©2007 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

Economic Geology, v. 102, pp. 1541–1563

The Nature and Origin of Gold Deposits of the Tarcoola Goldfield and
Implications for the Central Gawler Gold Province, South Australia
ANTHONY R. BUDD† AND ROGER G. SKIRROW
Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia

Abstract
The Tarcoola goldfield in central South Australia is hosted by the Paleoproterozoic Paxton Granite and Tar-
coola Formation metasedimentary rocks. Both of these units are intruded by narrow dikes of the Lady Jane
Diorite, which is considered to be part of the Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event. Crosscutting re-
lationships and 40Ar/39Ar dating of alteration sericite and primary hornblende have demonstrated that veining,
alteration, and mineralization occurred synchronously with intrusion of the diorite dikes at ~1580 Ma. Miner-
alization at the Perseverance deposit in the Tarcoola goldfield is hosted by quartz veins in both granite and the
lower parts of the Tarcoola Formation. Alteration intensity and mineralization are related to fracture density.
Very high gold grades (up to 270 ppm) are recorded in carbonaceous siltstones of the Tarcoola Formation.
Primary fluid inclusions from mineralized quartz veins at Perseverance are dominated by two-phase aque-
ous inclusions and three-phase H2O-CO2(l)-CO2(v) ± CH4 inclusions. Both inclusion types have salinities of <10
wt percent NaCl equiv, with evidence of other salts being present. Both types homogenize between 150° and
~340°C. They occur together in single quartz grains, which suggests the coexistence of aqueous and carbonic
fluids. At the Perseverance deposit the maximum depth of fluid inclusion formation is estimated as 10 km.
Processes resulting from pressure fluctuations during brittle fracturing causing phase separation are suggested
to be the dominant gold precipitation mechanism, although definitive fluid inclusion evidence for either phase
separation or fluid mixing is lacking. Wall-rock sulfidation may have also contributed to gold deposition.
Pb isotope compositions of galena from gold-bearing mineralized veins at Perseverance are similar to K-
feldspar and whole-rock samples of the Paxton Granite. This is consistent with a common source of Pb and pos-
sibly other ore components for both the granite and galena, but not all potential reservoirs were tested. Vari-
ably altered and gold mineralized samples that had Paxton Granite precursors show a loss of Nd and a trend
from εNd(1580Ma) values of about –6.2 in slightly altered samples toward more positive εNd values of about –3.3 in
high-grade gold samples. Of the local lithologic units, the Lady Jane Diorite has εNd(1580Ma) values of about +0.1
and is the most probable source of the more primitive Nd isotope components in mineralized samples.
Mineralization in the Tarcoola goldfield has similarities to both orogenic and intrusion-related gold styles.
The demonstrated coeval timing of diorite dikes and mineralization at Tarcoola, together with the Nd isotope
constraints on metal sources, and the presence of similar mafic dikes in several other known gold prospects in
the central Gawler gold province, suggests that the diorite was an essential part of the gold mineralization event
throughout this province.

Introduction (Budd and Fraser, 2004). Dating by the 40Ar/39Ar method by

GRANITES AND volcanics of the Gawler Range-Hiltaba vol-
cano-plutonic event were emplaced between 1595 and 1575
Ma and have been spatially and temporally linked to mineral-
ization at the giant Olympic Dam iron oxide-copper-gold
(IOCG) deposit (Johnson and Cross, 1995; Johnson and Mc-
Culloch, 1995) and the Menninnee Dam Pb-Zn-Ag prospect
(Roache and Fanning, 1994). It has only been relatively re-
cently that the central Gawler gold province (Budd, 2002;
Drown, 2002; Ferris and Schwarz, 2003) has been recognized
as a mineral province distinct from the the eastern Gawler
craton Olympic Cu-Au province (Skirrow et al., 2002). A
study of the Tarcoola goldfield has been conducted to inves-
tigate possible relationships between the Gawler Range-
Hiltaba volcano-plutonic– and gold-dominated mineraliza-
tion in the central Gawler gold province. Dating of
hydrothermal sericite and igneous hornblende by the
40Ar/39Ar method shows that alteration, mineralization and in-
trusion of intermediate dikes occurred contemporaneously in
the Tarcoola goldfield and are within the age range of the
Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event at ~1580 Ma
† Corresponding author: e-mail, Anthony.Budd@ga.gov.au
Fraser et al. (2007) suggests that alteration associated with
mineralization at the Barns, Tunkillia, and Nuckulla Hill Au
prospects (Fig. 1) is also of this age. The central Gawler gold
province gold deposits differ from IOCG deposits of the
Olympic Cu-Au province in their lack of significant iron
oxide, Cu, and U enrichments (Skirrow et al., 2002).
This study aimed to test the relationship between intrusive
rocks, including the Hiltaba Association Granites, and gold
mineralization. Despite the small production and reserve es-
timates for the Tarcoola goldfield (see below), it is thought to
be part of an emerging gold province and its potential is un-
known. The Tarcoola goldfield was selected for study as a type
example of Au-dominated mineralization of the central
Gawler gold province because it was the best known deposit
and, at the time the study, was the only deposit with diamond
drill core available. It is similar to most of the other deposits
known in the central Gawler gold province (Budd, 2002;
Drown, 2003; Ferris and Schwarz, 2003; Fraser et al., 2007),
so the results of this study provide a basis for understanding
the other deposits. New data presented here include whole-
rock geochemistry, Nd and Pb isotope data, and fluid inclu-
sion data.

0361-0128/07/3714/1541-23 1541
1542 BUDD AND SKIRROW

Pegler
Christie

Subsurface
extent of the
Gawler Craton

Map area

Tarcoola
Kychering
Wilgena Earea Dam Harris Greenstone
31°S South Lake
ris
Glenloth ar
eH k
La

Tunkillia

Island

rd
ra
Lagoon

ve
Lake Gairdner

E
ke
La
Nuckulla
Hill

32°S Lake
Acraman

Ceduna Gawler
Range
Streaky
Bay Volcanics
Menninnie Dam Telephone
Dam
Nuyts

Spenc
Australian Wilcherry Hill
Bight Barns

er
33°S
Clev

N
e

0 100 km
135°E Coulta 136.5°E

Ungrouped Paleoproterozoic Middle Camp Granite Domain boundaries

Ungrouped low-mag
features St Peters Suite Railway
Hutchison Group
Tarcoola/Labyrinth
Neoproterozoic Formations Donington Suite Approximate boundary
Stuart Shelf cover Tunkillia Suite of the central Gawler
Moody Suite gold province
Mesoproterozoic Archean
Hiltaba Association Paxton Suite Glenloth Granite Water
Gawler Range Muckanippie Mafic Mulgathing & Sleaford
Volcanics Intrusions Complexes Ì Deposit / prospect

FIG. 1. Summary geology and interpreted tectonostratigraphic domain boundaries of the central Gawler craton, showing
locations of gold deposits and the extent of the central Gawler gold province. Note that the polygons represent dominant
lithologic packages; other units may be present. The Paxton Suite is of very limited areal extent and restricted to the Tarcoola
goldfield area, hence does not show on this scale. The extent of the Tunkillia and St Peter’s Suites is as interpreted by Fer-
ris and Schwarz (2003). The domain boundaries are modified from Daly et al. (1998) and Ferris and Schwarz (2003). Men-
ninnie and Telephone Dams are base metal prospects dated at ~1580 Ma (Roache and Fanning, 1994).

Regional Geologic Setting Budd et al., 1998), and the presence of Hiltaba Association
The spatial association between granites of the Gawler Granites have been used to define the extent of the central
Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic and gold-dominant mineral- Gawler gold province (e.g., Ferris and Schwarz, 2003). Units
ization has been recognized for some time (Daly, 1993a; of the Hiltaba Association Granites occur within 10 km of

0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00 1542

 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA 1543

each of the central Gawler gold province deposits. The central
Gawler gold province occurs in that part of the Gawler craton
subdivided into the Wilgena, Harris Greenstone, Nuyts,
Gawler Range Volcanics, Coulta, and Cleve tectonostrati-
graphic domains (Ferris et al., 2002; Fig. 1). Each of these do-
mains contains distinct lithologic and structural associations,
so that individual gold deposits of the central Gawler gold
province have a somewhat different host geology. The Earea
Dam and South Lake occurrences (Daly, 1993a) in the Harris
Greenstone domain are hosted by Archean Kenella Gneiss of
the Mulgathing Complex. The nearby Glenloth goldfield
(Daly, 1993a) is hosted by the Glenloth Granite, also of the
Mulgathing Complex. The Wilcherry Hill prospects occur in
the Cleve domain and are hosted within granite of unknown
age and Paleoproterozoic Hutchison Group metasedimentary
rocks (Ferris and Schwarz, 2003). The Tarcoola goldfield oc-
curs in the Wilgena domain and is hosted by the Paleopro-
terozoic Paxton Granite and Tarcoola Formation metasedi-
mentary rocks. The dominant host at Tunkillia (Nuyts domain)
is foliated granite of the Tunkillia Suite, with a U-Pb zircon age
of ~1680 Ma (Ferris, 2001). Variably foliated Tunkillia Suite
granites are also thought to host mineralization at Nuckulla
Hill (Ferris and Schwarz, 2003) and Barns (Drown, 2003), both
also in the Nuyts domain. The deposits and prospects exhibit
a similarity in mineralization style (dominantly gold in sul-
fide-poor structurally controlled quartz veins) and alteration
mineralogy (sericite-pyrite ± chlorite dominated; Fraser et
al., 2007). Most deposits are intruded by narrow dikes of
mafic to intermediate composition. Recent estimates at
Tunkillia indicate a resource of 730,000 oz Au (Helix Re-
sources, April 2006 Quarterly Report to the Australian Stock
Exchange), with remaining untested potential in the district.
The Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic association is
made up of the Hiltaba Association Granites and comagmatic
Gawler Range Volcanics, and occurs throughout the central
Gawler gold province. This is a large continental magmatic
event with a volume of at least 25,000 km3 of bimodal, domi-
nantly felsic and lesser mafic volcanics (Allen et al., 2003). No
estimate has been made of the volume of the Hiltaba Associ-
ation Granites. The preservation of undeformed and flat-lying
Gawler Range Volcanics over several thousand square kilo-
meters is indicative of the relative tectonic stability of this re-
gion since ~1575 Ma.
Geology of the Tarcoola Goldfield
Alluvial gold was found at Brown Hill and at the east end of
Tarcoola Hill in 1893, and the rich Fabian reef was found in
the Tarcoola Blocks mine area in 1900 (Fig. 2: Daly et al.,
1990). Gold production began from the Tarcoola goldfield in
1901. Other workings in the Tarcoola goldfield to about 1920
included the Curdnatta mine, which was the largest producer
of gold from within granite, the White Hope mine, 700 m

454000mE 455000mE 456000mE 457000mE 458000mE 459000mE

Alice Springs

6605000mN

Brown Hill
Mine
s t 1 Excelsior
Thru
Basal 1 2 Curdnatta
fault

3 Government
2 Mine
nt

6604000mN
eme

3
Ba s

Fig. 4 ge
Last Resource la Rid
coo
Fault - undifferentiated

Ta r
Normal fault
Perseverance Thrust
Synform
6603000mN Antiform
Mines, deposits, workings
Main deposits are named
Roads (unsealed)
Tracks
Tarcoola Railway
township
sta
Port Augu
Tarcoola
Blocks
Formation

6603000mN Mine Sullivan Shale Member

Tarcoola

Fabian Quartzite Member

lie Peela Conglomerate Member
o or
lg Paxton Granite Suite
Ka 0 Meters 500

FIG. 2. Interpreted local geology of the Tarcoola goldfield, based on mapping by AngloGold geologists. The Perseverance
and Last Resource deposits (combined resource ~2,270 kg Au) occur on a northeast-trending structure and are located <1
km to the northwest of the Tarcoola Blocks historical mining area.

