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Deep dives Delamerian project

Page last updated:29 September 2026

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Packsaddle, New South Wales, Malyangapa Country. Image by Yanbo Cheng

Packsaddle, New South Wales, Malyangapa Country. Image by Yanbo Cheng.

糖心Vlog官方 acknowledges the First Nations peoples, Traditional Custodians, landholders and communities of the Delamerian region.

  • CHENG, Y., GILMORE, P., DOUBLIER, M., CZARNOTA, K., LEWIS, C., TAYLOR, H., CLARK, A., PITT, L., MOLE, D., WANG, Y., MEFFRE, S., BROTODEWO, A., CAYLEY, R., CAIRNS, C., BURNHAM, A., WISE, T. (preprint). .
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  • WISE, T., DOUBLIER, M., PREISS, W., PAWLEY, M., THIEL, S., KRAPF, C., ABDULLAH, R., WADE, C., MILLER, R., COSTELLOE, R., HOSSAIN, M., RASHEED, H., NICOLL, M. (2025) . Departmental Publication - MESA Journal. Government of South Australia.
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  • BONNARDOT, M.-A., GROSE, L., WILFORD, J., DU, Z., HOPE, J., WONG, S.C.T., VIZY, J., ROLLET, N. (2025) . 糖心Vlog官方.
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  • MOLE, D., LEWIS, C., BODORKOS, S., CROWLEY, J., SCHOFIELD, A., CURTIS, S., EVANS, N. (2025). . Geology Vol 53 (4), 311-316.
  • BOREHAM, C., CZADO, K., TAYLOR, G., BLACK, E. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • BONNARDOT, M., GROSE, L., WILFORD, J., DU, Z., HOPE, J., WONG, S., VIZY, J., ROLLET, N. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • JIANG, W., A. CLARK, Y. CHENG, M. DOUBLIER, A. HITCHMAN, AND J. DUAN. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • TAYLOR, H., A. CLARK, P. GILMORE, D. MOLE, A. SCHOFIELD, Y. CHENG, I. SCHRODER, L. PITT, AND M. DOUBLIER. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • CLARK, A. D., P. J. GILMORE, D. R. MOLE, Y. CHENG, W. JIANG, M. P. DOUBLIER, H. TAYLOR, L. PITT, C. LEWIS, I. ROACH, G. SANCHEZ, M. THOMAS, AND A. BUDD. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • CLARK, A., PITT, L., DOUBLIER, M., HIGHET, L., MOLE, D., TAYLOR, H., WISE, T., GILMORE, P.J., HARTNADY, M., KIRKLAND, C.L., BARULEVA, O., LEWIS, C.J., THOMAS, M., FOLKES, C., COLQUHOUN, G.P., CHENG, Y., ROACH, I.C., BUDD, A. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • BUCKERFIELD, S., MCPHERSON, A., TAN, K., WALSH, C., KILGOUR, P., BUCHANAN, S., RAIBER, M., SUCKOW, A., PINCUS, J., SYMINGTON, N., PELJO, M., RAY, A., BRODIE, R.C. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • CHENG, Y., P. GILMORE, C. LEWIS, I. ROACH, A. CLARK, D. MOLE, L. PITT, M. DOUBLIER, G. SANCHEZ, A. SCHOFIELD, A. O'ROURKE, A. BUDD, D. HUSTON, K. CZARNOTA, S. MEFFRE, S. FEIG, R. MAAS, S. GILBERT, C. CAIRNS, R. CAYLEY, T. WISE, C. WADE, M. WERNER, C. FOLKES, AND K. HUGHES. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • DOUBLIER, M., A. CLARK, R. J. KORSCH, R. MILLER, P. GILMORE, C. FOLKES, L. MAHONEY, R. ABDULLAH, R. CAYLEY, Y. CHENG, G. FRASER, W. JIANG, C. KRAPF, M. MCLEAN, D. MOLE, M. NICOLL, P. SKLADZIEN, S. THIEL, C. WADE, T. WISE, H. RASHEED, M. HOSSAIN, AND R. COSTELLOE (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • REID, N., SCHRODER, I., THORNE, R., FOLKES, C., HORE, S., EASTLAKE, M., PETTS, A., EVANS, T., FABRIS, A., PINCHAND, T., HENNE, A., PALOMBI, B.R. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • CLOUTIER, J., FORD, A., HUSTON, D., HAYNES, M., SCHOFIELD, A., DOUBLIER, M., SANCHEZ, G., DUAN, J., GOODWIN, J., RICHARDS, S., BEYER, E., CHAMPION, D., MORFIADAKIS, A., FRASER, G., CHENG, Y., WALTENBERG, K., BURNHAM, A., CZARNOTA, K. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • TAN, K., DILLON, P., BUCHANAN, S., MCPHERSON, A., BUCKERFIELD, S., KILGOUR, P., WALSH, C. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • MCPHERSON, A., BUCKERFIELD, S., TAN, K., WALSH, C., KILGOUR, P., BUCHANAN, S., RAIBER, M., SUCKOW, A., PINCUS, J., SYMINGTON, N., PELJO, M., RAY, A., BRODIE, R.C. