We've all talked to this guy.. Mujibar was trying to get a job in India . The Personnel Manager said, 'Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except one. Unless you pass it, you cannot qualify for this job.' Mujibar said, 'I am ready.' The manager said, 'Make a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink, and Green .' Mujibar said, 'The telephone goes green, green, And I pink it up, and say, Yellow, this is Mujibar.' Mujibar now works at a call centre. No doubt you have spoken to him. I know I have.
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
BREAKING NEWS!
To save the economy, in April, 2011, the government will start deporting old people (instead of illegals) in order to lower Social Security and Medicare costs. I started crying when I thought of us.
RUN, RUN, RUN!
Thanks to Carolyn Whittaker for the following truths.
Q: Where can single men over the age of 60 find young-er women who are interested in them? A: Try a bookstore, under Fiction. Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the wrinkles? A: Take off your glasses. Q: Why should 60-plus year old people use val-et parking? A: Valets don't forget where they park your car. Q: Is it common for 60-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage? A: Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem. Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly? A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon. Q: Where should 50-plus year olds look for eye glasses? A: On their foreheads. Q: What is the most common remark made by 50-plus year olds when they enter antique stores? A: "Gosh, I remember these!"
I was walking home the other night when I spotted an old fellow crawling around under the street light. Thinking he was in some kind of trouble, I stopped to see want was wrong. He told me he was looking for his Rolex watch which had come off his wrist when he tripped. Well I thought I’d better give the old chap a hand with his search. As I bent down I noticed the unmistakable aroma of the amber fluid. He was obviously tiddley. After ten minutes of unsuccessful searching, I asked him exactly where he’d tripped to which he answered, “ Well it was about a block back up the street,” he responded. “Well then why are you searching here?” I asked. “Well” he replied, “ The light’s a lot better here!” (Thanks to Jean Morrow for the following lifestyle hints)
Q. Is getting in shape important for my life style? A. Hey! Round is a shape!
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 8
GOING FOSSICKING? WELL DO THE RIGHT THING! WE WANT TO BE WELCOMED BACK AGAIN!
Guide to Queensland fossicking legislation
The Fossicking Act 1994 clearly separates administration of fossicking ac-tivities from that for commercial mining. It removes the inconvenience for fossickers to apply for a prospecting permit under the Mineral Resources Act 1989. It also provides for specific designated fossicking lands and fos-sicking areas and for camping in some of these, which will assist access for tourists and regional tourist promotion.
• What is fossicking?
• What are fossicking materials?
• What are hand tools?
• What are the limits to digging?
• What are commercial purposes?
• Are any areas exempt?
• What is required to fossick?
• What does a fossickers licence entitle?
• Areas of general permission
• Designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas
• Who looks after designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas?
• Camping
• Camping controlled under the Fossicking Act
• Expected behaviour
• Controls What is fossicking? Fossicking is defined as the searching for and collection of fossicking materials from the surface or by digging with hand tools. This may only be for recreational, tourist or educational purposes. The use of materials collected under a Fossickers Licence for commercial purposes is prohibit-ed. The Act does not apply to collecting by or on behalf of recognised scientific institutions. What are fossicking materials? Fossicking materials are defined as gemstones, ornamental stones, mineral specimens, alluvial gold (including nuggets), some fossil specimens and any other material declared by Regulation. Meteorites and fossils of vertebrate animals are excluded. What are hand tools? Hand tools are defined as picks, shovels, hammers, sieves, shakers, electronic detectors and other like tools (as specified by Regulation). No machinery is permitted. What are the limits to digging? Fossickers are not permitted to dig below 2m of the natural ground surface of land, or below 0.5m in streams, or below any lesser depth given by Regulation for specific situations. Over-hangs or tunnels are not allowed. On road reserves, no digging is permitted but collection from existing exposures is allowed. In rare cases Regulations may stipulate the volume of material that can be removed from specific sites. What are commercial purposes? Selling of the occasional "lucky find" of a gemstone, or selling or interchanging material to hob-byists or through fairs and exhibitions is permitted. However, repeated removal for sale through shops or businesses, or as part of making a living, is considered commercial, and requires ten-ure under the Mineral Resources Act 1989. Discovery of a commercial mineral deposit by a fos-sicker does not give any prior rights to it under the Mineral Resources Act 1989.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 9
Are any areas exempt?
Fossicking is not permitted in national parks and conservation parks, nor is it permitted in High Preservation Areas and nominated waterways of wild river areas. In State forests and timber reserves, fossicking is also not permit-ted except where specifically agreed to in advance by the Department of Environment and Resource Management.