0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00 1543

1544 BUDD AND SKIRROW
northwest of the Tarcoola Blocks mine, and the Government
mine (Fig. 2). Each of these mines individually produced <55
kg of gold, but at grades of 29.5 g/t Au or higher (Daly et al.,
1990). Production from the Tarcoola goldfield since has been
sporadic and mostly small scale, with the last production
being in the late 1990s. Total production from the goldfield
has been about 2,387 kg at an average grade of 37.5 g/t Au, in-
cluding about 1,779 kg at an average grade of 42.8 g/t Au from
the Tarcoola Blocks mine (Daly et al., 1990). In addition to
the gold already recovered, a total (measured, indicated, and
inferred) resource of 1.545 million metric tons (Mt) at 1.8 g/t
Au for a total of 2,781 kg Au has been outlined at the Perse-
verance, Last Resource, and Wondergraph deposits (Hughes,
1998).
Lithologic units
The geology of the Tarcoola goldfield comprises the basal
Paxton Granite, which is directly overlain by the fluviatile and
marine Tarcoola Formation. These units were then intruded
by dikes of the Lady Jane Diorite.
The Paxton Granite comprises a homogeneous coarse-
grained monzogranite main phase, with lesser finer grained
syenogranite and very minor quartz monzonite. The main
phase is a hornblende-biotite-titanite monzogranite, with
subequal amounts of quartz and orthoclase and lesser oligo-
clase. It has a coarse-grained subhedral granular texture with
slightly porphyritic K-feldspar. It is intruded by a more felsic,
fractionated series of mostly finer grained biotite-bearing
syenogranite, the least felsic parts of which are strongly seri-
ate with equant K-feldspar phenocrysts, and the more felsic
parts are more equigranular and less biotite rich. Very minor
medium-grained hornblende-titanite-biotite quartz mon-
zonite, which may be a cumulate phase, occurs as dikes or en-
claves. Dating by the SHRIMP U-Pb zircon method gives the
following ages of intrusion: 1722.3 ± 3.9 Ma for the monzo-
granite, 1715.1 ± 3.2 Ma for the syenogranite, and 1718.6 ±
2.9 Ma for the quartz monzonite (Budd, 2006). The Paxton
Granite is younger than the Middle Camp Granite (~1730
Ma) and older than the Moody Suite (~1700 Ma), both in the
Cleve domain (Ferris et al., 2002; Fig. 1).
The Tarcoola Formation has been divided into three mem-
bers (Daly et al., 1990). The basal Peela Conglomerate Mem-
ber is a pink arkosic fluvial grit, with locally abundant banded
iron formation fragments. The Fabian Quartzite Member
contains thin, laminated carbonates (stromatolites), overlain
by thin to thick bedded (<2 m), well-sorted quartzite and car-
bonaceous, pyritic, micaceous quartzite. Interlayered with
the Fabian Quartzite Member are carbonaceous, pyritic, mi-
caceous, thin-bedded quartzites and siltstones referred to his-
torically as “slates,” and now assigned to the Sullivan Shale
Member (Daly et al., 1990). These metasedimentary rocks
and the overlying thick sequence of thin-bedded, carbona-
ceous, pyritic siltstones were probably deposited in a deepen-
ing marine environment (Daly et al., 1990).
The age relationship between the Paxton Granite and the
Tarcoola Formation has been the subject of debate. Daly et
al. (1990) regarded the contact as intrusive, whereas Hein et
al. (1994) interpreted the Tarcoola Formation to lie noncon-
formably on the Paxton Granite. Three geologic observa-
tions support the interpretation of Hein et al. (1994). First,
0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00 1544
an erosional surface of the granite with overlying conglom-
erate containing locally derived granitic clasts is preserved
in places in drill core. Second, there is no evidence for meta-
somatism or contact metamorphism of the Tarcoola Forma-
tion in contact with the Paxton Granite. Third, felsic dikes
or sills of the Paxton Granite are not seen crosscutting the
Tarcoola Formation. Zircon U-Pb geochronology is consis-
tent with the geologic observations. A U-Pb zircon age of
1657 ± 7 Ma from tuffaceous units in the Sullivan Shale
Member is interpreted as the depositional age for this part
of the Tarcoola Formation (Daly, 1993b). The Tarcoola For-
mation is the same age as the mineralized McNamara and
Mount Isa Groups in the McArthur River and Mount Isa in-
liers, respectively, and the Bijerkerno metasediments in the
Broken Hill domain (Page et al., 2005). Uplift and erosion of
the Paxton Granite and development of the Tarcoola For-
mation basin occurred during the Kararan orogeny (Ferris
et al., 2002).
Both the Paxton Granite and Tarcoola Formation are in-
truded by intermediate dikes of the Lady Jane Diorite (Budd
and Fraser, 2004). These dikes are narrow, with intersection
widths in drill core of generally less than 2 m, and rarely up
to, 5 m. They have not been observed in outcrop. The dikes
range in grain size from aphanitic at contacts with country
rock to fine grained in the center of wider dikes and have a
high K diorite composition, hence are termed microdiorites.
In places they are hornblende- or pyroxene-phyric. All sam-
ples have a variably chloritized groundmass interpreted to be
devitrified and altered glass, indicating rapid cooling upon
emplacement.
In places the dikes contain amygdales up to 1 cm in diam-
eter, commonly rimmed by granophyric intergrowths of
feldspar and quartz, interpreted to represent late-stage inter-
stitial melt. Most of these amygdales are now filled by car-
bonate and are dusted by hematite. In places the dikes are
brecciated, with fragments set within a finer grained phase of
the intermediate magma. Locally, the dikes crosscut altered
zones of granite, and here they are themselves variably al-
tered. Elsewhere the dikes are cut by sulfide-gold mineral-
ized quartz veins (Fig. 3). These relationships indicate that
dike intrusion occurred essentially coevally with alteration
and gold mineralization.
Structure
Three deformation events are recognized at Tarcoola, with
gold mineralization interpreted to have formed during the
second deformation. The first deformation (D1) occurred
after deposition of the Tarcoola Formation but prior to the in-
trusion of the Lady Jane Diorite. North-northwest-south-
southeast–directed shortening produced open folds and
north-northwest–directed thrusting (Hughes, 1998; Knee-
shaw, 2003, unpub. report). This produced the anticline
which forms the Tarcoola Ridge and the basal thrust that sep-
arates the Paxton Granite from the Tarcoola Formation be-
tween the Tarcoola Ridge and Browns Hill (Fig. 2). The Tar-
coola Ridge parallels the strike of the Tarcoola Formation and
is formed by parts of the resistant Fabian Quartzite Member.
Mineralization throughout the Tarcoola goldfield is mostly
localized in north-east– and north-west–trending conjugate
fault sets (Figs. 2, 4) and east-west–trending reverse faults
 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA 1545

Diorite Qtz-Py
dyke vein

2 cm
Granite
FIG. 3. Mineralized quartz-pyrite vein crosscutting granite and diorite, demonstrating that alteration and mineralization
postdate diorite intrusion in at least some places and make it unlikely that the ca. 1580 Ma ages recorded by sericite associ-
ated with mineralization are the result of overprinting by intrusion of the diorite. Hole GP033RD, ~218-m depth, Stellar Re-
sources drilling at Perseverance.

parallel to the strike of the metasedimentary units (Daly et al., fractured and filled by galena, showing that deformation
1990; Isles et al., 1996; Hughes, 1998; Kneeshaw, 2003, continued during mineralization. Some samples show up to
unpub. report). Daly et al. (1990) and Hughes (1998) invoke three mineralized quartz vein types.
movement along a large northeast-trending basement fault Daly et al. (1990) reported that mafic dikes intruded the
west of Perseverance (Fig. 2) to form open spaces into which fault fissures in the Tarcoola Blocks area. These faults contain
auriferous quartz reefs were emplaced. Kneeshaw (2003, gold-bearing quartz veins and are also displaced by strike-slip
unpub. report) suggested that the shortening direction for faulting. This shows that faulting continued after emplace-
D2 is similar to that for D1 (north-northwest–south-south- ment of mafic dikes in this area. At Perseverance, mineralized
east), but that the two events are distinct, with D1 being rel- quartz veins cut dikes assigned to the Lady Jane Diorite suite.
atively ductile and D2 being brittle. Early-formed pyrite was Therefore, barring the possibility of multiple mafic and/or
6603500mN

Grid GDA94 38
After Anglogold;
Kneeshaw 2003

Last Resource
TD004 48
6603000mN

55
TD005
45
38 43
g e
la Rid 48 50

GP030RD
c oo
Tar
GP034RD
50
Perseverance GP078D
GP029RD 36
GP033RD TCRC034D
GP00

TD001 37 42
GP032RD 41
4D

GP100RD
Fab
6602500mN

GP005D
GP031RD
ian

GP098RD Fault
Slide
Re

48 Main
02D
ef

GP0 52
44
28RD GP003D 45
GP0 44 TCD005
59 Pug Seam Fault

48
50 Tarcoola Blocks
47 TCD013 mining area
TCD014
54 TCD009
6602000mN

454000mE 454500mE 455000mE 455500mE 456000mE 456500mE 457000mE

Tarcoola Formation
Sullivan Shale Member Paxton Granite 45 Dip, dip direction Vertical open cut Undifferentiated fault
Fabian Quartzite Member Road, track Facing direction Shaft Thrust fault
TD005
Peela Conglomerate Railway Drill trace & number Normal fault

FIG. 4. The Perseverance, Last Resource, and Tarcoola Blocks areas, showing diamond drill holes studied.

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1546 BUDD AND SKIRROW

intermediate dike suites, mineralization, faulting, and dike in-
trusion can be considered to be broadly coeval.
A third deformation event (D3) is evidenced by late, barren
quartz veins that form prominent outcrops near the old Gov-
ernment Battery and to the northeast of the Government line
of workings (Fig. 2; Kneeshaw, 2003, unpub. report).
Veining
Four episodes of veining are identified (Fig. 5). The earli-
est is the magnetite-chlorite-quartz veining which is only seen
in the main phase of the Paxton monzogranite. This veining
may be related to deuteric cooling of the granite, as fluid in-
clusions in quartz within a sample of magnetite-chlorite-
quartz vein are different from those related to sericite-quartz-
pyrite alteration and gold mineralization, having solid salt at
room temperature, and many decrepitated at temperatures
>300°C. This evidence is interpreted to imply that the
hematite-magnetite alteration (see below) is related to the
emplacement of the Paxton Granite and predates the deposi-
tion of the Tarcoola Formation and also D1. The second vein-
ing event is the quartz + sulfide veining of the main gold min-
eralizing event. This brittle veining is associated with
sericite-dominated alteration of wall rock and is probably
controlled by the northeast-northwest conjugate fracture set.
The third veining event is comprised of thin carbonate-fluo-
rite veins which lack gold. The second and third veining
events occurred during D2. The final veining event postdates
gold mineralization and comprises thick (up to 3 m) barren
milky-white quartz veins oriented in a northwest direction.
This event is correlated with D3.
Mineralization
There are several styles of gold mineralization observed
within the Tarcoola goldfield, and this is probably the result
of variations in local lithological and structural control. Min-
eralization is mostly hosted in veins controlled by brittle frac-
turing. Generally, wall-rock composition does not affect re-
sulting mineralization, with the exception of carbonaceous
siltstones which often host bonanza-grade gold veins. The
principal mineralization styles in the Tarcoola goldfield are
described below, based on previous work as well as observa-
tions from this study.
The Tarcoola Blocks mining area is hosted entirely within
the Tarcoola Formation (Fig. 4). Workings on the Fabian,
Ward, Western Branch, McKechnie, Imperial, and Sullivan
reefs (Fig. 2), from which the greater part of gold production
from the Tarcoola Blocks mine area was mined, are located
between two thrust faults, the “Main slide” and the “Pug

Stage
HM alteration SQP alteration Post–
Mineral Magmatic Weak Strong Weak Intense Mineralisation Mineralisation
Quartz
K-feldspar
Plagioclase
Hornblende
Biotite
Titanite
Zircon
Magnetite
Magnetite vein
Hematite
Chlorite
Sericite
Fluorite
Calcite
Epidote
Pyrite
Galena
Sphalerite
Gold
Veining event [1] [----2----] [--3--] [--4--]
Def’m event [D1] [---------------------D2----------------------] 100My [D3]
FIG. 5. Paragenetic sequence for the various stages of alteration, veining, and mineralization of the Paxton monzogranite,
Perseverance deposit. The thicknesses of lines approximate the relative quantities of minerals being deposited. Sericite-
quartz-pyrite postdates hematite-magnetite alteration, but it is not known by what interval of time. The fourth veining event
is possibly associated with D3 and based on Pb-Pb dating is 100 m.y. after the gold mineralization. HM = hematite-magnetite,
SQP = sericite-quartz-pyrite.

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA
seam” faults (Fig. 4; Daly et al., 1990; Kneeshaw, 2003, unpub.
report). The gold-bearing quartz veins (or reefs) in the Tar-
coola Blocks area are up to 2 m wide and 250 to 300 m long
and most trend northwest (Daly et al., 1990; Fig. 4). They are
subvertical to vertical and have a vertical extent of at least 100
m. They contain abundant crushed xenoliths of quartzite and
carbonaceous siltstone (Daly et al., 1990). The reefs were de-
scribed by Ridgway and Johns (1949) as narrow, within thick-
bedded quartzite, and broad within thin-bedded carbona-
ceous siltstone and quartzite. This may reflect a competency
contrast between the lithologic units. Historical records sug-
gest that high gold values were obtained where quartz veins
cut carbonaceous siltstones, and more recent work indicates
that elevated gold values occur in halos around quartz veins
cutting quartzite (Daly et al., 1990). Quartz veins of up to 20
cm in width commonly anastomose and enclose brecciated
material, suggesting that the reefs were probably quartz vein
sets (Daly et al., 1990). Many small quartz veins that contain
gold occur between the major reefs, although Daly et al.
(1990) did not indicate the orientation of these veins.
The ore in the Tarcoola Blocks mine area contains silver
and locally abundant sulfides of copper, lead, zinc, and ar-
senic (Daly et al., 1990). The reefs typically have erratic gold
values, both laterally and vertically, and contain both very fine
and coarse grained gold (Daly et al., 1990). Hein et al. (1994)
noted that where quartz veins intersected conglomerate, silt-
stone, and shale of the Tarcoola Formation, alteration assem-
blages consist of chlorite with minor calcite and sericite.
Chlorite replaced wall-rock feldspar, but where fracturing
produced cavities, chlorite is vermiform or occurs as spher-
oidal aggregates and generally accompanies quartz (Hein et
al., 1994). Sericite is restricted to alteration of feldspar, and
rarely calcite has filled fractures lined with chlorite. Kaolinite
occurrences have been attributed to alteration by meteoric
fluids (Hein et al., 1994).
Mineralization in the Perseverance zone includes styles not
seen in the Tarcoola Blocks mining area. The Perseverance
zone includes the Perseverance deposit, where mineralization
occurs within the Paxton Granite as well as units of the Tar-
coola Formation (Fig. 4) and the Last Resource and Wonder-
graph deposits, which are hosted entirely by granite. Miner-
alization at Perseverance and Last Resource is largely
concentrated in the broad northeast-trending fracture zones
and along northwest trends such as the Bonanza zone
(Hughes, 1998).
Within the Perseverance mineralized zone, sulfides includ-
ing pyrite, galena, and sphalerite are relatively abundant, and
lesser amounts of arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and bornite
have been noted (Hughes, 1998). Semimassive stringer sul-
fides in association with high-grade gold mineralization are
found in the southern part of the mineralized zone. Holes
drilled beneath Perseverance and to the north have encoun-
tered more disseminated mineralization, still within fractures
and altered granite (Hughes, 1998). Assay results from the
Perseverance deposit show that the base metals are related to
the gold mineralization, although there is some variation in
grades. Thus, there is no obvious base and precious metal
zonation within the Perseverance deposit.
Table 1 summarizes the variety of mineralization styles
found in the Perseverance deposit. The samples have been
0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00 1547
1547
divided into four categories, based on relative gold and sul-
fide contents.
Alteration of the Paxton Granite
The dominant monzogranite phase of the Paxton Granite is
mostly uniform in texture and composition, providing a good
medium to study the effects of hydrothermal alteration. Log-
ging of eight diamond drill holes in the Perseverance deposit,
emphasizing alteration mineralogy, fracture intensity, veining
intensity and composition, sulfide content, and magnetic sus-
ceptibility of the Paxton Granite, is presented diagramatically
in Figure 6. Thirteen samples of the Paxton monzogranite
provide a good representation of the chemical mass transfer
during alteration at Perseverance (Table 2). From these data,
Al2O3, Ce, Ga, Nd, Sm, and Zr were selected as immobile el-
ements for constructing isocons (after Huston, 1993). Sam-
ples 2000363002A, 2000363003A, and 2000363004 were cho-
sen as “least altered” as they show the lowest loss on ignition
(LOI) and have the least evidence of alteration in thin sec-
tion. The average of these three samples was taken as the pro-
tolith, rather than a single sample, in order to minimize po-
tential sample-size problems in these coarse-grained granites.
These three samples have an average density of 2.736 g/cm3.
Three types of alteration of the Paxton monzogranite are
observed. They are named by the dominant alteration min-
eral(s). They are (1) hematite-magnetite, (2) sericite-quartz-
pyrite, and (3) chlorite. The chlorite-dominated alteration is
restricted to quartz monzonite and is thought to have been
caused by the same fluids that caused sericite-quartz-pyrite
alteration of the monzogranite, with the greater abundance of
chlorite due to more biotite and hornblende in the unaltered
quartz monzonite compared to the monzogranite. However,
the chlorite-dominated alteration is not discussed further as
it is very minor. The appearance of the alteration in hand
specimen reflects differing intensities of sericite-quartz-
pyrite overprinting hematite-magnetite alterations. The in-
tensity of both styles of alteration is strongly dependent on
the degree of fracturing and/or brecciation. Figure 5 shows
the paragenetic sequence for alteration and mineralization of
the monzogranite.
The hematite-magnetite alteration is the earliest, affecting
most parts of the Paxton Granite to varying degrees, and is not
related to mineralization. This alteration is marked by redden-
ing of feldspar by hematite crystallization in microfractures.
The pink color of most samples of the Paxton Granite is due to
this alteration. Microfractures in quartz result in trails of sec-
ondary fluid inclusions, in places so numerous that the quartz
is milky white rather than glassy in hand sample. Biotite and
hornblende are altered to magnetite + chlorite + quartz, caus-
ing an increase in magnetic susceptibility (Figs. 5, 6). Alter-
ation of the ferromagnesian minerals makes the grain bound-
aries diffuse, which in hand sample gives these minerals a
more pronounced appearance. Plagioclase is moderately seric-
itized as well as being hematite dusted, and only in the least
altered samples is it possible to discern twinning microscopi-
cally. Other minerals, including titanite, apatite, zircon, and al-
lanite, are mostly unaffected by moderate-intensity hematite-
magnetite alteration. The coexistence of magnetite and
hematite indicates that this alteration must be close to the
hematite-magnetite redox buffer (Wones, 1981).
 TABLE 1. Mineralization Styles at the Perseverance Deposit, Tarcoola Goldfield 1548
Sulfide abundance Depth
Sample1 Lithology and occurrence Sulfide mineralogy Gangue mineralogy Comments Hole (m) Grade

