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What a bonus Flinders could be!


They're drilling for diamonds on treasure island

By Rural Editor NIGEL AUSTIN
August 2, 2004

South Australia's first commercial diamond discovery may be only two weeks away. Melbourne-based Tawana Resources begins serious drilling on Flinders Island this week with high hopes it will find a rich source of diamonds within two weeks. If it does, it will open the way for South Australia's first diamond mine and boost diamond and mining exploration in the state. Tawana Resources managing director Wolfgang Marx said he was confident of success after spending more than $1 million on exploration on the island. His team has already found seven diamonds on the surface of Flinders Island as well as indicator minerals. "I'm hoping we will start getting some results fairly quickly," he said. Mr Marx said he was convinced there were a number of diamond-bearing kimberlites, a rock formation which often contain diamonds, on Flinders Island. Mr Marx discovered the $500 million Bow River diamond mine in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in the 1980s and is one of the most experienced in the industry having worked for de Beers and other diamond companies. He described Flinders Island as the best diamond site in South Australia. "Nowhere else in my experience in Australia have I seen the quality and quantity of kimberlite," he said. The diamond-shaped Flinders Island, measuring 12km long and up to 8km wide, lies 35km southwest of Elliston off the Eyre Peninsula. Geologist Steven Cooper and a team of drillers are working on the island to find a diamond kimberlite which can be as small as 40cm and up to 1km wide. Mr Marx said even if they don't find diamonds within two or three weeks, they will continue as they are confident commercial diamonds exist on the island.

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