Western Australia | Southwest Meteorite Laboratory

Veevers

Meteorites were discovered in 1988 by Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker; the crater was identify earlier. The location was difficult to get to but eventually adventurers did find it and found a few specimens.

Meteoritical Bulletin: MB 67
Thirty-four small, metallic fragments, the largest weighing 36 g, have been recovered around a crater 80 metres in diameter, E. Shoemaker (1988) pers. comm. Classification, analysis, 5.8% Ni, 57.7 ppm Ga, 160 ppm Ge, 0.028 ppm Ir, J. T. Wasson et al. (1989) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 53, 735.

Earth Impact Database:
Veevers Crater
Western Australia, Australia
D = 0.08 km, Age < 1 Ma; exposed Impact crater cited in the Earth Impact Database, maintained by the Planetary and Space Science Centre, University of New Brunswick, Canada.

Bencubbin

The first mass (54.2 kg) of Bencubbin was discovered in 1930 during ploughing. A second, larger mass (64.6 kg) was found in 1959 and donated to the Western Australian Museum by Mr Fred Hardwick, and a third mass (15.76 kg) was found in 1974. Bencubbin has subsequently proved to be an extreme rarity and have significant scientific importance. Originally classified as a ‘stony-iron’, today it is recognized as the type specimen of a new group of carbonaceous chondrites (CB), or ‘Bencubbinites’. Bencubbin is a breccia (a rock formed of angular fragments cemented by a finer material) enclosing clasts of material from other chondritic groups, and the meteorite remains the subject of extensive ongoing research.

Wolf Creek

A large circular crater was first observed from the air in June 1947. Fragments of iron-shale are abundant on the SW part of the crater rim; they contain 3.5% to 4.5% Ni, some retain a little unaltered metal, Spec. Publ. West. Austr. Mus., 1965, (3), p.52, M.H.Hey, Cat. Met., 1966, p.523. Description of crater and material, W.A.Cassidy, Meteoritics, 1954, 1, p.197; L.LaPaz, Meteoritics, 1954, 1, 200. Further material, 1.3kg found, analysis, S.R.Taylor, Nature, 1965, 208, p.944. Further analysis, 9.22% Ni, 18.4 ppm Ga, 37.3 ppm Ge, 0.036 ppm Ir, E.R.D.Scott et al., GCA, 1973, 37, p.1957. Another analysis, J.R.de Laeter, J. Roy. Soc. West. Austr., 1973, 56, p.123. Metallographic description; a little deformed or fractured, V.F.Buchwald, Handbook of Iron Meteorites, Univ. of California, 1975, p.1327. Contains pecoraite, a hydrated Ni silicate, G.T.Faust et al., U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper, 1973, (384C), A.L.Graham et al., Cat. Met., 1985, p.374. Calculation of meteoroid fragmentation sequence, B.Lang and K.Franaszczuk, LPSC, 1987, 18, p.531 (abs.). Calculation of terminal meteoroid mass and impact energy, D.O.ReVelle and R.S.Rajan, LPSC, 1989, 20, p.896 (abs.). Formation age of the crater is about 300,000 years, E.M.Shoemaker et al., Meteoritics, 1990, 25, p.409 (abs.). Siderophile element abundances in metal, impactites and target rock, M.Attrep et al., LPSC, 1991, 22, p.39 (abs.).

Millbillillie

A fireball was witnessed in 1960 and appeared to fall on Millbillillie and Jundee Stations. Ten years later, the first meteorites were found. The glassy fusion crust is very impressive. It is an equillibrated eucrite with granular texture brecciated with fine impact-melt.

Mount Egerton

Four fragments, totalling 1.7kg, submitted for examination by M.T.Gaffney from a place 12 miles from Mt. Egerton (coordinates given), consist of Fe-Ni metal with 6.38% Ni embedded in large crystals of enstatite, one of which measures 8.5 x 5 x 2.8 cm; schreibersite, troilite, and possibly oldhamite are present, H.Bowley, Ann. Rep. Dept. Mines West. Austr. for 1942, 1944, p.76, M.H.Hey, Cat. Met., 1966, p.322. Description, G.J.H.McCall, Min. Mag., 1965, 35, p.241. Listed, Spec. Publ. West. Austr. Mus., 1965, (3), p.42. In December 1963, further specimens, totalling 250g, were found. An additional find of thousands of small fragments, of total weight about 20kg, was made in June 1966, 8 miles from the summit of Mount Egerton towards no.3 well, 24

Mundrabilla

The two largest masses, 11 ton and 5 ton, were found in 1966. Another 1640 kg mass was found in 1979. Many smaller individuals have been recovered by rabbit hunters and meteorite seekers. The meteorites are chemically and structurally anomalous. Cross-sections exhibit an unusual sulfide-silicate distribution pattern.

Cocklebiddy

A Single stone found on a sheep station Hampton Tableland, WA. A mass of 19.5kg was found 2.6 miles WNW of Nallah Nallah Rockhole, G.J.H.McCall and W.H.Cleverly, Min. Mag., 1968, 36, p.691, G.J.H.McCall, First suppl. to West. Austr. Mus. Spec. Publ. no. 3, 1968, p.3, A.L.Graham et al., Cat. Met., 1985, p.106. Olivine Fa17.2, B.Mason, Rec. Austr. Mus., 1974, 29, p.169. Cd and Zn abundances, K.J.R.Rosman and J.R.De Laeter, GCA, 1974, 38, p.1665. Te content, C.L.Smith et al., GCA, 1977, 41, p.676. Yb content, M.T.McCulloch et al., GCA, 1977, 41, p.1703. Bulk chemical analysis, T.C.Hughes and P.Hannaker, Meteoritics, 1978, 13, p.89. Pd content, N.Mermelengas et al., GCA, 1979, 43, p.747. Find location, coordinates, A.W.R.Bevan and R.A.Binns, Meteoritics, 1989, 24, p.127. C-14 terrestrial age, A.J.T.Jull et al., Workshop on Meteorites from Cold and Hot Deserts, LPI Tech. Rpt. 95-02, 1995, p.37 (abs.). Analysis of halogene distribution, U.Kr

Camel Donga

Camel Donga is a brecciated, monomict, basaltic eucrite containing lot of metal, for a eucrite. It sticks to a magnet. These specimens were pick up shortly after the fall and preserved in the Western Australia Museum in Perth. They have an export permit issued by the Department of Cultural Heritage.