High Au, high S

2211A Siliceous ~10% disseminated Pyrite dominant; galena and honey- Chlorite, quartz Positioned above zone GP005D 92.5 2.29 ppm Au,
limestone to stringer colored sphalerite vein and infill cracks of well-mineralized 0.54% Pb, 0.89% Zn
in pyrite and form larger blebs; fault repetition
chalcopyrite minor as rare single grains
and disseminated in sphalerite

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2220A Siliceous ~10% stringer Pyrite dominant; pyrite, galena, and Chlorite, quartz Possible fault GP005D 155.6 100.75 ppm Au,
limestone sphalerite in separate veins to quartz repetition 1.81% Pb, 1.55% Zn
2220B Sericite-quartz- Sulfide ~60% in 5-cm- Dominated by moderate to large galena, Quartz Vein boundaries GP005D 190.8 11.85 ppm Au,
pyrite altered wide quartz-ga- some sphalerite are not sharp 2.83% Pb, 1.07% Zn
granite sphalerite vein
2220C Siliceous ~10% disseminated Dominated by pyrite Quartz, chlorite From near 2220A, GP005D 156.1 8.6 ppm Au, 0.52%
limestone to bleb shows discontinuous Pb, 0.95% Zn
nature of mineralization
2221A Strongly altered <10% in anastomosing Pyrite as fine euhedra in wall rock, Quartz Later sulfides inter- GP002D 198.5 52.0 ppm Au,
granite quartz sulfide vein larger euhedra in vein; pyrite first to grown with quartz; 1.62%, Pb 1.39% Zn
crystallize then galena and sphalerite only one vein event
2221C Intensely altered ~30-cm-wide semi- Stringer pyrite, sphalerite, and galena Quartz, carbonate Interpreted to occur GP002D 200.7 105.0 ppm Au,
granite massive stringer sulfide within plane of 7.61% Pb, 9.86% Zn
Perseverance fault zone
High Au, low S
2005G Altered granite 5% disseminated Small amounts of pyrite, galena, and Quartz, chlorite From northern part of GP004D 275.0 11.2 ppm Au, 0.21%
sulfides + visible Au in sphalerite Perseverance zone Pb, 0.18% Zn
narrow quartz vein

1548
2205 Sericite-chlorite Stringer pyrite + Au in Intimate mixture of fine-grained pyrite + Quartz, carbonate, Possible southern TCD013 212.5 277.0 ppm Au,
altered siltstone narrow quartz vein Au makeup stringer in quartz vein chlorite extension of Tarcoola 0.01% Pb, 0.04% Zn
Blocks mineralization
BUDD AND SKIRROW

Low Au, high S

2014 Strongly altered 5% fine-grained sulfides Dominated by disseminated pyrite with Quartz Vein occurs about GP005D 146.0 0.29 ppm Au, 0.06%
granite in milky quartz vein with minor galena and sphalerite 10 m away from highly Pb, 0.44% Zn
inclusions of wall rock mineralized fault
repetition zone
2211C Strongly altered ~70% sulfide in Coarse-grained galena is the dominant Quartz, chlorite 50 m uphole of zone GP005D 101.4 0.64 ppm Au, 1.89%
granite sulfide quartz vein sulfide intergrown with minor sphalerite, of fault repetition Pb, 0.26% Zn
pyrite, and arsenopyrite
Low Au, low S
2007A Strongly altered Disseminated pyrite 5% disseminated and microveined pyrite Wall-rock alteration Pervasively altered GP033RD 239.0 0.47 ppm Au,
granite microveined includes carbonate, granite in <0.01% Pb, <0.01%
sericite, fluorite, non- Perseverance zone Zn
crystalline hematite
2202J Shale + siltstone <5% pyrite in veinlets Fine-grained pyrite in veinlets Carbonate, chlorite Drill hole intersected TCD005 249.0 0.51 ppm Au, 0.01%
NW-trending struc- Pb, 0.03% Zn
tures east of Tarcoola
Blocks
2206F Vein-breccia <5% sulfides in Minor sulfides dominated by pyrite Quartz, chlorite Near southern end of GP002D 143.3 0.19 ppm Au, 0.04%
siltstone quartz veins in quartz veins Perseverance zone Pb, 0.02% Zn

Notes: Grouped by approximate gold/sulfide contents and ratios

1 2211A = 2002363011A; 2220A = 2002363020A; 2220B = 2002363020B; 2220C = 2002363020C; 2221A = 2002363021A; 2221C = 2002363021C; 2005G = 2000363005G; 2205 = 2002363005; 2014

= 2000363014; 2211C = 2002363011C; 2007A = 2000363007A; 2202J = 2002363002J; 2206F = 2002363006F

 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA 1549

GP1

GP1
GP

TD009
02R

TD002

TD012
TD010
TD001
01R
GP

0 05

TD011
0

D
D

D
02D

GP031RD
GP
003
D

100mRL 100mRL

GP07
9RD

GP033RD
GP09

8D
TD003
0RD
G P1 0
0mRL 0mRL

SQP alteration

Extreme 98RD

GP029RD
GP022R

GP032RD
GP0

Strong

D
Moderate

-100mRL -100mRL
Weak

Solid geology

GP001D
Lady Jane Diorite

Tarcoola Formation Pb (ppm) Au (ppm)

GP034RD
1 76100 0.5 105
Paxton Granite Left hand side Right hand side
-200mRL (linear scale) (linear scale) Magnetic susceptibility -200mRL
6602400mN

6602500mN

6602600mN

6602700mN

6602800mN
454600mE

454700mE

454800mE
FIG. 6. North-northeast–south-southwest cross section along the plane of the Perseverance fault, showing alteration of
the Paxton Granite, Pb and Au assays, and magnetic susceptibility. Drill trace and assay data are from Stellar Resources. Mag-
netic susceptibility and alteration mapping are from this study. Magnetic susceptibility measurements are an average of three
readings, taken every 30 to 40 cm. Intensity of sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration is shown. There is a good correlation of Pb
and Au mineralization and intensity of sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration and a decrease in magnetic susceptibility.

Two samples of this alteration type were analyzed (Table 2). original titanite. Magnetite is lost resulting in near-zero mag-
An isocon value of 0.998 ± 0.063 was calculated by the netic susceptibility in even slightly altered granites (Figs. 5,
method of Huston (1993), and no net mass change is indi- 6). Minor pyrite was introduced along microfractures.
cated. The density of sample 2000363012 is within the range Seven samples of this alteration were analyzed (Table 2),
of least altered samples at 2.732 g/cm3 (Table 2). The greatest giving a calculated isocon of 1.015 ± 0.024, and no net mass
changes include loss of CaO, Cd, F, and Sr, and significant change is indicated. The density of sample 2000363003G is
gains of CO2, LOI, and Au, with lesser gains of Bi, S, Sb, and within the range of least altered samples at 2.727 g/cm3 (Table
Ta (Table 2, Fig. 7). The magnetic susceptibility of the sam- 2). Significant gains are seen in the volatiles, H2O– and CO2,
ples is also high. There is a slight increase in oxidation state and in MnO, Au, As, Cd, and S (Table 2, Fig. 7). Lesser in-
shown by an increase in Fe2O3/FeO ratio (Table 2), but this creases are seen in K2O, Rb, Pb, Cu, and Sb. Significant
may be within error of the titration analytical method for de- losses are seen in Na2O, CaO, Sn, Sr, and F. The magnetic
termining FeO. susceptibility of the samples is also lower. A slight but notable
The sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration overprints the reduction is shown by a decrease in the Fe2O3/FeO ratio. The
hematite-magnetite alteration and is spatially associated with loss of CaO, Na2O, and Sr, and gain in K2O, is attributed to
gold and base metal mineralization. Low-intensity sericite- the breakdown of plagioclase and its replacement by sericite.
quartz-pyrite alteration results in a pale-greenish appearance The increased Rb probably substitutes for K in sericite. The
of the rock, mostly brought about by sericite replacement of decrease in magnetic susceptibility is the result of the break-
plagioclase and replacement of biotite and hornblende by down of magnetite.
very dark chlorite, so that these minerals lose their sharp out- More intense sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration results in the
lines and become black. Quartz becomes opaque and milky total replacement of plagioclase by sericite; replacement
white, and rutile or anatase are pseudomorphous after the of chlorite by sericite and growth of fine anhedral titanite.