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • PELJO, M., TAN, K., SYMINGTON, N., DEGRAAF, R., SPULAK, R. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • WALSH, C., BUCKERFIELD, S., RAIBER, M., SUCKOW, A. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • MOLE, D., CLARK, A., BODORKOS, S., LEWIS, C. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • FOSS, C. A., HOPE, J., PATABENDIGERADA, S. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • HOPE, J., WONG, S., FOSS, C. A., BUDDEE, M., SANCHEZ, G., BONNARDOT, M. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • YU, J., GLORIE, S., HAND, M., SIMPSON, A., GILBERT, S., SZILAS, K., ROBERTS, N., PAWLEY, M., CHENG, Y. (2024). . Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Vol 179 (62).
  • CHENG, Y., PHIL GILMORE, LEWIS, C., ROACH, I., DOUBLIER, M., PITT, L., CLARK, A., SCHRODER, I., TAYLOR, H., BUDD, A., THOMAS, M., WELLS, J., HUSTON, D., SCHOFIELD, A., OROURKE, A., MEFFRE, S., FEIG, S., CAIRNS, C., CAYLEY, R., WISE, T., WADE, C., WERNER, M., HUGHES, K., FOLKES, C. (2024). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • MOLE, D., BODORKOS, S., GILMORE, P.J., FRASER, G., JAGODZINSKI, E.A., CHENG, Y., CLARK, A.D., DOUBLIER, M., WALTENBERG, K., STERN, R.A., EVANS, N.J. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • PITT, L., I. ROACH, A. BUDD, A. CLARK, H. TAYLOR, C. LEWIS, P. J. GILMORE, M. SUTTI, M. THOMAS, J. WELLS, M. DOUBLIER, Y. CHENG, I. SCHRODER, A. SCHOFIELD, AND A. O’ROURKE. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • PITT, L., ROACH, I., BUDD, A., CLARK, A., TAYLOR, H., LEWIS, C., GILMORE, P.J., SUTTI, M., THOMAS, M., WELLS, J., DOUBLIER, M., CHENG, Y., SCHRODER, I., SCHOFIELD, A., OROURKE, A. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • MCPHERSON, A., BUCKERFIELD, S., TAN, K., KILGOUR, P., BUCHANAN, S. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • SCHRODER, I., H. TAYLOR, D. CHAMPION, M. DOUBLIER, P. GILMORE, A. CLARK, P. MAIN, Y. CHENG, P. ASHLEY, C. CAIRNS, R. CAYLEY, J. BYASS, S. GILMORE, AND I. LONG (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
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  • PITT, L., I. ROACH, A. BUDD, H. TAYLOR, A. CLARK, M. SUTTI, M. THOMAS, J. WELLS, AND C. LEWIS. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • JIANG, W., DUAN, J., KYI, D., HITCHMAN, A. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • DE CARITAT, P., PETTS, A., KELAART, C. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • WONG, S. C. T., HEGARTY, R.A., PITT, L., CROWE, M.C., ROACH, I., NICOLL, M., LEYCOOPER, Y., HOPE, J., BONNARDOT, M. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • HANNAFORD, C., ROLLET, N. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • NORTON, C.J., ROLLET, N. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
  • JIANG, W., KYI, D., DUAN, J., HITCHMAN, A. (2023). . 糖心Vlog官方.
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  • TAYLOR, H., SCHRODER, I.F., MAIN, P.T., CHAMPION, D.C., EVANS, T. (2022). . 糖心Vlog官方.
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  • DE CARITAT, P., E. BASTRAKOV, A. T. WALKER, AND B. I. A. MCINNES (2022). . 糖心Vlog官方.
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The Delamerian project was established to address a key gap in Australia’s understanding of the geological evolution and resource potential of south-eastern Australia. Spanning across New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, the region has unrealised potential for gold, copper and other critical mineral resources that can support Australia’s net zero transition. The region also hosts significant groundwater systems that support regional development, agriculture, environmental values and communities across the western Murray Basin and upper Darling River Floodplain.