It is also not permitted on areas where there has been a determination that native title exists, unless there is an In-digenous Land Use Agreement for the land that permits fossicking.
Other areas may be declared to be exempt by Regulation from time to time (generally areas also exempt from com-mercial mining). Certain sites (such as fossil localities) may be proclaimed to be exempt to protect them.
What is required to fossick?
To fossick a person needs to be the holder of a current Fossickers Licence. An exception to this applies in cases where a fee is paid for entry onto a mining claim or mining lease, such as at tourist mines, or where other arrange-ments have been made with mining tenure holders. Licences are available for individuals, families, clubs, educational organisations, and commercial tour operators for terms varying from 1 month to 12 months. Fees vary accordingly. Licences are normally valid for the whole of the State, although in some cases they may be issued for local areas only. Licences are available from the district offices of Mines within Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation and local agents including local governments and businesses. What does a fossickers licence entitle? A fossickers licence entitles entry and fossicking on any non-exempt land throughout the state, with the written per-mission of any land owner or mining tenure holder. These may include lessees of State land, trustees of reserves and holders of mining leases, mining claims and any extraction permits under the Forestry Act 1959 or Water Act 2000. If more than one owner or holder is involved, all must give permission. Such permission must be endorsed on or attached to the licence. Permission may be conditional on any matter, in-cluding the payment of a fee, at the discretion of the land owner. Land owners may withdraw permission at any time provided adequate notice is given to remove equipment. No permission is required on unoccupied land provided that a determination that native title exists has not been made. On road reserves, no permission is required, but fossick-ers may only collect and not dig. Club, educational organisation, and commercial tour operator fossickers licences authorise fossicking for a maximum of 50 people at any one time and place. Commercial tour operators' fossickers licences do not authorise fossicking for fossil specimens. They also do not remove the need for any permits necessary under other legislation. Royalties are payable on fossicking materials which are the property of the Crown (minerals under the Mineral Re-sources Act 1989, quarry materials on State lands and streams under the Forestry Act 1959 and Water Act 2000), but threshold exemptions of $100 000 under the Minerals Resources Regulation 2003 mean that generally most fos-sickers are not liable. Areas of general permission Land owners (including the Department of Environment and Resource Management for State forests) may give to the district mining registrar general permission for fossicking and camping on specific areas of properties to avoid the need for each fossicker to contact them for individual permissions. These permissions may be given under condi-tions. Mining registrars should be consulted regarding the locations of such areas and requirements within them. Designated fossicking lands Designated fossicking lands are areas where the government has negotiated the land owners' permission in ad-vance, but where some commercial mining on mining claims and mining leases under the Mineral Resources Act 1989 may also still occur. The general right of access for fossicking without permission applies, except for any areas held under mining leases and mining claims, where access is allowed only with the permission of the mining lease or claim holder. Most designated fossicking lands are on the central Queensland gemfields where they were formerly declared as designated areas.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 10
Fossicking areas These are specific areas where the government has negotiated access for fossicking from the land owners in ad-vance, and no competition from commercial mining is allowed. Generally they are areas where the fossicking materi-als are at shallow depth and accessible by hand excavation. Who looks after designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas? Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation establishes these areas and signposts them. In some cases managers, such as local governments, may be appointed to assist in establishment, maintenance and monitoring of activities. Authorised officers may be appointed from the staff of these managers. Authorised officers may temporarily close parts of designated fossicking land or fossicking areas or prohibit fires within them for reasons of safety, hygiene, rehabilitation of sites or to avoid inconvenience to users. Signs will indi-cate this. Camping A fossickers licence does not entitle the holder to camp on any land. If this is required, independent arrangements generally have to be made with the land owner, and any other laws relating to camping (e.g. a local government local law) must be complied with. A land owner may give general permission for camping on parts of a property when a general permission for fossick-ing in that area is given to the mining registrar. On designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas, camping may still be controlled by the land owner. However, camping within them may also be:
• controlled under the Fossicking Act 1994 ("Regulated Camping Land"-see next section);