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1550 BUDD AND SKIRROW

TABLE 2. Alteration Geochemistry of the Monzogranite Phase of the Paxton Granite

Least altered HM alteration Weak to moderate SQP alteration Advanced SQP
Sample 2002A 2003A 2004 Avg2 2012 2005A ∆C%3 2005B 2006 2003B 2003F 2003E 2002B 2003G ∆C%3 Conc ∆C%3
SiO2 69.02 69.85 68.76 69.21 68.47 69.47 –0.18 68.04 68.52 68.70 68.06 68.33 67.71 66.78 –3.19 64.73 –9.53
TiO2 0.47 0.54 0.53 0.51 0.53 0.48 –1.14 0.53 0.52 0.50 0.53 0.51 0.56 0.54 1.54 0.55 3.24
Al2O3 14.30 13.75 13.94 14.00 13.79 13.94 –0.76 14.14 13.89 13.91 13.72 13.60 14.33 14.10 –1.77 13.78 –4.75
Fe2O3 1.63 1.46 1.40 1.50 1.62 1.57 6.67 1.34 1.33 1.43 1.21 1.38 1.06 1.34 –14.76 3.29 111.86
Fe2O3TOT 3.73 3.73 3.93 3.80 3.92 3.35 –4.06 3.97 3.69 3.75 3.72 3.71 3.66 3.60 –3.27 4.12 4.92
FeO 1.89 2.04 2.27 2.07 2.07 1.60 –11.06 2.36 2.12 2.09 2.26 2.10 2.34 2.04 4.24 0.75 –64.89
MnO 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.08 0.07 0.07 –6.17 0.08 0.06 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.17 0.12 22.77 0.10 26.73
MgO 0.79 0.76 0.81 0.79 0.81 0.76 –0.34 0.79 0.82 0.84 0.79 0.92 0.87 0.79 4.14 0.83 1.65
CaO 1.93 2.06 2.08 2.02 1.69 1.59 –18.69 1.82 1.77 1.80 1.93 1.89 1.48 1.90 –12.38 3.38 61.69
Na2O 3.46 3.41 3.37 3.41 3.31 3.21 –4.28 3.29 3.38 3.25 3.18 3.10 0.13 0.24 –31.65 0.13 –96.43
K2O 5.06 4.83 4.95 4.95 5.09 5.25 4.67 5.20 5.14 5.06 5.08 5.23 7.55 7.80 16.76 5.93 15.93
P2O5 0.15 0.15 0.16 0.15 0.16 0.14 –1.79 0.17 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.19 0.16 2.09 0.17 6.85
H2O – 0.22 0.07 0.08 0.12 0.10 0.18 14.62 0.54 0.41 0.24 0.34 0.45 1.18 0.79 362.82 1.00 701.87
CO2 0.15 0.09 0.17 0.14 0.46 0.53 253.81 0.43 0.40 0.33 0.36 0.59 0.85 1.07 305.96 2.05 1,316.48
LOI 0.72 0.60 1.13 0.81 1.82 1.45 101.04 1.66 1.71 1.67 2.49 2.05 2.82 3.54 176.09 3.90 363.88
Total 99.50 99.51 99.46 99.49 99.41 99.54 0.15 99.43 99.41 99.47 99.47 99.33 99.21 99.34 –1.61 97.51 –5.19
Ag 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.05 0.03 0.07 7.32 0.06 0.06 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.05 –0.49 0.09 86.56
As 2.5 1.9 2.4 2.3 2 1.9 –13.82 2.4 2.5 1.9 2 3.4 11.2 9.5 104.24 17.4 642.58
Au 3 1 1 2 8 380.81 7 5 1 1 3 43 8 474.11 473 27,353.00
Ba 941 844 914 900 913 885 0.10 906 876 900 885 935 1,057 1,050 3.37 507 –45.49
Be 2.6 3.1 2.7 2.8 3.2 3.3 16.27 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.4 2.3 3 2.7 –5.52 3.2 10.55
Bi 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 50.25 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 12.57 0.4 286.94
Cd 0.05 –0.05 0.25 0.08 –0.05 –0.05 –160.10 0.1 –0.05 0.09 –0.05 0.12 1.55 0.06 207.32 0.85 886.70
Ce 174.5 182.6 196 184.4 176.3 168.1 –6.44 160.3 169.8 166.2 207.8 204.4 187.3 202.9 –0.88 188.7 –0.99
Cr 6 6 12 8 15 8 43.99 11 12 4 12 9 19 7 30.16 12 45.10
Cs 2.31 2.66 2 2.32 1.79 2.12 –15.71 1.65 1.59 1.6 1.53 1.47 4.14 2.64 –11.45 9.29 286.80
Cu 10 12 12 11 15 11 14.90 18 10 11 12 11 21 14 20.43 13 10.96
Dy 5.39 6.92 6.56 6.29 7.27 6.26 7.73 6.96 6.47 6.05 6.94 6.35 6.21 6.52 1.79 7.01 7.81
Er 2.87 3.72 3.64 3.41 3.89 3.59 9.86 3.68 3.48 3.3 3.85 3.5 3.49 3.56 2.59 3.78 7.23
Eu 1.30 1.38 1.33 1.34 1.34 1.29 –1.55 1.36 1.34 1.33 1.49 1.41 1.32 1.44 1.83 1.27 –8.03
F 1,531 1,701 1,623 1,618 1,313 1,098 –25.381,222 1,511 1,600 1,592 608 1,166 1,710 –18.191,310 –21.70
Ga 17.9 17.6 18.9 18.1 18.7 17.8 0.81 18.7 17.6 18.3 17.9 17.9 19.7 19.3 0.41 19.1 1.89
Gd 7.41 8.9 8.68 8.33 9.43 8.09 5.34 8.91 8.24 7.91 9.2 8.49 8.12 8.84 0.86 9 4.52
Ge 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 –4.09 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.4 2.2 1.9 4.19 1.5 –7.38
Hf 8.2 8.5 8 8.2 8.1 8.5 0.98 7.8 7.8 7.6 7.9 7.9 9.5 8.2 –3.10 9.0 5.74
Ho 1.04 1.36 1.3 1.23 1.43 1.27 9.64 1.32 1.22 1.2 1.37 1.25 1.21 1.25 0.63 1.36 6.67
La 91.02 96.8 103.8 97.21 94.39 82.31 –8.96 83.45 92.26 88.97 114.9 108.4 94.16 107.2 –0.21 97.69 –2.78
Lu 0.39 0.49 0.49 0.46 0.51 0.54 15.16 0.48 0.45 0.43 0.49 0.46 0.47 0.46 –0.16 0.5 5.91
Mo 6.5 7.7 13.1 9.1 10.9 6.3 –5.33 9.3 8.6 5.8 7.3 9.3 11.9 12.7 0.36 10.8 14.81
Nb 13.7 17.8 17.3 16.3 17.6 18.4 10.84 16.9 16.3 15.5 17.8 16.8 18.2 17.5 2.94 17.7 5.26
Nd 58.27 65.44 66.22 63.31 64.78 57.3 –3.42 60.33 61.5 58.46 73.04 67.5 63.52 68.86 0.73 66.64 1.82
Ni 14 14 14 14 14 13 –3.41 14 13 13 13 13 13 14 –6.53 15 3.64
Pb 27.8 28.1 30.8 28.9 27.4 29.3 –1.74 34.1 23.6 29.7 31.2 25.8 117.7 28.5 41.49 93.6 213.30
Pr 17.51 19.23 19.92 18.89 19.07 16.78 –4.93 17.35 18.14 17.43 22.27 20.77 18.96 20.7 1.04 19.85 1.67
Rb 161.2 155.6 157.1 158.0 151.5 182.6 5.93 160.9 162.3 153.2 151.1 158.4 249.9 280.2 17.23 302.1 85.00
S 0.09 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.16 0.09 65.55 0.11 0.17 0.10 0.08 0.23 0.27 0.22 119.66 2.23 2,764.81
Sb 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 25.21 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.8 0.3 47.75 0.7 238.57
Sc 6 7 8 7 8 7 7.32 8 8 8 8 7 10 9 16.59 11 52.01
Sm 9.49 10.69 10.35 10.18 11.06 9.56 1.48 10.66 10.31 9.52 11.76 10.79 10.28 10.76 2.43 10.92 3.80
Sn 3.7 3 4.3 3.7 2.9 4 –5.75 2.7 2.9 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.1 1.9 –24.40 3.4 –10.30
Sr 215 199.5 223.2 212.6 167.6 153.7 –24.30 175.6 154.9 211.7 187.7 171.3 74.6 87.7 –29.60 55.5 –74.74
Ta 1 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3 2.6 58.38 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.3 –4.16 1.3 1.96
Tb 1.13 1.36 1.35 1.28 1.46 1.3 8.00 1.37 1.25 1.23 1.43 1.28 1.25 1.35 0.70 1.43 8.07
Th 16.8 19.5 21.3 19.2 19.5 13.9 –12.87 18.4 21 17.2 26.1 24.3 16.4 21.5 6.20 18.7 –5.78
U 4.19 6 4.45 4.88 4.93 4.01 –8.25 4.86 5.21 4.5 5.29 4.5 4.25 4.53 –4.44 4.46 –11.59
V 30 32 33 32 37 31 7.55 37 33 33 34 34 45 38 12.87 43 31.36
Y 26.2 37 34.6 32.6 38.6 30.7 6.47 37 34.2 31.6 39.4 35.6 29.8 34.2 4.37 35.4 5.04
Yb 2.53 3.25 3.05 2.94 3.34 3.45 15.54 3.04 3.01 2.78 3.31 3.06 3.19 3.01 2.31 3.33 9.44
Zn 51.5 50.4 59.2 53.7 52.7 46.9 –7.11 43.1 31.9 55 51.2 38.2 179.5 36 13.96 95.3 71.67
Zr 272 286 287 282 273 256 –5.94 273 271 262 276 264 310 283 –3.13 276 –5.21
Magsus 13.6 9.12 7.69 10.14 30.2 21.0 153.22 11.2 7.85 5 5.61 0.51 0.14 0.14 –57.77 0.29 –97.23
Fe /Fe
3+ 2+ 0.86 0.72 0.62 0.73 0.78 0.98 20.49 0.57 0.63 0.68 0.53 0.66 0.45 0.65 –19.79 4.38 477.8
Density 2.754 2.719 2.736 2.736 2.732 2.727 2.805

Notes: Major elements as wt %, all trace elements as ppm except Au as ppb; all analyses conducted at Geoscience Australia; magnetic susceptibility SI
units ×10–3 measured on half NQ core; major elements determined by Philips PW2404 4kW XRF with an Rh tube, method after Norrish and Hutton (1969);
XRF traces after Norrish and Chappell (1977); ICP-MS traces determined on a Perkin Elmer Elan 6000, method of Jenner et al. (1990), digestion by the
method of Pyke (2000); FeO method after Shapiro and Brannock (1962); specific gravity measured by dry weight/(dry weight-wet weight); wet weight mea-
sured in a water bath after soaking for 48 h
1 2002A = 2000363002A; 2003A = 2000363003A; 2004 = 2000363004; 2012 = 2000363012; 2005A = 2000363005A; 2005B = 2000363005B; 2006 =
2000363006; 2003B = 2000363003B; 2003F = 2000363003F; 2003E = 2000363003E; 2002B = 2000363002B; 2003G = 2000363003G; 2007A = 2000363007A
2 Average of three least altered samples used for calculating the isocons
3 ∆C% = average percentage change in concentration for the hematite-magnetite (HM), sericite-pyrite-quartz (SQP), and advanced SQP alterations
from least altered average; Magsus = magnetic susceptibility

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA
100
283.8
80
Scaled altered equivalent
60
40
20
0
Au Mag Na H2O Pb Cs Sb LOI
S Sm CO2 Al As Ga Ca Ce
Scaled least-altered equivalent
FIG. 7. Isocon plot for representative samples of alteration of coarse-
grained hornblende-biotite monzogranite of the Paxton Granite, Persever-
ance deposit, Tarcoola goldfield, following the method of Huston (1993).
Table 2 lists the samples used for averages for the least altered, hematite-
magnetite–altered, and sericite-quartz-pyrite–altered equivalents. Elements
considered as immobile during the alteration of these samples and used for
calculation of the isocon for each sample are in bold. The isocon line for the
strongly altered sample 2000363007A is shown, with associated errors. The
mineralization-associated sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration causes gains in
metals and volatiles and loss of Na in particular. “Mag” shows increase or de-
crease in values of magnetic susceptibility.
K-feldspar remains mostly stable with sericite-quartz-pyrite al-
teration, although it may be strongly fractured. Pyrite is com-
monly added. This more intense alteration is correlated with
increased veining and fracturing. Quartz and sulfides (pyrite,
galena, sphalerite) are the dominant vein minerals, although
chlorite and epidote are common. Calcite and fluorite are com-
monly associated with sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration and tex-
turally postdate quartz, sericite, and sulfide minerals. The
minor, lower grade disseminated style of mineralization is asso-
ciated with moderate to strong sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration
of granite, whereas the very high grade gold intersections in
holes GP002D and GP005D occur in extremely sericite-
quartz-pyrite altered sections of granite (Fig. 6).
The isocon value for the moderately sericite-quartz-pyrite
altered sample 2000363007A is 1.034 ± 0.045 (i.e., within
error of 1), and no net mass change is indicated. This isocon
and its associated errors are shown in Figure 7. The sample
has a density of 2.805 g/cm3, slightly higher than least altered
samples (Table 2). The relative density change of the altered
sample 2000363007A calculated by the equations of Huston
(1993) is –6 percent, and the relative dimensional change is
–2 percent. In intense sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration, signif-
icant gains are seen in Ag, As, Au (the sample has 473 ppb),
Bi, CaO, Cd, CO2, Cs, H2O–, LOI, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, and Zn
(Table 2, Fig. 7). Significant losses are seen in Ba, F, Na2O,
and Sr. Magnetic susceptibility is also lower, and and increase
in the Fe2O3/FeO ratio shows that this intensity of the
sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration represents strongly oxidizing
conditions relative to unaltered granite.
0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00
1551
Hematite-magnetite alteration
Isotopic and Fluid Inclusion Analyses
m = 0.998 ± 0.063, n = 2
Sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration Sm-Nd isotopes
m = 1.015 ± 0.024, n = 7
2000363007A
m = 1.034 ± 0.045, n = 1
The majority of the Sm-Nd isotope data of whole-rock pow-
Shown on figure ders were obtained on an NU Instruments multicollector
ICP-MS (Woodhead, 2002) at the University of Melbourne,
following procedures described in Kamenetsky and Maas
(2002). Fifty to 100 mg of rock powder spiked with mixed
149Sm-150Nd tracer were dissolved in Teflon beakers or in
Krogh-style Teflon high-pressure vessels; repeat dissolutions
indicate the two dissolution methods yield reproducible re-
sults. Nd mass bias was corrected by normalizing to
146Nd/145Nd = 2.0719425 (equiv to 146Nd/144Nd = 0.07219;
Vance and Thirwall, 2002). All 143Nd/144Nd ratios are reported
relative to La Jolla Nd = 0.511860. BCR-1 give 147Sm/144Nd =
0.1380 ± 2 and 143Nd/144Nd = 0.512641 ± 18; BHVO-1 gives
0.1493 ± 3 and 0.512998 ± 18 (all errors 2σ pop). Chondritic
Rb Ba F Cu U
uniform reservoir (CHUR) parameters are 0.1967 and
K Nb Mo Zr 0.512638, and the decay constant λ147Sm is 6.54 × 10–12/yr.
Epsilon Nd and εNd(t) values are calculated for 143Nd/144Nd-
CHUR and
147Sm/144Nd
CHUR of 0.512638 and 0.1967, respec-
tively. Nd model ages (TDM) are calculated using a linear de-
pleted mantle model (similar to Goldstein et al., 1984) with
the following present-day parameters: 0.513144 and 0.2136.
Two samples were analyzed at the University of Adelaide
(Table 3). Whole-rock samples were spiked before dissolution
with a mixed 149Sm-150Nd tracer. They were dissolved
overnight using HF and HNO3, evaporated to dryness, then
followed by oven dissolution in fresh HF and HNO3 for 4 d at
160°C. Samples were evaporated to dryness and converted to
chloride form with 6M HCl. They were again placed in
bombs overnight with 6M HCl to ensure complete equilibra-
tion. Sm and Nd were separated by conventional ion ex-
change methods. Nd isotope ratios were measured on a
Finnigan MAT 262 multicollector, and Sm isotope ratios on
an Finnigan MAT 261 single collector machine. During the
period of this study, the La Jolla Nd isotope standard gave
143Nd/144Nd = 0.511845 + 16 (2σ, n = 9), and laboratory
blanks averaged <160 pg Sm and <320 pg Nd.
Pb isotopes
K-feldspar was handpicked from the fine-crushed light
fraction residual from zircon mineral separations. Galena was
handpicked either from previous mineral separations for
sericite or from hand samples. Whole-rock powders were
those prepared for geochemical analysis.
Typically less than 1 mg of galena was required for analysis.
Twenty to 40 mg of K-feldspar separate was leached using a
sequential process resembling that of McCulloch and Wood-
head (1993). Lead was extracted following the recipe of De-
niel and Pin (2001). For the granite whole-rock samples, 40
mg of rock powder was dissolved and split into aliquots for
isotope dilution. The smaller aliquot was spiked with a mixed
235U-208Pb spike. Lead and U were extracted using the
method of Luo et al. (1997).
Isotopic analyses were made on an NU instruments multi-
collector ICPMS coupled to a CETAC Aridus desolvating
nebulizer. Instrumental mass fractionation was corrected
using the thallium doping method (Woodhead, 2002). These
data indicate 2σ uncertainties of ±0.003 for 206Pb/204Pb and
1551
1552 BUDD AND SKIRROW

TABLE 3. Samples Analyzed for Sm-Nd Isotopes from the Tarcoola Goldfield

Sample no. Hole/ depth Unit Description Comments

2000363005D GP004D Paxton Slightly altered hornblende-titanite-biotite Most mafic phase; SHRIMP zircon age of
148–149.1 quartz monzonite 1718.6 ± 2.9 Ma1
2000363004 GP028RD Paxton Least altered sample of coarse-grained Main phase; SHRIMP zircon age of 1722.3 ±
360.4–362 hornblende-biotite-titanite monzogranite 3.9 Ma1
2000363008B* GP078D Paxton Slightly altered biotite-titanite syenogranite Fractionated phase; SHRIMP zircon age of
54.8–57.5 1715.1 ± 3.2 Ma1
2000363007A GP033RD Paxton Strongly sericitized coarse-grained granite; Sericite 40Ar/39Ar age 1576 ± 3 Ma2
238.85–239.9 493 ppb Au, 2% pyrite
2000363017A TD005 Paxton Strongly sericitized granite; brecciated, Sericite 40Ar/39Ar age 1582 ± 4 Ma2
80.4–80.5 pyrite-sphalerite-galena
2002363021A GP002D Paxton Sulfide-carbonate veined ore in granite 52 g/t Au
198.4–198.6
2002363021C GP002D Paxton Massive sulfide ore in granite 105 g/t Au
200.7–200.85
2000363007D* GP033RD LJD Hornblende-phenocrystic amygdaloidal Equivalent to 2008A dated by hornblende
228.5– 229.3 microdiorite 40Ar/39Ar at 1580 Ma

