JANUARY   In preparation for the reopening of the club workshop for 2017, Jeff and Steve, with some help from Alan, undertook the replacement of several sets of bearings in the club grinders and trim saws. The new drum  sander was installed, some shafts were ‘turned down’ where they had worn. The overall result was to reduce the noise level in the club rooms significantly. Essential work to keep the club functioning! FEBRUARY 4-5  On Saturday and Sunday, club members manned a stall at the local ‘Bottles & Collectibles’ show to publicise the club and raise some funds. Thanks must go to all those who manned the stand, especially Steve, Jeff and Linda. The photo shows Kay and Jeff at the club stand.

Thursday 9/2/17  Members at Axess Glass Products in Melbourne at a workshop on glass fusing & slumping. The workshop was arranged by  Steve M.  See slide show to left.

Left: A 9 ct gold pendant with four peridot gems, constructed by club member Helen. 5/4/2017  Eight club member travelled by train to Melbourne on a trip organised by Steve M. The day started at the Gemmological Association of Australia in Spencer St. Members had an excellent tour of the facilities with the laboratory testing equipment being well explained. We also had a good look at the GAA’s gem & mineral specimens. This was followed by an excellent Vietnamese lunch. We also visited a jewellery store, opal display, Koodaks lapidary supplies and Crystal Universe during the afternoon. A great day. Photos left: Row 1: At the GAA. Row 2 & 3: Viewing the opal display. Row 4: Some nice opals, members having tea in Hardware Lane.

18 & 19 April  Several club members attended the Victorian Gemkhana at Shepparton. They reported that they had a good weekend with some of the ‘facetors’ happy with their results in the faceting section of the show. Well done John and Kathleen! Row 1: Competition cabachons.           An attractive display of Mookite Row 2: Once again, John did very well with his faceting!      Kathleen also achieved a result she was very happy with. Row 3: John & Kathleen at the faceting demonstration. Row4: Part of the show.    Show raffle. Row 5: Tumbled stones competition entries.     An attractive display of bone carving.

Diane’s two  completed  platters Kay’s two completed platters Kajol’s completed platter!

22/4/2017  Club members manned the BBQ at Bunnings again. It is a handy fundraiser for the club, helping to ‘balance the books’. A large number of members assisted over the day, and once again thanks must go to Kay K. for organising and managing the BBQ. Photo above: L to R Bunnings staff, Kay K., Helen B., Alan A. June: Winter is here. We are still getting a good turnup to the club workshops though several members are fossicking in warmer climates at present. I had the opportunity to travel to Qld, fossicking at Mt. Isa/Cloncurry area for a week. I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with ex-clubmember Matt, who is a geologist working in Cloncurry. He took me out to several fossicking areas over a number of days where we got some ‘phantom quartz’, amethyst, garnets, calcite and Chrysocolla specimens. I then spent time fossicking at Agate creek. The photos to the left show parts of the mineral collection in the tourist information building in Cloncurry, as well as an interesting selection of historical photos of mining localities in the area. Well worth viewing before you venture out fossicking as the localities take on far greater meaning.

A photo showing part of the mineral collection at the Cloncurry information centre. Right: Photo of Cloncurry, 1938 Left: Cloncurry 1897 Right: View of Cloncurry 2017 Left: Matt at a calcite locality. Right: Chrysocolla locality. Left: a quartz locality/blow Right: Quamby ‘phantom quartz’ locality. Left: Fullarton River, Matt digging for garnets. Right: Kuridala amethyst diggings.

July Above Left: A faceted red Spinel gem, plus two diamonds, set in 18 ct gold by one of our club members. This is a great example of the standard of work members can achieve. Above Right: A beautifully cut cz (faceted by John H.) set in a sterling silver pendant. Below: Some of the material collected on a recent trip to Cloncurry.

L: Sandstone wall prior to rendering/repairs. R: Wall at back has been rendered, bench frame nearly built, glass partition on R.H.S. nearly complete. L: Steve and Jeff starting to construct frame for glass partition R: Bench frame partly constructed. L: Installing bench tops. October:  One of our club members recently successfully completed the AFG judges course in NSW. A great effort by the member concerned. His judges badge is show to the left. Sunday 29/10  Eight Warrnambool club members joined Geelong club fossickers at the Fyansford quarry to fossick for fossils. It was a good day, though the sharks teeth were scarce. However, several members collected sharks teeth and other fossils and went home very satisfied with their finds.

