Hi Jill,

I suspect that the most prolific sites with lots of fossils in Sydney would
be garages of old geologists.

I think just systematically tracking down old geologists and asking them if
they had unwanted fossils would likely gather many. Although they'd be
from all over the State of course, not just from Sydney.

I could possibly assist with what an old geologist looks like if any
assistance were needed for tracking those down.

Mobbs Lane ought to be Ashfield Shale and apart from the very rare finds in
the sideritic bands the Ashfield Shale is typically quite devoid of leaf
fossils or other remains (apart from some broken up carbonacous fragments
that are nothing in particular and rarely even resemble a leaf).

What about Wollongong, is that too far for you to get to? The southern end
of North Wollongong Beach, immediately north of the point at Wollongong has
a cobble deposit which is more than half made up of silicified wood (or was
thus composed when a colleague of mine last visited it and informed me of
it .. and I imagine its still like that). And not far inland from there
(and possibly as least partially the source of the coastal concentration),
on the flanks of Mt Keira, I do strongly suspect that there is a 'fossil
forest' horizon lurking somewhere. For very large in situ stumps have been
reported to have been seen there, and lots of loose silicified wood too.
I've been trying to get the exact location of those stumps, to go there
myself.

In the greater Sydney region you'd probably have much greater likelihood of
finding plant fossils in the Bringelly Shale than the Ashfield Shale in my
opinion. The Bringelly Shale even has very thin coal seams in places, just
centimetres thick (I've seen such in a quarry at Mulgoa). You might get
some 'Thinfeldia/Dicroidium' bits in the Bringelly Shale, but again you'd
have to be lucky as I don't know any horizon where you'd say they were
commonplace.

There's a large brickworks, and I assume with quarry, right at Bringelly
itself and this looked like it was closing or had closed when I last passed
it by a couple of months ago (all the employee houses were up for sale). I
don't think it would be rehabilitated or filled in yet, and neither would
it be working if the impression I got about it just driving past was right.
So if its finiished but not yet being filled by rubbish that that might be
somewhere you could potter at will and not be in the way of any trucks or
anything. That's all I know about it though, and I cannot think of any
other quarries in that condition/status around Sydney at the moment. Most
of the Ashfield Shale brickpits were filled in years ago, apart from a
couple that were saved from infilling because the endangered Green and
Golden Bell Frog took up residence in them. So if Mobbs Lane still has
fresh shale exposed its worth visiting anyway, even if you get no fossils
(99% likely) since there just aren't many other places you'll see the
formation freshly exposed (unless they put some tunnels through it ...
which will happen from time to time).

For people with sufficient passion and means for a long trip there's very
soon about to be another trench sunk across the famous fossil beds at
Talbragar to expose the stratigraphic section and take some samples etc.
Arrangements to visit that dig have to be booked in advance, and the
'greening Gondwana' people are organising that. I presume the Fossil Club
knows about this .. otherwise I could probably find the details for anyone
interested.

Not too many good fossils very close to Sydney though .. sorry about that.


John Byrnes




At 02:01 PM 10/26/2006 -0000, you wrote:

>Hi everyone,

>I'm unable to go regularly to country digs with the Fossil Club, which
>is disappointing, as I had a great long weekend at Yass last year and
>a wonderful time at Mulbring with the Club. In Sydney the closest site
>we have visited is North Avalon ...found some rock with fern fronds.
>My question is: does anyone know of any sites within the greater
>Sydney suburban region (I live in Cremorne, not far from the Zoo)
>where you can still gain access legally, which of course excludes
>national parks. Someone told me that the brickworks site in Mobbs Lane
>at Epping is still operable and permission may be given to enter their
>site..I'll follow that up..Apparently so many sites have closed down,
>but any information would be greatly appreciated.Thanks, and keep
>digging!! Jill Harrison