2000363009A GP032RD LJD Chlorite-pyrite altered microdiorite; Equivalent to 2008A, hydrothermally

263–263.8 magnetite destroyed overprinted
2002363002A TCD005 TFm Thinly laminated sandstone and/or No sulfides so should be representative of
169.7–169.97 Siltstone Tarcoola Formation quartzite Nd reservoir
2002363001G TCD009 TFm Massive black shale No sulfides so should be representative of
374.8– 374.95 Tarcoola Formation shale Nd reservoir
2002363002I TCD005 TFm Quartzite with disseminated galena Disseminated sulfides formed ~100 m.y. after
238– 238.28 and sphalerite Au mineralization (Pb-Pb data)

Notes: * = analyzed at the University of Adelaide, all others at the University of Melbourne; abbreviations: LJD = Lady Jane Diorite, TFm = Tarcoola
Formation
1 Budd (2006)
2 Budd and Fraser (2004)

207Pb/204Pb and ±0.007 for 208Pb/204Pb (~ ±0.02%), similar to
2 standard error internal precisions for individual runs com-
prising 20- × 10-sec integrations.
Fluid inclusions
Microthermometric analyses were conducted using a com-
puter-controlled Linkam THM 600 heating and/or freezing
stage (Shepherd et al., 1985) on doubly polished thin sections
of ~100-µm thickness. Laser Raman analyses using a Dilor
SuperLabram spectrometer with a 514.5 nm Spectra Physics
2020 argon ion laser (Mernagh, 2001) were conducted on se-
lected samples to verify the presence and molar abundance of
CO2 ± CH4. Isochore calculations for aqueous inclusions
(type B) used the equations of Bodnar and Vytik (1994). Iso-
chore calculations for carbonic inclusions (type E) were per-
formed in MacFlinCor (Brown and Hagemann, 1995), using
the equations of Kerrick and Jacobs (1981). Uncertainties in
visual estimates of the volume fraction of CO2 were estimated
by varying the value of the volume fraction in the calculations
in McFlinCor.
Sm-Nd Isotope Tracing Study
Neodymium isotopes were used to trace the source of Nd
transported by the hydrothermal alteration fluids. There is
only evidence of one gold mineralizing event, so it is inferred
that gold was mobilized in the same event as the Nd. Three
potential REE reservoirs are evident in the Tarcoola district:
(1) the Paxton Granites; (2) the Lady Jane Diorite; and (3) the
Tarcoola Formation. Both unaltered and altered samples of
rocks representing these reservoirs, as well as samples of
mineralization, were analyzed. Previous studies provide Nd
isotope data for additional possible REE reservoirs in the Tar-
coola region, outside the immediate area of the Tarcoola gold-
field (Fig. 8).
One sample of each of the three phases of the Paxton Gran-
ite was analyzed (Tables 3, 4). The sericite-quartz-pyrite–al-
tered sample 2000363007A with anomalous Au was also ana-
lyzed. Two samples of the Lady Jane Diorite were analyzed,
one magnetite-bearing unaltered sample and another pyrite-
bearing Au-anomalous altered sample (Tables 3, 4). Two sam-
ples of the most voluminous facies of the Tarcoola Formation
were analyzed; a finely laminated sandstone-siltstone and a
massive black shale (Tables 3, 4). Three ore-grade samples
from Paxton Granite were analyzed (Tables 3, 4). Sample
2002363021A contains 52 g/t Au, and 2002363021C contains
105 g/t Au, over the intervals assayed. Both are from drill hole
GP002D, within 2 m of each other. Neodymium in the mas-
sive sulfide ore sample (2002363021C) was assumed to be of
hydrothermal origin. The other sample (2002363021A) may
have a mix of host granite-derived and hydrothermal Nd but
given the high Au content (therefore presumably large hy-
drothermal input) should be closer to the ore signature and
on a mixing line with granite.
Values of εNd(1580Ma) are distinct for the three potential
reservoirs. Unaltered Paxton Granite has values between –6.1
to –7.5, the Lady Jane Diorite has a value of +0.1, and the
Tarcoola Formation has values between –1.6 to -4.5 (includ-
ing previous data; Fig. 8). The Tarcoola Formation data fall
within the range of Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic
igneous rocks in the Tarcoola region (Fig. 8). The dominant
monzogranite and minor quartz monzonite phases of the
Paxton Granite have very similar 147Sm/144Nd and 143Nd/144Nd

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA
10 Hiltaba / GRV
Lady Jane Diorite
Mafic/ultramafic Altered Lady Jane Diorite
Archaean Konkaby Basalt
basement
Ealbara/Carnding Rhy.
5 Cooladding Granite
reservoi r Gibraltar Granite
Kychering Granite
Pinding Granite
2007D
Pegler Granite
εNd (1580Ma)
Tarcoola 2009A
0 grade samples fall between the ranges of the Paxton Granite
Formation Hiltaba / GRV
reservoir
reservoi r
2221C
-5
2221A
2017A
2008B
-10
Felsic Archaean basement reservoi r
-15
0 20 40
Nd (ppm )
FIG. 8. Neodymium isotope data for the Tarcoola region. εNd calculated at
1580 Ma, with ItCHUR = 0.510595. Samples 2000363007A (labeled as
2007A) and 2000363009A (2009A) are moderately altered samples of the
Paxton monzogranite and the Lady Jane Diorite, respectively, and show little
change from unaltered compositions. Samples 2000363017A (2017A) and
2002363021A (2221A) are intensely altered samples of the Paxton monzo-
granite and contain sulfides and gold (2002363021A has 52 g/t Au). Sericite
from the altered samples 2000363007A and 2000363017A was dated by
40Ar/39Ar at ~1580 Ma (Budd and Fraser, 2004). Sample 2002363021C
(2221C) is from a section of intensely altered Paxton monzogranite and con-
tains >50 vol percent of stringer sulfides, with 105 g/t Au. Pb isotopes on
galenas from these samples suggest a local derivation for metals and possibly
other ore components. It is suggested that intense alteration has stripped Nd
from the granite, and an input from the consanguineous Lady Jane Diorite
has shifted εNd to less negative values. Less material input from the Lady Jane
Diorite would be needed than from the Tarcoola Formation to cause the shift
in εNd. Other sample number abbreviations are 2007D = 2000363007D,
2005D = 2000363005D, 2004 = 2000363004, and 2008B = 2000363008B.
Data sources are Cooladding Granite, Gibraltar Granite, Kychering Granite,
Symons Granite, Pinding Granite, Glenloth Granite, and Kenella Gneiss
from Stewart and Foden (2001); Lake Harris Komatiite and Harris green-
stone felsics from Hoatson et al. (2005); Konkaby Basalt, Ealbara Rhyodacite,
Carnding Rhyolite, and Tarcoola Formation from Stewart (1994).
ratios (Table 4, Fig. 8), whereas the syenogranite phase has
lower ratios, possibly indicating a greater crustal component.
Interestingly, the moderately to strongly altered sample
2000363007A has very similar Sm-Nd isotope values to sam-
ples 2000363004 and 2000363005D. Whole-rock geochemi-
cal analysis shows that sample 2000363007A has very similar
Nd, Sm, and U contents to the unaltered sample 2000363004,
whereas Pb is three times higher and Au is also strongly en-
riched (Table 2). The unchanged 147Sm/144Nd and 143Nd/
144Nd ratios suggest that Sm and Nd were not added in sig-
nificant amounts during alteration of the Paxton Granite. The
unaltered sample of Lady Jane Diorite has a slightly positive
εNd(1580Ma) value (Table 4). The altered sample has slightly
higher Sm and Nd, with a correspondingly higher 147Sm/
144Nd ratio than its unaltered equivalent (Table 4). The ε
Nd
values are similar and within error of each other. The differ-
ence in Sm and Nd concentrations and isotope ratios between
the altered and unaltered samples is likely to be within the
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1553
Perseverance Ore natural variation expected in a larger sample population. The
Tarcoola Formation black shale and sandstone and/or siltstone reservoirs of the
Paxton Granite
~1680 Ma granites Tarcoola Formation have quite different Sm-Nd isotope val-
Wynbring Granite
ues, indicating different provenance. They have εNd values of
Symons Granite
Archaean basement between -2.45 and -3.62 (Table 4). The three gold-bearing
Lake Harris Komatiite
Harris Greenstone felsics
ore samples have lower concentrations of Sm and Nd than
Glenloth / Kenella unaltered Paxton Granite. The εNd values of the two lower
and the Tarcoola Formation, whereas that of the gold-rich
semimassive stringer sulfide sample 2002363021C falls within
the range of the Tarcoola Formation (Fig. 8, Table 4). Of the
2005D 2007A local reservoirs, the Lady Jane Diorite is considered a more
likely source than the Tarcoola Formation for the relatively
Paxton
2004 primitive Nd isotope component, as mass-balance considera-
reservoir tions would require less input from the diorite to cause the
positive shift in εNd.
Pb Isotope Study
Pb isotopes were used for the following: to establish a local
60 80 Pb isotope growth curve, using igneous K-feldspar of known
age; to use this locally derived growth curve and the isotope
values of galenas as an independent age estimate of mineral-
ization; and to attempt to constrain possible sources of the Pb.
K-feldspar separates were prepared from four unaltered
granite samples that were independently dated by the
SHRIMP U-Pb zircon method (Table 5). These samples were
the dominant monzogranite and the minor quartz monzonite
phases of the Paxton Granite at Tarcoola, and two plutons of
the Hiltaba Association Granites: the Kychering Granite west
of Tarcoola and the Pegler Granite north of Tarcoola (Fig. 1).
No suitable material was available from the Lady Jane Dior-
ite or the Tarcoola Formation.
Five samples of galena from various styles of gold mineral-
ization at Perseverance, and two from quartzites with low-
grade disseminated sphalerite-galena, 1,200 m from the Per-
severance mineralization, were analyzed (Table 5). Also,
sample 2002363005 is a gold-pyrite aggregate from a very
narrow gold-pyrite-carbonate-quartz vein in shale, east of
both the Tarcoola Blocks mine and the Perseverance deposit
but in an analogous structural and stratigraphic position to the
Tarcoola Blocks mineralization. The 1-m intersection con-
taining this vein was assayed at 277 g/t Au. Two attempts were
made to separate gold from pyrite, however they were unsuc-
cessful and it is apparent that the analyzed Pb isotope ratios
are anomalously radiogenic (Table 6) and are therefore not
discussed further.
Model Pb evolution curves were calculated using the
207Pb/204Pb-206Pb/204Pb equations of Cumming and Richards
(1975), with ε modified to fit the K-feldspar analyses (Table
7). Of the Paxton Granite samples, the quartz monzonite
model (ε = 0.06747) was chosen to display in Figure 9 as it has
less radiogenic Pb than K-feldspar from the monzogranite
sample. Of the Hiltaba Association Granite samples, the Ky-
chering Granite model (ε = 0.05458) was chosen, as the Pe-
gler Granite K-feldspar has lower 207Pb and 206Pb compared
to 208Pb (not shown), and is therefore anomalously primitive.
The ages derived from these curves must be considered max-
imum ages because of the tendency of K-feldspar to contain
excess radiogenic Pb (e.g., Housh and Bowring, 1991; Cher-
niack, 1995). Because the data from the Kychering and Pegler
1553
1554 BUDD AND SKIRROW

TABLE 4. Results of Sm-Nd Iisotope Analyses of the Tarcoola Goldfield

Multi-
Sm Nd Initial Model model εNd
Sample no. Unit (ppm) (ppm) 147Sm/144Nd 143Nd/ 144Nd 2se Age 143Nd/ 144Nd ItCHUR εNd(t) age age (1580 Ma)

2000363005D Paxton 9.63 60.20 0.096703 0.511288 17191 0.510195 0.510414 –4.30 2050 2513 –6.10
2000363004 Paxton 10.53 66.55 0.095644 0.511273 17221 0.510190 0.510410 –4.32 2052 2517 –6.18
2000363004 rpt Paxton 10.22 64.58 0.095684 0.511255 17221 0.510171 0.510410 –4.68 2079 2544 –6.54
2000363008B* Paxton 6.50 42.30 0.092630 0.511176 9 17151 0.510131 0.510419 –5.65 2133 2611 –7.46
2000363007A Paxton 10.71 64.87 0.099783 0.511312 1722 0.510182 0.510410 –4.47 2078 2528 –6.25
2000363007D* LJD 5.60 27.40 0.123000 0.511878 8 15822 0.510599 0.510592 0.13 1569 2060 +0.13
2000363009A LJD 6.31 29.05 0.131247 0.511967 15822 0.510602 0.510592 0.19 1560 2060 +0.19
2002363002A TFm 3.19 16.26 0.118506 0.511661 16573 0.510370 0.510495 –2.45 1899 2320 –3.23
2002363001G TFm 6.63 38.07 0.105263 0.511457 16573 0.510310 0.510495 –3.62 1962 2410 –4.53
2002363001G rpt TFm 6.57 37.72 0.105250 0.511464 16573 0.510317 0.510495 –3.48 1950 2400 –4.39
20023630002I TFm 1.79 9.99 0.108270 0.511361 16573 0.510181 0.510495 –6.14 2192 2600 –7.02
2000363017A Ore 3.50 18.79 0.112559 0.511412 1580 0.510243 0.510595 –6.90 2212 2590 –6.90
2002363021A Ore 0.31 1.82 0.103786 0.511389 1580 0.510311 0.510595 –5.56 2042 2490 –5.56
2002363021C Ore 1.70 6.91 0.148476 0.511969 1580 0.510427 0.510595 –3.29 2107 2320 –3.29

Notes: * = analyzed at the University of Adelaide, all others at the University of Melbourne, rpt = repeat analysis; analysis parameters for Melbourne Uni-
versity are the following: La Jolla = 0.51186, 147Sm/144Nd CHUR(0) = 0.1967, 143Nd/144Nd CHUR(0) = 0.512638; parameters for University of Adelaide:
146Nd/144Nd = 0.7219, La Jolla = 0.51186; model age after Goldstein et al. (1984); Multi (two-stage) model age = ((–0.456·ε ) + (5.051·t
Nd (Ga)) + 4.56)/6.051;
2se = two standard error; initial 143Nd/144Nd = ratio of 143Nd/144Nd at age of formation = (143Nd/144Nd – 147Sm/144Nd)(ελt – 1); ItCHUR = initial 143Nd/144Nd
ratio of Chondritic Uniform Reservoir at age of formation = I0CHUR – 147Sm/144Nd CHUR0(ελt – 1); εNd(t) = ((143Nd/144Nd0/ItCHUR) – 1) × 104
1 Budd (2006)
2 Lady Jane Diorite (LJD) and ore (Budd and Fraser, 2004)
3 Tarcoola Formation (TFm; Daly, 1993b)

