BALLINA.1 DISTRICT
Ballina is situated on the North Coast at the mouth of the Richmond River, and is 517 miles north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway. The population is about 4000.
Gold. Some fine gold is associated with heavy mineral sands in old strandline deposits behind the beach near the mouth of the Richmond River and in places was of payable value.
Minerals. Important beach sand deposits containing rutile zircon, ilmenite and monazite are worked along the coast in this district Other valuable minerals including platinum and tin may occur in very small quantity in the heavy mineral Principal centres of activity have been at Byron Bay, Lennox Head and Evans Head.
A diatomite deposit is known at Tintenbar.
Gemstones. A transparent variety of precious opal occurring as nodules from pea to walnut size is found in the soil weathered from a volcanic rock at Tintenbar. At Teven similar opal occurs filling cavities in volcanic rock. The Tintenbar deposits are occasionally fossicked.
COFFS HARBOUR.1 DISTRICT
Coff's Harbour is on the Pacific Highway 393 miles by road and 378 miles by rail north of Sydney. The population is about 8000.
Gold. At Nana Creek good results came from crushings at the Beacon Mine in the early days. The Illabo and Matilda Hill were also in this locality. Other gold producing centres were at Upper and Lower Bucca, Orara, Tallewadjah Creek, Coramba, Karangi and Moleton. Both copper and gold were present in the Mount Brown and Mount Bischoff Mines near Coramba.
Minerals. Rutile and zircon sands occur along the coast in this district and have been mined at several places including Coff's Harbour and Woolgoolga. Coal is mined near Nymboida.
DORRIGO.1 DISTRICT
Dorrigo is 403 miles by road and 448 miles by rail north of Sydney. The population is about 1200.
Gold. Both reef and alluvial gold have been prospected at many points in this district notably on the Blick's River and Sheep Station Creek near Tyringham, at Cloud's Creek, Blackbull Creek, Bobo and along the Nymboida River. High level, gravels carrying lean gold values occur beneath basalt near Tyringham.
Minerals. Arsenical pyrites, copper pyrites, galena, molybdenite and bismuth have been found in the vicinity of Tyringham and the Guy Fawkes River, and antimony ores have been mined near Ebor.
Two veins of hematite iron ore occur 5 miles north west of Cascade.