• Certain areas known as designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas have been estab-lished where the permission of land owners for fossicking has been obtained in advance by the government, and no further permission generally needs to be sought by the individual fossicker. No fee is pay
• prohibited in whole or in part ("Prohibited Camping Land") Advice as to arrangements in specific areas should be sought from the mining registrar. Camping controlled under the Fossicking Act For those designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas declared as regulated camping land (including any mining tenures within them), a fossickers camping permit is required. This may apply to all persons or to fossickers only, depending on the declaration for the area. Permits are available from the same sources as for fossickers licences. There is a small charge on a nightly basis, with discounts for more than six days. The maximum stay at any one area is three months. Expected behaviour The Fossicking Act 1994 and Fossicking Regulation 2009 contain requirements for fossickers to maintain safety, hygiene and a high standard of behaviour during their visits so that land owners do not become disillusioned and prohibit such activities to the future detriment of the hobby. If permission to fossick or camp is given on conditions, such conditions must be complied with. Land owners are able to call upon the assistance of a mining registrar if unacceptable activities occur. Generally fossickers must not:
• destroy or injure any trees
• clear any vegetation except above an actual excavation
• pollute any watercourse, dam or the like
• create areas likely to erode
• interfere with any domestic stock or wildlife
• interfere with improvements of land owners (gates to be left as found)
• interfere with any heritage or cultural site
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 11
• undermine any banks or dig pits to create any tunnels or overhanging sections. On leaving a site, fossickers must:
• refill all excavations (except within designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas)
• remove all camping structures
• bury human waste at least 20cm deep and 20m away from the high bank of any water-course
• remove all rubbish, unless established bins or pits are in the vicinity
• do all other things to ensure the site is in a safe, tidy, and sanitary condition. Within watercourses, fossickers must not:
• excavate within 40m of any bridge, weir or other structure, unless signs indicate otherwise
• excavate on the slopes of banks, or within 3m of the top or toe of banks, where such activi-ties may cause the collapse of such banks
• significantly interrupt or divert the flow of the stream
• cause any significant turbidity more than 300m downstream
• interfere within any trees or shrubs in the watercourse;
• erect any structures in the watercourse. On leaving, excavations must be refilled and excess material placed so as to minimise disturb-ance to the channel and significant stream flows. Within designated fossicking lands and fossicking areas fossickers must not:
• erect any permanent or semi-permanent structures
• make any new tracks or roads without approval
• drive on any fossicking land; in an unregistered vehicle or without a licence; at more than 50kph; or off a made track or road ; in a hazardous or noisy manner ;in a way that would harm the road surface
• use a weapon, trap or explosive
• operate any generator, radio, or other electrical appliance with excessive noise that may annoy other fossickers
• damage any sign or other structure
• light any fire except within a fireplace or a cleared space with a radius of at least 2m
• light a fire if a notice indicates that this is prohibited
• bring any dogs or cats if a notice indicates that this is prohibited
• allow any water supply to run to waste
• fossick, camp, or light a fire when instructed not to do so temporarily by a signboard or au-thorised officers.
On leaving a site, besides burying human waste, dismantling camping structures and removing rubbish etc as above, all excavations must be made safe for future fossickers, stock and land owners, if necessary as instructed by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation staff or authorised officers. Controls Infringement Notices (on-the-spot fines) and prosecutions may be used to enforce the provisions of the legislation. Breaches may also result in cancellation of licences.
Last Updated 22 June 2010 KEEP THIS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR WILL DETERMINE IF LAND OWNERS WILL ALLOW US
FUTURE ACCESS. MESS UP AND OUR FOSSICKING AREAS WILL BE CLOSED TO ALL.
APRIL 2011 ISSUE This Year, Our Club is Celebrating 50 Years of Lapidary 12
CAIRNS MINERAL and LAPIDARY CLUB INC.
129 Mulgrave Road, CAIRNS (Youth Centre Grounds)
DEALERS
MORNING &
AFTERNOON TEAS
DEMONSTRATIONS
* Cabochon polishing
* Faceting
* Silver-smithing
* Gold Panning
* Metal Detecting
DISPLAYS
* Club Members’ Work
* Polished Agates
* Mineral Specimens
WHY NOT VISIT THE NORTH’S GEMFIELDS WHILE YOU’RE UP HERE?
CHILDREN
FOSSICK FOR
YOUR OWN
GEM-STONE
EXPERIENCE OUR GOOD OLD-FASHIONED NORTHERN HOSPITALITY
NEED MORE INFORMATION? Club Phone: 04 5018 5250
Email: [email protected]
WIN GREAT
RAFFLE PRIZES
MICRO-SPECIMENS
See magnified micro-specimens.
Amazing detail on a large
screen.
Bargains at a variety
of STALLS
THIS YEAR OUR CLUB IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF LAPIDARY
SAUSAGE SIZZLE & COLD DRINKS
AVAILABLE ALL DAY
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JOIN US IN CELEBRATING OUR CLUB’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