Granites suggest that the Hiltaba Association Granites are not Paxton Granite. Model ages for galena calculated using this
isotopically homogeneous in the Tarcoola region, the Kycher- model have a mean age of 1644.2 Ma, with a standard devia-
ing curve may not be representative of the Hiltaba Associa- tion of 2.5 Ma. This provides a maximum age for gold-related
tion Granites as a whole. hydrothermal activity. The galena model age lies between the
Galenas from gold mineralization have Pb isotope compo- depositional age for the Tarcoola Formation (1657 ± 7 Ma:
sitions on or close to the Paxton quartz monzonite evolution Daly, 1993b) and the minimum age of ~1580 Ma for hy-
curve (Fig. 9). This is strongly suggestive that a major pro- drothermal alteration provided by 40Ar/39Ar dating of sericite
portion of the Pb in the gold mineralizing system was leached (Budd and Fraser, 2004) and therefore is consistent with
from a source with similar Pb isotope characteristics to the these geochronological data. The Kychering model gives
galena model ages of ~1600 Ma, which are also consistent
with the age of the Tarcoola Formation and the minimum age
15.46
of gold-associated hydrothermal alteration.
K-feldspar
Galena
Epsilon Nd values for the Lady Jane Diorite are close to
Disseminated galena in quartzite zero, indicating input of Nd from a more primitive source
15.42
67
than the Hiltaba Association Granites of the same age (Fig.
11.
1.5
µ = lution
v o
8). Presumably Pb would also be less evolved (barring signif-
ne e
Possible evolved source
Pa
xto curv icant crustal contamination); therefore, an evolution curve for
15.38 1.4
the Lady Jane Diorite would plot below that of the Kychering
Pb/204Pb

0.8
5 on
1 luti
µ= g evo curve. Conversely, being a mix of crustal-derived sedimentary
i n
er rv e
1.6
Kych cu packages, the Tarcoola Formation would be expected to form
1.5
207

15.34
2004
several curves above the Paxton curve. To show possible ef-
2167 fects of input from the Lady Jane Diorite and the Tarcoola
2005D 1.7 1.6 Formation, a mixing isochron between the theoretical crustal
15.30 and primitive sources passing through the galena data from
Possible primitive
21
93 source this study is shown in Figure 9.
1.8 1.7
In all models, the two samples of galena disseminated in
15.26 quartzite are >100 m.y. younger than galenas associated with
15.5 15.7
206
15.9 16.1 16.3 gold mineralization (Table 7, Fig. 9). Kneeshaw (2003,
Pb/204Pb
unpub. report) suggested that this style of mineralization was
FIG. 9. 207Pb/204Pb vs. 206Pb/204Pb plot of minerals from the Tarcoola gold- located along stratigraphy of certain porous units adjacent to
field, Kychering and Pegler Granites. Paxton quartz monzonite and Kycher- the northeast-northwest structures related to the gold min-
ing Granite evolution curves are shown. Sample number abbreviations are
2004 = 2000363004 (Paxton monzogranite), 2005D = 2000363005D (Paxton eralization. It is suggested that the D3 event occurred ~100
quartz monzonite), 2167 = 20013630067 (Kychering Granite), 2193 = m.y. later than the gold mineralizing event and reactivated
2001363093 (Pegler Granite). some previous fluid pathways but was of a sufficiently low

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 TABLE 5. Descriptions of Samples Analyzed for Pb-Pb Isotopes from the Tarcoola Goldfield and Hiltaba Association Granites

Sample no. Unit Location Host description Material/description Comments

2000363004 Paxton Granite GP028RD, Coarse-grained hornblende-biotite K-feldspar (0.089 g): Fine water-clear Least altered granite sample; dominant
360.4 m monzogranite grains with some very fine microperthite; granite at Tarcoola; dated 1722.3 ± 3.9 Ma
minimal red staining or alteration; SHRIMP zircon1; 1 ppb Au, 31 ppm Pb
excellent sample
Whole-rock powder (0.055 g)
2000363005D Paxton Granite GP004D, Slightly altered (chlorite) medium-grained K-feldspar (0.050 g): Fine cloudy grains, Minor mafic end member of Paxton
148 m hornblende-titanite(-biotite) quartz sericite- or hematite-altered grains mostly Granite; dated 1718.6 ± 2.9 Ma SHRIMP

0361-0128/98/000/000-00 $6.00
monzogranite excluded zircon1
Whole-rock powder (0.181 g)
2000363007A Paxton Granite GP033RD, Moderate to strongly sericite-(hematite) Whole-rock powder (0.155 g) Altered granite sample; anomalous (473
238.85 m altered coarse-grained hornblende-biotite ppb) Au, 94 ppm Pb; sericite 40Ar/39Ar
monzogranite dated at 1576 ± 4 Ma2
2001363067 Kychering Granite 32 km W of Medium- to coarse-grained K-feldspar- K-feldspar (0.077 g): Weakly moderately Part of Hiltaba Association Granites; dated
Tarcoola porphyritic muscovite-(titanite) cloudy with prominent microperthite; 1574.7 ± 4.3 Ma SHRIMP zircon1; weak
monzogranite some hematite and sericite alteration of alteration
K-feldspar and/or plagioclase grains,
and some quartz present, but excluded
2001363093 Pegler Granite 65 km N of Medium-grained K-feldspar-porphyritic K-feldspar (0.153 g): Mostly clear, little Fine-grained example of Hiltaba Associa-
Tarcoola biotite-hornblende monzogranite sericite or hematite alteration; prominent tion Granite; high magnetic signature;
microperthite dated 1591.7 ± 5.8 Ma SHRIMP zircon1
2000363017A Paxton Granite TD005, Strongly quartz-sericite altered and veined Galena handpicked from heavy mineral Anomalous Au (0.84 g/t); sericite 40Ar/39Ar
80.4 m coarse-grained hornblende-biotite concentrate dated at 1587 ± 5 Ma2
monzogranite with carbonate-galena-
sphalerite-pyrite mineralization; sulfides
are intergrown

1555
2002363001C Tarcoola Formation TCD009, Fine-grained fairly clean quartzite with Fine-grained galena scratched from hand Distal to granites (i.e., up-sequence);
quartzite 341.8 m minor disseminated sphalerite-galena up sample, then handpicked under microscope outcrops contain spotty sulfides
to 4 mm
2002363002I Tarcoola Formation TCD005, Fine-grained fairly clean quartzite with Fine-grained galena scratched from hand Distal to granites (i.e., up-sequence);
quartzite 238 m minor disseminated sphalerite-galena up sample, then handpicked under microscope outcrops contain spotty sulfides
to 10 mm
2002363011A Tarcoola Formation GP005D, Precursor uncertain (probably limestone); Fine-grained galena scratched from hand 0.5% Pb, 0.9% Zn, 15.5 g/t Ag, 2.29 g/t Au
limestone 92.4 m strongly silicified, carbonate ± chlorite sample, then handpicked under microscope
veining; 10% disseminated pyrite-
sphalerite-galena to 3 mm
2002363011C Paxton Granite GP005D, Sulfide-carbonate-chlorite vein 3 cm wide Medium- to fine-grained galena scratched Near contact with Euro Limestone; 1.89%
101.37 m dominated by galena in quartz(-sericite) from hand sample, then handpicked under Pb, 0.3% Zn, 13.5 g/t Ag, 0.64 g/t Au
altered monzogranite microscope
2002363020B Paxton Granite GP005D, Galena-sphalerite-pyrite-quartz-carbonate Medium- to fine-grained galena scratched Very strongly altered granite; 2.8% Pb, 1%
190.77 m veining ~5 cm wide in quartz(-sericite) from hand sample, then handpicked under Zn, 42.5 g/t Ag, 11.85 g/t Au
altered monzogranite microscope
2002363021C Paxton Granite GP002D, Almost mass sulfide; thick section of very Medium- to fine-grained galena scratched Very high grade: 7% Pb, 8.7% Zn, 112 g/t
TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA

200.65 m fine banded galena-sphalerite-pyrite with from hand sample, then handpicked under Ag, 98 g/t Au, elevated As, Bi, Co, Cu, Mo
chlorite ± carbonate gangue in extremely microscope ± Cr
altered monzogranite
2002363005 Tarcoola Formation TCD013, Au-pyrite-carbonate vein in sericitized Finely intergrown Au and pyrite; scratched Some grains of spinel observed but not
shale 212.5 m graphitic black shale with very fine from sample, then put in HF-HNO3 included in submitted sample; pyrite could
disseminated Au-pyrite near vein solution to dissolve host, then handpicked not be separated from Au; high grade: 1m
@ 277 g/t Au

1 Budd (2006)
2 Budd and Fraser (2004)
1555
1556 BUDD AND SKIRROW

TABLE 6. Results of Pb Isotope Analyses of Tarcoola Goldfield temperature and magnitude that it did not reset the 40Ar/39Ar
and Hiltaba Association Granites system which closed at ~1580 Ma elsewhere in the Tarcoola
Sample no. Material 206Pb/ 204Pb 207Pb/ 204Pb 208Pb/ 204Pb goldfield. This is preferred to the possibility that Pb in these
two samples was sourced from a different reservoir than that
2002363001C Galena 16.137 15.409 35.863 of the gold mineralization at the same time. Such a reservoir
2002363002 I Galena 16.191 15.426 35.931 would need to be much more highly evolved than the Paxton
2000363017A Galena 15.899 15.347 35.650
2002363011C Galena 15.887 15.343 35.630 Granite.
2002363020B Galena 15.890 15.348 35.644
2002363011A Galena 15.889 15.348 35.649 Fluid Inclusions
2002363021C Galena 15.893 15.348 35.652 A total of 148 microthermometric measurements were ob-
2002363005.1 Au, pyrite 16.888 15.535 37.487 tained on 23 groups of inclusions in eight samples (Table 8)
2002363005.2 Au, pyrite 16.703 15.508 37.271 from diamond drill holes within the Perseverance deposit.
The samples were selected on the basis of demonstrable spa-
2000363004 K-feldspar 15.787 15.328 35.480
2000363005D K-feldspar 15.738 15.314 35.416 tial association with gold mineralization, and suitability for
2001363067 K-feldspar 15.910 15.330 35.700 analysis, including a probable primary origin. Most inclusion
2001363093 K-feldspar 15.669 15.292 35.609 groups are hosted by quartz, but some inclusions hosted in
2000363004wr* Granite wr 19.360 15.707 40.764
calcite and sphalerite were also analyzed.
2000363004wr* Granite wr 19.359 15.707 40.764 In this study, the inclusions were classified on the basis of
2000363004wr* Granite wr 19.356 15.706 40.764 phases present at room temperature, as follows: Type A
2000363005Dwr* Granite wr 17.783 15.536 38.774 vapor-rich, two-phase (V + L; max 90% vol vapor); type B liq-
2000363007Awr* Granite wr 16.972 15.455 37.211 uid-rich, two-phase (L + V; max. 20% vol vapor); type C mul-
2000363004 wr 19.390 15.717 93.113 tiphase solid, variable L + V, solid <50 percent vol (max 30%
2000363005D wr 17.826 15.548 102.789 vol vapor); type E three-phase H2O(l) + CO2(l) + CO2(v) ± CH4
2000363007A wr 16.998 15.464 75.550 (max 40% vol vapor); and type F four-phase H2O(l) + CO2(l) +
Broken Hill galena run with samples CO2(v) + solid (max 40% vol vapor).
BH1 Galena 16.006 15.392 35.667 The gold-related samples (2000363002F, 2000363011,
BH1 Galena 16.008 15.394 35.674 2000363014, 2002363021A, 2002363021C) were found to be
Earlier results for Broken Hill galena dominated by type B liquid-rich and type E carbonic inclu-
BH1 Central lode 16.005 15.390 35.661 sions. Type B aqueous inclusions are generally small (<10 µm)
galena with <20 vol percent vapor. The temperature of melting of ice
BH1 Central lode 16.004 15.389 35.661 (Tm(ice)) is generally in the range –8 to +3°C (Fig. 10). The
Richards (1986) Broken Hill 16.004 15.389 35.651
standard ore
positive values are probably due to either disequilibrium
melting, although several measurements were made on each
U (ppm) Pb (ppm) 238U/ 204Pb inclusion, or to the presence of clathrates, which were other-
wise unobservable. Calculations using the equations of Bod-
2000363004 wr 4.830 28.550 11.219
2000363005D wr 3.150 28.770 6.897 nar and Vityk (1994) give salinities of mostly <10 wt percent
2000363007A wr 4.600 86.140 3.257 NaCl equiv (Table 9). Total homogenization temperatures
range from 104° to 339°C, averaging 246°C (Table 9, Fig. 10).
Notes: Analyzed at University of Melbourne; * = unspiked, wr = whole-rock All of these inclusions homogenize to liquid. Note that the

TABLE 7. Pb Isotope Model Ages Based on Cumming and Richards (1975) Evolution Models

Paxton Paxton quartz

syenogranite model syenite model Kychering model Pegler model

Sample no. Material Age (Ma)1 µ Age (Ma)1 µ Age (Ma)1 µ Age (Ma)1 µ

2002363001C Galena 1572 12.16 1546 11.74 1495 10.96 1364 9.24
2002363002 I Galena 1553 12.19 1527 11.77 1475 10.99 1342 9.26
2000363017A Galena 1668 12.10 1644 11.68 1597 10.90 1476 9.18
2002363011C Galena 1672 12.09 1648 11.67 1601 10.90 1481 9.17
2002363020B Galena 1674 12.11 1650 11.69 1603 10.91 1484 9.18
2002363011A Galena 1674 12.11 1651 11.69 1604 10.91 1484 9.18
2002363021C Galena 1672 12.11 1648 11.69 1602 10.91 1482 9.18
2002363005.1 Au, pyrite 1227 12.21 1194 11.79 1128 11.02 955 9.31
2002363005.2 Au, pyrite 1313 12.20 1283 11.79 1221 11.01 1059 9.30
2000363004 K-feldspar 1722 12.11 1699 11.69 1654 10.90 1539 9.17
2000363005D K-feldspar 1741 12.09 1719 11.67 1674 10.89 1562 9.16
2001363067 K-feldspar 1647 12.04 1623 11.62 1575 10.85 1452 9.13
2001363093 K-feldspar 1767 12.06 1745 11.65 1701 10.86 1591 9.14

Notes: 207Pb/206Pb model ages and model µ (238U/204Pb) values calculated by Cumming and Richards (1975) linear increase in U/Pb
1 Zircon ages for plutons from which K-feldspar was analyzed in bold italics (Budd, 2006)

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA 1557

TABLE 8. Location and Description of Hosts of Fluid Inclusions from Perseverance Deposit, Tarcoola Goldfield