Supported initially through 糖心Vlog官方’s Exploring for the Future program and completed as the first regional deep dive under Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity, the project provided a unique opportunity to examine the Delamerian region as a single geological province and reveal the region’s resource potential. Read the summary report now: .

Due to the limited audience of this diagram and its complexity, no alternative description has been provided. Please email clientservices@ga.gov.au

Location of the Delamerian project study area under Exploring for the Future and Resourcing Australia Prosperity.

What we found

The Delamerian project delivered a step change in our understanding of one of Australia’s most prospective yet under-explored geological regions, achieving major scientific and practical outcomes with regional and national impact.

Key findings for Australia:

  • Continuous Delamerian arc extending more than 1,000 km beneath south-eastern Australia
  • New understanding of geological controls on mineral prospectivity across the region
  • Exploration corridors defined for future copper, gold and critical mineral discovery
  • Evidence for economically viable mineral systems across several belts
  • Improved understanding of groundwater systems supporting communities, industry and the environment
  • Potential managed aquifer recharge target areas identified near Wilcannia

Click through the dropdown menus below to find out more.

  • Identified strong evidence for a continuous convergent margin system extending over 1,000 km, providing industry with greater confidence to explore for the right types of mineral deposits that can be formed in these specific geological environments.
  • Demonstrated that specific parts of the Delamerian convergent margin are more favourable for different types of mineralisation with diverse potential for different commodities, including critical minerals.
  • Delivered the most complete understanding to date of the region’s deep geological architecture and evolution, a key control on where mineral deposits form.
  • Defined four major metallogenic events, linked to known deposit types including copper, gold, zinc and nickel.
  • Provided new clarity on the distribution and depth of buried rocks, helping explorers better plan drilling and investment.
  • Mapped new exploration ‘fairways’ , focusing attention on the most prospective areas and reducing the search space.
  • Produced a new, integrated picture of groundwater systems across the region, including the western Murray Basin.
  • Improved baseline knowledge of groundwater availability, quality and connectivity, to support better long-term management.
  • Delivered information to  communities, agriculture and industry that rely on groundwater in a low-rainfall environment.

The big picture

The Delamerian project has leveraged new data and interpretations to build a new understanding of the geology of the region and its potential to host a range of resources.

Click the accordions below to see the types of data analysed and evidence collected.

  • 57,101 line-kilometres of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data
  • 1,256 km of 2D reflection seismic
  • 17 drill holes, totalling 5,158 metres
  • 99 magnetotelluric (MT) sites
  • 152 geochronology ages
  • New regional groundwater, hydrochemical and hydrological datasets
  • 6.5 million geochemical data points
  • 143 petrological samples characterised
  • 2 time-space plots
  • 753 passive seismic stations integrated and modelled
  • 231 integrated MT sites creating high-resolution crustal resistivity model
  • 43,000 line-kilometres of AEM data modelled
  • 30,000 line-kilometres of AEM data interpreted
  • 1,494 line-kilometres of 2D reflection seismic interpretation
  • 22 mineral deposits and prospects characterised
  • 4 mineralisation events identified
  • 4 regional depth surface grids, 4 isochore grids and 1 machine-learning Cenozoic surface
  • 294 groundwater samples integrated to reveal water rock interactions
  • First cross-jurisdictional hydrological review of the western Murray Basin in more than 30 years
  • Geology and cover-thickness mapped across 300,000 km²

What we did

The Delamerian project brought together multiple geoscience disciplines to investigate the region, from the surface to deep within the Earth. By collecting new data and integrating it with existing datasets, the project built a comprehensive, multi-layered understanding of the Delamerian region. Click through the dropdown menus below to learn more about what we investigated.

