Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Mount Sydney Manganese Mine, East Pilbara Shire, Western Australia, Australiai
Regional Level Types
Mount Sydney Manganese MineMine (Inactive)
East Pilbara ShireShire
Western AustraliaState
AustraliaCountry

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
PhotosMapsSearch
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
21° 23' 58'' South , 121° 10' 45'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
-21.39969,121.17919
GeoHash:
G#: qsnnm2rcz
GRN:
S15E80
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2021
Köppen climate type:
BWh : Hot deserts climate
Mindat Locality ID:
274270
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:274270:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The deposit is east of the Carrawine Gorge, and 30 kilometres north of the Woodie Woodie manganese mine.

Manganese oxide occurs as cavity-filling veins transecting Pinjian Chert Breccia and underlying Carawine Dolomite, and along the junction of these formations. The mode-of-occurrence and the high Mn/Fe suggest all the ore is supergene. The mineralogy is mainly cryptomelane with traces of supergene braunite. Located immediately adjacent to a major fault, considered a hydrothermal deposit but subjected to sugergene upgrading based on the manganese mineralogy.

Mined from 1966 to 1972 at over 100 000 tonnes per annum. The mine closed due to the depletion of the high grade deposits, high transportation costs, and competition with other deposits like Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory.

The Western Australian Government Chemical Laboratories have identified braunite, cryptomelane, pyrolusite, calcite, quartz and baryte in samples (MDC 1255, 1256, 2570, 2571, 2572) from Mount Sydney.

Details for this location are also taken from its entry (site code S0021065) in the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's online database (MINEDEX) of mines, mineral deposits and prospects.

Further details for this location are taken from its’ entry (item number 3753) in the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's online WAMEX database of mineral exploration open-file reports.


Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


8 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
ⓘ Braunite
Formula: Mn2+Mn3+6(SiO4)O8
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Cryptomelane
Formula: K(Mn4+7Mn3+)O16
ⓘ Hausmannite
Formula: Mn2+Mn3+2O4
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ 'Manganese Oxides'
ⓘ 'Psilomelane'
ⓘ Pyrolusite
Formula: Mn4+O2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘHausmannite4.BB.10Mn2+Mn3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘPyrolusite4.DB.05Mn4+O2
ⓘCryptomelane4.DK.05aK(Mn4+7Mn3+)O16
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘBaryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘBraunite9.AG.05Mn2+Mn3+6(SiO4)O8
Unclassified
ⓘ'Psilomelane'-
ⓘ'Manganese Oxides'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Oⓘ BrauniteMn2+Mn63+(SiO4)O8
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
Oⓘ HausmanniteMn2+Mn23+O4
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ PyrolusiteMn4+O2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ BrauniteMn2+Mn63+(SiO4)O8
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
SSulfur
Sⓘ BaryteBaSO4
KPotassium
Kⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
MnManganese
Mnⓘ BrauniteMn2+Mn63+(SiO4)O8
Mnⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
Mnⓘ HausmanniteMn2+Mn23+O4
Mnⓘ PyrolusiteMn4+O2
FeIron
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
BaBarium
Baⓘ BaryteBaSO4

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Australia
Australian PlateTectonic Plate

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Government Chemical Laboratories. In: Annual Report of the Western Australian Department of Mines for 1964. p.178.
Simpson Mineral Collection of the Western Australian Museum.
dmp.wa.gov.au (n.d.) http://dmp.wa.gov.au/WAMEX-Minerals-Exploration-1476.aspx
Ostwald, J. (1993) Manganese oxide mineralogy, petrography and genesis, Pilbara Manganese Group, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 28 (3). 198-209 doi:10.1007/bf00204043
Williams, I.R., Trendall, A.F. (1998) Geology of the Braeside 1:100,000 sheet: Western Australian Geological Survey, 1:100,000 Series Explanatory Notes, 39 pages.
The Australian Mining Review (2012), Manganese Producer Changes Gear, 24/07/2012
minedex.dmirs.wa.gov.au (2020) https://minedex.dmirs.wa.gov.au/Web/home
Quick NavTopCommoditiesMineral ListOther RegionsReferences
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 3, 2026 01:54:19 Page updated: August 14, 2025 04:39:27
Go to top of page