Sample no. Hole Depth (m) Host Vein description Metals

2000363002F GP002D 186.2 Sericite-quartz-pyrite altered Milky quartz + calcite Sphalerite, galena, pyrite
Paxton monzogranite anastomosing vein
2000363003K GP003D 422.2 Moderately hematite-magnetite 4-cm-wide quartz + calcite
altered Paxton monzogranite vein, euhedral quartz
2000363011 GP029RD 151.7 Extreme sericite-quartz-pyrite Inclusions in single quartz 2.92 g/t Au, pyrite
altered Paxton monzogranite grain, not vein
with fluorite + calcite
2000363014 GP005D 146 Brecciated sericite-quartz-pyrite Quartz-sulfide infill breccia 0.1 g/t Au, sphalerite, pyrite,
altered Paxton monzogranite galena
2000363005G GP004D 275 Moderately sericite-quartz-pyrite Narrow quartz vein with 11.2 g/t Au, 7.5 g/t Ag
altered Paxton monzogranite visible Au
2002363018C GP034RD 273.8 Strongly hematite-magnetite 2-cm-wide magnetite- Minor pyrite on late fractures
altered Paxton monzogranite quartz-chlorite vein
2002363021A GP002D 198.5 Strong phyllic altered Paxton Anastomosing milky quartz- 51.95 g/t Au, 31.5 g/t Ag,
monzogranite sulfide vein 1.62% Pb, 1.39% Zn
2002363021C GP002D 200.8 Strong phyllic altered Paxton Semimassive stringer sulfide 105 g/t Au, 135 g/t Ag, 7.61% Pb,
monzogranite 9.86% Zn, elevated As, Bi, Cu

TABLE 9. Microthermometric Data for Type B Aqueous (L + V) Fluid Inclusions from Perseverance Deposit, Tarcoola Goldfield

Wt % Mole Molality Molar

Inclusion1 Th(total) Tm(ice) NaCl frac. salt salt Density volume P at Th Critical T Critical P

Gold mineralization and/or sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration related samples

2002F E7a 100b 3 305.4 –0.5 0.8274 0.0026 0.1447 0.6888 26.3090 64.9713 381.4903 236.2270
2002F E7b sphalerite 215.0 –0.7 1.1576 0.0036 0.2006 0.8558 21.2203 11.8816 384.4924 243.8946
2002F J6 100a 6 269.0 –5.5 8.5125 0.0279 1.5931 0.8565 22.3514 3.4314 452.6607 428.9363
2002F J6 100a 8 284.0 –2.3 3.7572 0.0119 0.6685 0.7759 23.8398 46.2507 408.6892 307.7705
2002F J6 100d 2 300.0 –4.8 7.5355 0.0245 1.3941 0.7989 23.7910 59.8902 443.7925 404.3005
2002F J6 100d 3 287.0 –8.5 12.2869 0.0414 2.3973 0.8726 22.5636 48.6444 486.4821 522.2973
2002F J6 100e 4 302.0 –2.7 4.3892 0.0140 0.7881 0.7515 24.7255 61.7444 414.6222 323.8657
2002F J6 100e 5 339.0 –2.2 3.5979 0.0114 0.6401 0.6592 28.0286 101.6209 407.1927 303.7325
2002F J8 100a 10 221.0 –4.0 6.3737 0.0206 1.1675 0.8952 21.0537 13.3953 433.1225 374.7118
2005G F23pos1 328.0 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.6249 28.8923 88.7151 377.0326 224.9712
2005G F23pos4 179.5 –0.1 0.1656 0.0005 0.0278 0.8922 20.2146 7.2407 375.5618 221.2935
2005G J4 100a 4 300.0 –5.0 7.8185 0.0255 1.4525 0.8027 23.7280 59.8902 446.3704 411.4607
2005G J4 100i 2 211.8 –0.06 0.0993 0.0003 0.0167 0.8503 21.2005 11.1728 374.9760 219.8338
2005G J4 100j 1 263.8 –3.0 4.8570 0.0155 0.8739 0.8233 22.6431 32.1290 419.0066 335.8375
2205G J4 100a 5 248.0 –5.4 8.3753 0.0274 1.5638 0.8816 21.6910 23.4965 451.4200 425.4897
2221A O2 40b 8 287.5 –0.7 1.1576 0.0036 0.2006 0.7324 24.7959 49.0508 384.4924 234.8946
2221C L2 100f 2 219.3 –4.4 6.9606 0.0225 1.2777 0.9019 20.9844 12.9413 438.5293 389.6920
2221C L2 100k 3 181.0 –4.2 6.6686 0.0216 1.2254 0.9375 20.1477 7.3037 435.8437 382.2471
2221C N1 100g 3 188.5 –4.7 7.3929 0.0240 1.3650 0.9357 20.2901 7.8230 442.4902 400.6841
2221C L2 100i 5 199.8 –0.1 0.1656 0.0005 0.0278 0.8673 20.7960 9.0787 375.5618 221.2935
2221C N1 100g 2 119.6 –0.3 0.4966 0.0015 0.0834 0.9500 19.0280 1.4617 378.5114 228.6874
2221C P6 100d 8 117.8 0.8 1.3224 0.0041 0.2285 0.9555 19.0270 1.3801 386.0003 247.7709
2221C P6 40a 11 103.5 3.3 5.3191 0.0170 0.9600 0.9848 18.9913 0.8529 423.3262 347.6866

Hematite-magnetite alteration (gold-barren) samples

2003K K5 1 375.9 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.4875 37.0406 150.2195 377.0326 224.9712
2003K K5 3 361.0 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.5333 33.8569 129.7283 377.0326 224.9712
2003K K5 4 375.0 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.4903 36.8253 148.9539 377.0326 224.9712
2003K K5 5 179.0 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.8940 20.1967 7.1587 377.0326 224.9712
2003K K5 6 298.0 0.2 0.3311 0.0010 0.0556 0.6971 25.9010 58.0687 377.0326 224.9712
2218C G56 100b 1 176.0 –3.0 4.8570 0.0155 0.8739 0.9296 20.0578 6.6827 419.0066 335.8375
2218C M2 100c 6 127.5 –14.4 18.1153 0.0638 3.7828 1.0561 19.5015 1.8668 545.0000 677.3431

Notes: Th(total) = total homogenization temperature, Tm(ice) = temperature of ice melting; parameters were calculated in MacFlinCor (Brown and Hage-
mann, 1995), using the equations of Bodnar and Vityk (1994)
1 Sample number abbreviations: 2002F = 2000363002F; 2003K = 2000363003K; 2011 = 2000363011; 2014 = 2000363014; 2005G = 2000363005G;

2218C = 2002363018C; 2221A = 2002363021A = 2221C = 2002363021C

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1558 BUDD AND SKIRROW

8 ice. Homogenization of CO2 occurred in the range of 29° to

7 Type B aqueous 31.1°C, indicating a pressure (at temperature of measure-
Type C ment) of approximately 70 bars (Roedder, 1984). Calculation
6 by the equations of Kerrick and Jacobs (1981) give salinities
between 2 and 8 wt percent NaCl equiv (Table 10). Total ho-
Frequency

5
mogenization temperatures range from 203° to 351°C, with
4 an average of 292°C (Fig. 10). The majority of the inclusions
homogenized into the liquid phase, but some homogenized to
3 vapor. Several of the inclusions contained between 1 to 9 mol
2 percent CH4, as determined by laser Raman analysis (Table
11).
1 Two inclusions in sphalerite were measured, one type B
0 (2000363002F E7b sphal) and one type E (2000363014 L3
-15 -13 -11 -9 -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 sph 2). Both behaved the same as inclusions in nearby
Temp. Melting Ice quartz, indicating that quartz was deposited at the same tem-
7 perature as sphalerite and, by inference, other sulfides and
Type B aqueous
Type E carbonic
ore components.
6
Type C Calculated isochores for the type B and E inclusions are
5 shown in Figure 11. The liquid-vapor curves of Schmidt and
Bodnar (2000), based on Gehrig (1980), have been used in
Frequency

4 this study. Two liquid-vapor curves have been shown for the
carbonic inclusions, with the data approximating the 6 wt per-
3 cent NaCl equiv, 10 mol percent CO2 curve (see Table 10).
The isochores have been projected from their measured tem-
2
perature of homogenization, and the minimum pressure, as
1 calculated by the equations of Kerrick and Jacobs (1981),
ranges from 80 to 250 MPa. The dashed isochores for inclu-
0 sion 2221A C8 100b 2 are shown with different volume frac-
100 140 180 220 260 300 340 380 tions of CO2 to illustrate the dependence of calculated pres-
Temp. Homogenisation (total) sure on this variable.
400
The three-phase type E carbonic fluid inclusions give a cal-
Temp. Homogenisation (total)

350 culated minimum pressure of trapping ranging from 50 to 290

300
250
200
150
100
50
0 schist facies metamorphism (i.e., temperatures of <400°C:
0 2 4 6
NaCl wt% eq.
FIG. 10. Histograms of measured temperature of melting of ice (top),
measured total homogenization temperatures (middle), and calculated salin-
ities vs. total homogenization temperature (bottom) of fluid inclusions in
quartz from the Perseverance deposit, Tarcoola goldfield.
type B inclusions in sample 2003K are not included in this av-
erage, as this sample is not related to gold mineralization.
Laser Raman analysis of selected inclusions was not able to
detect any CO2.
Type E carbonic inclusions from mineralized samples are
generally slightly larger than the type B inclusions, being
mostly ~10 µm. Vapor/liquid ratios vary between samples,
ranging from as little as 1/10 to 1/2. The Tm(ice) is generally in
the range –6.6° to +4.4°C (Fig. 10). The positive values indi-
cate the presence of clathrates or disequilibrium melting of
MPa (Fig. 11), equating to a depth range of approximately 2
to 10 km. Other geologic constraints suggest that 10 km is a
maximum depth for mineralization. The geothermal gradient
during the Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event is
estimated to be ~35°C/km (Creaser, 1996), giving a tempera-
ture of 350°C at 10 km. All veining observed in the Tarcoola
goldfield is brittle in nature, implying a temperature of
<300°C, as quartz deforms by dislocation glide and creep at
Type B aqueous higher temperatures (Passchier and Trouw, 1996). The alter-
Type E carbonic ation mineral assemblage is similar to that of lower green-
8 10 12 14
Best, 1982).
There is no definitive evidence for phase separation or fluid
mixing, but phase separation as the dominant gold deposition
mechanism is preferred for the following reasons. The salin-
ity and total homogenization temperature of the carbonic in-
clusions fall within the range of the aqueous inclusions (Fig.
10), and the two systems show subparallel isochores (Fig. 11),
suggesting that the type B and E inclusions were formed
under similar conditions. Figure 12 shows neighboring type B
and E inclusions, which may be interpreted to indicate that
both inclusion types were formed at the same time. The over-
lap in total homogenization temperatures, with the type E in-
clusions at the upper end of the range (Fig. 10), is typical of
phase separation. However, the lack of evidence for CO2 in
the type B inclusions suggests that these cannot be part of an
immiscible pair with the carbonic type E inclusions, although
it may be that the type B inclusions are too small and have

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA 1559

Notes: Calculations performed by MacFlinCor (Brown and Hagemann, 1995), using equations of Kerrick and Jacobs (1981); ρ = density; * these rows are repeat calculations of inclusion 2221A C8
TABLE 11. Laser Raman Data for CH4-Bearing Type E Inclusions

21.292
26.998
26.988
26.987
26.989
26.098
27.259
27.259
22.062
24.803
21.806
27.259
36.349
Bulk
MV
from Perseverance Deposit, Tarcoola Goldfield

Sample no. Inclusion CO2 (mol %) CH4 (mol %)

0.959
0.784
0.785
0.788
0.788
0.836
0.772
0.772
0.869
0.785
0.895
0.772
0.649
Bulk
ρ

2000363002F J6 100e 1 95 5
0.020
0.008
0.008
0.011
0.010
0.004
0.011
0.011
0.011
0.008
0.011
0.011
0.009
XNaCl
Bulk

2000363002F J6 100d 2 91 9
2000363002F E7 100g 1 100 0
2000363002F E7 100h 2 100 0
0.061
0.108
0.108
0.108
0.108
0.139
0.100
0.100
0.028
0.044
0.040
0.100
0.200
Bulk
XCO2

2000363002F E7 100d 3 97 3
2000363002F F8 a100b 1 96 4
0.919
0.883
0.883
0.881
0.881
0.857
0.890
0.890
0.961
0.948
0.949
0.890
0.791
2000363002F F8 a100d 2 97 3

100b 2, varying the volume fraction of vapor, and the volume fraction of CO2, and demonstrate the strong dependence on the accuracy of the estimation of vapor volume
XCH4 XH2O
Carb Bulk

2000363002F F8 a100e 3 97 3
2002363021A O2 100h 4 97 3
0.000
0.004
0.012
0.004
0.004
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
2002363021A O2 100h 4 97 3
TABLE 10. Microthermometric Data for Type E Carbonic Fluid Inclusions from Perseverance Deposit, Tarcoola Goldfield

2002363021A O2 100b 5 99 1
2002363021A O2 40f 6 98 2
1.000
0.996
0.988
0.996
0.996
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
Carb
XCO2

2000363014 G2 2 99 1
69.761
99.530
99.160
99.530
99.530
75.078
109.132
109.132
158.535
169.290
109.132
109.132
109.132
Carb
MV

very low CO2, making its detection difficult. Fluid mixing

usually results in two distinct groups in a plot of Th(total) against
0.631
0.441
0.441
0.441
0.441
0.586
0.403
0.403
0.278
0.260
0.403
0.403
0.403
Carb

salinity, with a mixing line between the populations, and this

ρ

is not evident in Figure 10.