  • Conducted deep crustal 2D seismic reflection surveys traversing 3 states (New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria). This new reflection seismic data provided evidence to redefine the tectonostratigraphic framework of the Delamerian region.
  • Used a combination of reflection seismic, passive seismic and magnetotelluric methods and models to map major faults, crustal boundaries and concealed rock systems beneath sediment cover.
  • Applied high precision zircon uranium-lead (U-Pb) geochronology to unravel the temporal-spatial evolution of the Delamerian convergent margin, including the basement rock samples from the MinEx CRC Delamerian Margin National Drilling Initiative.
  • Used whole rock geochemistry, zircon trace elements, zircon Hf and O isotopes of magmatic rocks to reconstruct the geological history and tackle the evolution and development of the Delamerian convergent margin.
  • Refined and advanced a 3D hydrogeological representation and an accompanying comprehensive report on groundwater systems across the Delamerian region. This encompasses the western Murray, Otway and Lake Eyre basins, as well as Delamerian Orogen fractured rock aquifers.
  • Collected new groundwater data to address spatial and knowledge gaps in key aquifers which support agricultural, environmental and industrial applications.
  • Compiled a regional hydrological inventory of aquifers, groundwater levels and water quality.
  • Integrated legacy and new multi-disciplinary data to deliver new understanding of the temporal and spatial geodynamic evolution of the Delamerian region over 200 million years of geological history reflecting the events that shaped south-eastern Australia.
  • Developed time sliced tectonic models for the key stages of the Delamerian Orogen evolution.
  • Established a tectono-metallogenic framework for the Delamerian convergent margin system.
  • Delivered the integrated insights into the timing, geological drivers, and governing controls of major mineralisation events, clarifying the strategic potential for copper, gold, zinc, molybdenum, critical minerals, and broader resource opportunities.
  • Systematically characterised known mineral deposits and prospects across the Delamerian orogen, paving the path for regional mineral exploration and discoveries.

Collaboration

Further information

All data produced by 糖心Vlog官方, including the data from this project, is publicly available after quality assurance has been performed.

For more information, copies of our precompetitive data or general enquiries, please email clientservices@ga.gov.au or call 1800 800 173.

糖心Vlog官方 activities are not undertaken on behalf of any exploration company; we work for the benefit of all Australians.

Delamerian project summary outputs

Event

Resourcing Australia's Prosperity - diving deep in the Delamerian

This webinar summarises the Delamerian project, the first regional deep dive to be completed under Resourcing Australia Prosperity.

Report

Delamerian Project: Achievements Report

Read about the Delamerian project findings in the Achievements Report.

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Report

Groundwater Systems of the Delamerian Region

The Delamerian Groundwater Project provides a regional-scale synthesis of groundwater systems across a large cross-jurisdictional area spanning New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, a region that has recognised potential for critical minerals, energy resources and geological storage.

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Report

Probabilistic inversion of high-frequency magnetotelluric data

We applied a probabilistic approach to inverting high frequency magnetotelluric (MT) data collected by two recent surveys in the Curnamona-Delamerian Region: the Curnamona Cube survey by the University of Adelaide/AuScope and the Curnamona Cube Extension survey by 糖心Vlog官方.

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Acknowledgement of country

Aboriginal artwork

糖心Vlog官方 values the lands, water and sky as we work to deepen a shared understanding of Country and Earth. We respect First Nations peoples and their enduring connection, contribution and obligations to Country. Reflecting on our shared history, we are committed to listen and learn.