At the request of the South Australian Government a gravity survey to investigate the possibility of further coal basins to the north of the Leigh Creek coalfield was commenced by officers of this Bureau in October, 1947. This survey was suspended in December, and a report was prepared dealing with the work carried out to that date (1948/004 and 1948/048). The area covered, however, was only a small part of a much larger area covered by a superficial layer of Tertiary rocks, beneath which a coal basin could exist. The work was resumed in May, 1948, and was continued until September, when the party was withdrawn. In additional to the geophysical field work carried out on the covered area to the north of the known coal deposits, some work was done on the Center or Telford basin. A number of traverses was read on the western edge of the basin, with a view to determining places where shallow coal might be found. The geology of the area, technical matters, results, and recommendations are discussed in this report. Accompanying plans are included.

This report describes the results of a micropalaeontological examination of samples recovered from the depth of 200-250 feet from Bondsprings station.

Report on gravity survey work and drill testing completed at Leigh Creek between 1947 and 1948. Observations and results are briefly discussed.

In the Preliminary Report on Cambrian Fossils (1948/073) collected in the Northern Territory, locality B.68, 20.4 miles west of Djarra, was placed among the localities with the western development of the Middle Cambrian Xystridura-fauna. Mr. P.B. Nye has drawn the writer's attention to the fact that the Djarra locality is in Queensland 90 miles east from the Northern Territory border; i.e. far away from those localities with a typical "western fauna" and near those with an "eastern fauna". A re-examination of the fossils and palaeogeographical interpretation of the locality near Djarra therefore becomes necessary.

In 1943, an investigation was carried out on portions of the Latrobe Valley Brown Coalfield, using the electrical resistivity method, to see whether or not this method could prove useful in determining the depth to coal. At this time, the possibility of a gravity survey was discussed, and in January, 1948, gravity tests were commenced using a Humble-Truman gravimeter. Later, a substantial number of the readings were repeated with a more modern type of gravity meter, and a few new stations established. The results were subjected to a preliminary investigation soon after the completion of field work, but it was evident that a much more detailed study would be required before an interpretation could be completed. Prior to these tests, discussions took place between technical officers with a view to selecting an area for testing on which the results could be related to some of the known geological structures, and, subsequently, an area was selected in the Parish of Hazelwood for this purpose. The geology of the area, survey method, and results are discussed in this report. Accompanying geological plans are included.

The second drill hole on the area of the Dapville No. 1 anomaly has been completed and some details of the results are given in this report. Following the discovery of this and other magnetic anomalies of low intensity in the course of surveying, there is a need for the determination of priority on the part of the operating company, in the testing of these anomalies. The principal purpose of this report is to draw further attention to the Peak magnetic anomaly and to discuss various factors which the company may desire to take into consideration in the determination of the priority question mentioned above.

Samples of "glauconite" were collected from the glauconitic sandstone at Lakes Entrance and the glauconitic fossiliferous Miocene limestone of Maslin's Beach and Hackham. The refractive indices of the samples were measured. The results were compared against the range of refractive indices for glauconite, as given by A.N. Winchell. The composition of the samples and the observed results are discussed in this report.

This report describes the results of the micropalaeontological examination of five rock samples collected from the south side of the Desert Basin.

The report describes the results of a micropalaeontological examination of four rock samples from the Kimberley District.

This report describes the results of the micropalaeontological examination of two samples from central Queensland.