Inclusions of other types are not common. Only one type A
0.022
0.009
0.009
0.012
0.012
0.005
0.012
0.012
0.011
0.008
0.012
0.012
0.012
XNaCl

1 Sample number abbreviations: 2002F = 2000363002F; 2014 = 2000363014; 2221A = 2002363021A; 2221C = 2002363021C

inclusion was examined, hosted by calcite, with no microther-

mometric analyses completed. Thirteen type C and four type
Molal Wt %

6.710
2.959
2.959
3.890
3.706
1.615
3.706
3.706
3.521
2.580
3.706
3.706
3.706
NaCl NaCl

F inclusions were examined, and the majority of these were

found in sample 2002363018C. This sample is a strongly
1.231
0.522
0.522
0.693
0.659
0.281
0.659
0.659
0.624
0.453
0.659
0.659
0.659

hematite-magnetite–altered monzogranite cut by a 1-cm-

wide magnetite-chlorite-quartz vein. Inclusions in quartz in
both the wall rock and the vein were of similar types but dif-
1.041
1.012
1.012
1.019
1.018
1.002
1.018
1.018
1.017

1.018
1.018
1.018
L-V4 Aq ρ

1.01

fered from the inclusions in quartz in mineralized samples. In

particular, many of the type C inclusions contained solid salt
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L

and/or opaque grains, indicating >26.5 wt percent NaCl

equiv. Complete microthermometric measurements were
285.0
264.7
264.7
299.0
306.0
282.2
324.7
324.7
276.0
334.9
324.7
324.7
324.7
(total)
Th

made on only two aqueous (type B) inclusions in this sample,

with the calculated results presented in Table 9. However,
L-V CO2 estim

29.0
29.5
29.5
29.5
29.5
30.2
30.9
30.9
27.4
26.3
30.9
30.9
30.9

many of the inclusions of all types decrepitated at >300°C

T3

prior to total homogenization, indicating high trapping tem-

peratures and pressures. The complex, multiphase type C and
Tm Th2 Th(CO2) frac
Vol

0.2
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.4
0.6

F inclusions found in sample 2002363018C are similar to the

inclusions described by Kamenetsky et al. (2002), as being de-
29.0
29.5
29.5
29.5
29.5
30.2
30.9
30.9
27.4
26.3
30.9
30.9
30.9

posited from granite-derived hydrothermal fluids. This is con-

sistent with our interpretation of the hematite-magnetite
(clath) to

v
v

v
v
v
v
v
v
v
l

3 Temperature that volume fraction of CO was estimated

stage of alteration as deuteric and related to magmatic fluids

6.4
8.5
8.5

8.1
9.2
8.1
8.1
8.2
8.7
8.1
8.1
8.1

exsolved during cooling of the Paxton Granite, significantly

8

predating the gold mineralization and associated sericite-

–3.2
–5.3
–4.9
–6.6
–5.2
–0.2
–5.0
–4.2
–5.0
–3.2
–5.0
–5.0
–5.0
(mm) (mm) (CO2) vapor (ice)
Tm frac Tm

quartz-pyrite alteration.
4 Phase of inclusion after total homogenization
2
Vol

Discussion
0.2
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.3
0.6
0.6
0.6

The above data constrain the origin of mineralization at the

–55.4
–57.1
–57.1
–56.9
–56.9
–56.5
–56.3
–56.3
–56.6
–56.3
–56.3
–56.3
–56.3

Tarcoola goldfield, which shows similarities to orogenic

2
2 Homogenization phase of CO

(Groves et al., 1998, 2003), intrusion-related (Thompson et

W

4
7
10
4
4
10
5
5
8
8
5
5
5

al., 1999), and lamprophyre-associated (Rock et al., 1989)

models of gold deposits. However, neither the Tarcoola gold-
8
8
15
8
5
18
10
10
15
15
10
10
10
L

field, nor any of the other deposits of the central Gawler gold
2014 L3 sphalerite 2

province, is exactly similar to type deposits of these models.

2221A C8 100b 2.1*
2221A C8 100b 2.2*
2221A C8 100b 2.3*
2002F E7A 100F 1

2221A C8 100 2rpt

2221A C8 100b 2

2221C P6 100b 1
2221A C8 40c 10

The Tarcoola goldfield is hosted by felsic granite and

metasedimentary rocks, and most of the other deposits of the
2014 M3 1
2014 M3 4
2014 G2 1
2014 G2 2
Inclusion1

central Gawler gold province are hosted by felsic granite.

Hosts for intrusion-related gold deposits are commonly felsic
granitoids and sedimentary rocks, whereas mafic intrusions

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1560 BUDD AND SKIRROW

600 600 XH O=0.9415

XH O=0.9807 2
2 XNaCl=0.0185
XNaCl=0.0193
XCO =0.000 XCO =0.0400
500 2 500 2
6 wt% NaCl, 0 mol% CO2 6 wt% NaCl, 4.08 mol% CO2

.1
Gehrig (1980) Gehrig (1980)

2
0b
10
C8
400 400 XH O=0.8843

1A
Pressure (Mpa)

2
XNaCl=0.0174

22
XCO =0.0983
2
6 wt% NaCl, 10 mol% CO2 2
300 300 2.
&
Gehrig (1980) 2
b
1 00
C8
A
21
200 200 22
2.3
0 0b
81
AC
21
22
100 100

0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Temperature (°C) Temperature (°C)
FIG. 11. Calculated isochores for type B (left) and E (right) fluid inclusions. Liquid-vapor curves are from Gehrig (1980)
quoted in Schmidt and Bodnar (2000). Three repeat calculations of inclusion 2221A C8 100b 2 (see Table 10) have been
drawn to illustrate the strong dependence on the estimate of the volume fraction of CO2 on the calculation of pressure by
the equations of Kerrich and Jacobs (1981), as peformed by MacFlinCor (Brown and Hagemann, 1995).

and graywacke-slate sequences are more common hosts for
orogenic gold deposits (Groves et al., 2003). In this regard,
the Tarcoola goldfield and central Gawler gold province de-
posits are more similar to intrusion-related gold deposits.
The Tarcoola goldfield is the only deposit in the central
Gawler gold province that contains appreciable Pb and Zn.
Other elements that are commonly elevated in orogenic gold
and intrusion-related gold deposits (specifically Bi, Mo, Sb,
Sn, Mo) are not significantly enriched in moderately intense
sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration or in ore at the Tarcoola gold-
field, but concentrations of As, Ag and Cd are higher in ore.
The metal association and sulfide content of the central
Gawler gold province deposits are not considered to be in-
dicative of either orogenic or intrusion-related gold deposits,
as both types may contain noneconomic base metal concen-
trations, as well as anomalous trace elements (Groves et al.,
2003).
The alteration of the Paxton monzogranite at the Tarcoola
goldfield is similar to that in both orogenic gold and intrusion-
related gold deposits but perhaps more similar to the intru-
sion-related gold deposits which include common K-feldspar
(Groves et al., 2003).
P-T-X characteristics of fluid inclusions in the Perseverance
deposit fall within the ranges of composition, pressure, and
temperature for both the orogenic gold and intrusion-related
gold deposits. Fluid inclusion characteristics of these deposit
types overlap considerably, perhaps with the exception that
ore fluids in intrusion-related gold deposits may be more
saline than those in orogenic gold deposits (Groves et al.,
2003). Mineralization in the Tarcoola goldfield and in other
central Gawler gold province gold deposits (Ferris and
Schwarz, 2003; Fraser et al., 2007) is dominantly quartz-bear-
ing vein hosted and is probably more typical of the intrusion-
related gold type, especially the absence of large veins, vein
arrays, saddle reefs, and replacement of Fe-rich rocks com-
mon to the orogenic gold type (Groves et al., 2003). In addi-
tion to fluid inclusion microthermometry, Hein et al. (1994)
used chlorite chemistry and sulfur and oxygen isotope data to
suggest that gold deposition at the Tarcoola Blocks mine was
caused by a decrease in fluid fO2. Gold was suggested to have
been transported initially as AuCl –2 at high temperatures, but
as Au(HS)–2 prior to mineralization and during ore deposition.
Hein et al. (1994) suggested that sulfide deposition occurred
from about 300° to 170°C, with gold deposition occurring at
about 260° to 250°C. The present study has recorded a simi-
lar range of homogenization temperatures for fluid inclusions
at the Perseverance deposit to those at Tarcoola Blocks (Hein
et al., 1994), and it is considered probable that mineralization
at both areas of the Tarcoola goldfield formed under similar
pressure-temperature conditions. Wall-rock sulfidation may
have played a minor role in metal deposition, as evidenced by
the decrease in the abundance of magnetite and precipitation
of pyrite in moderately sericite-quartz-pyrite–altered rocks
that have anomalous gold.
The Tarcoola goldfield is coeval with the Gawler Range-
Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event (Budd and Fraser, 2004;
Budd, 2006), as are other deposits of the central Gawler gold
province (Fraser et al., 2007). The Gawler Range-Hiltaba vol-
cano-plutonic event is the last significant thermal event to
have occurred in this area of the Gawler craton, and therefore
gold mineralization can be considered to be syn- to late-tec-
tonic. A strong temporal association with felsic intrusions is a

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 TARCOOLA GOLDFIELD AND CENTRAL GAWLER GOLD PROVINCE, S. AUSTRALIA
aqeuous
carbonic
10 µm
aqeuous
carbonic
aqeuous
FIG. 12. Coexisting type B two-phase aqueous and type E three-phase
carbonic fluid inclusions in samples 2002363021A (top) and 2002363020A
(bottom). Ambient temperature >31°C; therefore all CO2 is as vapor
key feature of the intrusion-related gold deposit type
(Thompson et al., 1999), but orogenic gold deposits are also
sometimes found to be coeval with nearby felsic granites
(Kerrich and Cassidy, 1994). However, the granites of the in-
trusion-related gold association have a consistent, narrow
range of compositions (Lang and Baker, 2001; Groves et al.,
2003; Blevin, 2004). Most of the granites of the Hiltaba Asso-
ciation in the area of the central Gawler gold province, in-
cluding the Tarcoola region, are similar to those of the intru-
sion-related gold association (Budd, 2006). They are
metaluminous, near the alkalic-subalkalic boundary, moder-
ately to strongly evolved, high K, and moderately to strongly
fractionated. They are moderately to strongly oxidized as de-
termined by whole-rock Fe2O3/FeO (i.e., above the FMQ
buffer); however, this may have been affected by subsolidus
alteration. Some of the Hiltaba Association Granites in the
Tarcoola area contain magnetite with exsolved ilmenite lamel-
lae, and the less felsic granites contain titanite, indicating an
oxidation state above FMQ (Wones, 1989; Xirouchakis and
Lindsley, 1998; Blevin, 2004). None of the presently known
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1561
deposits in the central Gawler gold province are hosted by
Hiltaba Association Granites, but all are within 10 km of units
thought to belong to the Hiltaba Association. Isotope tracing
studies at the Tarcoola goldfield did not indicate a genetic link
with Hiltaba Association Granites, other than to suggest an
input of Nd from the Lady Jane Diorite.
The Lady Jane Diorite shows many of the characteristics of
lamprophyres, as discussed by Rock et al. (1989). Many of the
central Gawler gold province deposits contain mafic-interme-
diate dikes, but the Lady Jane Diorite at Tarcoola is the only
suite to have been studied. Given the structural and temporal
intimacy between mafic dikes and mineralization at Tarcoola,
and the possibility of a genetic link between the mineraliza-
tion and the dikes (as suggested by Nd isotope data), we spec-
ulate that such magmatism played a role in the central Gawler
gold province mineral system, possibly similar to the role that
mantle-derived mafic and/or ultramafic dikes of the Gawler
Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic association played in the for-
mation of the Olympic Dam IOCG deposit (Johnson and Mc-
Culloch, 1995).
The broader tectonic setting for both the mineralization
and coeval Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event are
not well understood. At the current level of understanding,
tectonic setting cannot be used to classify the Au deposits of
the central Gawler gold province as either orogenic or intru-
sion related (cf. Groves et al., 2003). Of the characteristics
outlined above, mineralization style and host-rock type are
more consistent with the Tarcoola goldfield and other central
Gawler gold province deposits being intrusion-related rather
than orogenic.
Conclusions
The following constraints on the origin of gold mineraliza-
tion in the Tarcoola goldfield can be made from the available
data. First, mineralization occurred synchronously with de-
formation and microdiorite dike intrusions, as part of the ex-
tensive Gawler Range-Hiltaba volcano-plutonic event at
~1580 Ma. This significantly postdated the Paxton Granite
(~1715 Ma), a host rock to gold mineralization. Alteration,
veining, and mineralization in the Tarcoola goldfield is con-
trolled by faults, with the exception of minor mineralization
disseminated in granite (Daly et al., 1990). Alteration inten-
sity and mineralization are related to fracture density, sug-
gesting that the structural regime was an important control on
ore location. Mineralization mostly occurs in narrow (<1 m)
quartz veins, with very high gold grades being recorded
where veins intersect carbonaceous siltstones of the Tarcoola
Formation, and also patchily in quartz veins and as semimas-
sive sulfides in other lithologic units. Primary fluid inclusions
from mineralized quartz veins are dominated by two-phase
aqueous inclusions and three-phase H2O-CO2(l)-CO2(v) ± CH4
inclusions. Both inclusion types have salinities of <10 wt per-
cent NaCl equiv and homogenize between 150° and ~340°C.
The occurrence together in the same growth zone of quartz
grains of both inclusion types indicates the coexistence of
aqueous and carbonic fluids. Definitive evidence from fluid
inclusions regarding the gold deposition mechanism is lack-
ing, however phase separation is suggested. Pb isotopes of
galena from gold-bearing mineralized veins are similar to
those of K-feldspar and whole-rock samples of the Paxton
1561
1562 BUDD AND SKIRROW
Granite. This is consistent with a local source for Pb and pos-
sibly other ore components, but not all potential reservoirs
were sampled. Variably altered and gold mineralized samples
of Paxton Granite show a loss of Nd and a trend from
εNd(1580Ma) values of about –6.2 in slightly altered samples to-
ward more positive Nd values of about –3.3 in high-grade
gold samples. Of the local lithologic units, the Lady Jane
Diorite has εNd(1580Ma) values of about +0.15 and is the most
probable source of the more primitive Nd isotope compo-
nents in mineralized samples.
The Tarcoola goldfield shares many of the characteristics of
orogenic (e.g., Groves et al., 2003) and intrusion-related (e.g.,
Thompson et al., 1999) gold deposits. Regardless of the clas-
sification, the overall apparent similarities in timing (Fraser et
al., 2007) and style (e.g., Ferris and Schwarz, 2003) between
Tarcoola and the other central Gawler gold province deposits
suggest that they shared a common origin. It is suggested that
locations characterized by brittly fractured Archean or Paleo-
proterozoic granite, or Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary
rocks, within 10 km of known Hiltaba Association Granite are
most prospective. The presence of coeval mafic dikes within
a prospect also appears to be a key indicator of mineral
potential.
Acknowledgments
This work has been completed as part of Geoscience Aus-
tralia’s Gawler Minerals Promotion program and as part of the
first author’s Ph.D. study at the Department of Earth and
Marine Sciences, Australian National University. Evgeniy
Bastrakov, Shen-Su Sun (deceased), David Huston, David
Champion, and Terry Mernagh (Geoscience Australia), and
Phil Blevin (Petrochem Consultants) are thanked for discus-
sions and advice. We thank Frank Bierlein and Peter Neu-
mayr (University of Western Australia) and members of the
editorial board for their constructive reviews of the manu-
script. Nd isotopes were analyzed by Roland Maas (University
of Melbourne) and Karin Barovich (University of Adelaide),
and Pb isotopes by Roland Maas. Access to confidential drill
core and other data was provided by Stellar Resources and
AngloGold Australia. This study is published with the per-
mission of the Chief Executive Officer, Geoscience Australia.
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