August Club members have been hard at work improving our club facilities. Old cupboards damaged by damp have been repaired, walls have been rendered and painted, a glass partition installed and new bench space constructed for faceting, glass fusing and silverwork. Thanks must go to Steve M. for the work he has done on this project, also to Alan A., Jeff G., Helen B. and Linda G.

L: Malachite (8cm), R: Malachite and Chrysocolla (11cm) L: Malachite and Chrysocolla (13cm) R: Three specimens together. L: Red and White Calcite (largest 12cm). R: Native copper (10cm) L: Chalcopyrites (8cm) R: Chevron Quartz (flat lapped, 8cm. The quality of this material was highly variable. Some was ‘clean’ and solid, while other peices were cracked and had iron stains throughout.) L: Some of the peices of ‘chevron quartz’ cut and polished. R: Chevron Quartz (flat lapped, 14cm. ) L:  Chevron Quartz (flat lapped, 14cm. ) R: Some ‘freeform cabs’ for pendants.

November: At the club’s A.G.M. the new executive for 2018 was elected. President Alan Altmann, Vice-President Helen Butrumlis, Secretary John Coxon, Treasurer Stephen Hinkley. Kay keen was elected as an ‘ordinary member’ of the committee.good Sunday 26th   Members from the Warrnambool, Colac and Geelong clubs travelled to Mt Shadwell to fossick for Peridot and other minerals. The day was overcast but dry and the temperature was good for fossicking. Some peices of gemmy peridot were found along with some anothoclase felspar. Specimen ‘volcanic bombs’ were also collected by several fossickers. At 1 p.m. members of the three clubs returned to Alan Wood’s home for a BBQ and a look at Woody’s collection. A great time was had by those present.

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The six photos to the left show members of the Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool Gem Clubs enjoying the BBQ at Alan & Jenni Woods home. A large amount of food provided by members from the three clubs made for a very relaxing afternoon after the mornings fossicking.

& 2018 Activities JANUARY   FEBRUARY  MARCH   APRIL   MAY    JUNE   JULY   AUGUST   SEPTEMBER   OCTOBER   NOVEMBER   DECEMBER

2018 January 1/1/18 Club members Steve, Jeff, Linda and Alan erected the new banner advertising our show on the end of the Warrnambool Primary School Hall.

March 17: Our club members celebrated the club’s 50th year in operation with a luncheon at the club rooms. As well as current club members we had previous members and the Warrnambool Mayor present. It was a great lunch with contributions from many members, with a special mention going to Janice, Keith, Steve, Alan and Helen for the time they spent preparing for the day. Photos below!

Due to the day being a ‘total fire ban day’, the club changed the menu from a BBQ to cold meats and salads. This turned out to be a good move, and the desserts that members brought along provided a great end to the meal. The Warrnambool Mayor, Robert, was present and related his experiences as a teenager in the 1960’s when he spent several months, along with other members of the YMCA, dismantling the interior of our current clubrooms. At that time the building still contained large motors, water pumps and switchboards; it had served for decades as the pumping station for the city, with the water storages located next door. As well as current members it was great to have a number of past club presidents present (Noel Wickson, Robert Lanchberry, John Colledge) and past members. May 12  Nick Campione demonstrates gem setting  to club members. The demonstration was most informative, especially the finer aspects of the setting of gems. Members and Nick finished the day with a pleasant meal in the evening. Nick travelled from Melbourne to show members the techniques he had developed over decades.

June 15 Club members Alan A. and Helen B. visited Brauer College in Warrnambool, where they conducted a talk on the Volcanoes and gemstones of S.W. Victoria. Discussion about a range of gemstones and rocks along with gem identification methods completed the two period Science class (which was doing a Geology unit). A gem and mineral collection was left at the school for future use as they had no rock collection at the college.

July - August: I had the opportunity to visit a number of gem clubs while fossicking in Queensland. It was great to see the facilities at several clubs and I appreciated the courteous and friendly nature of the club members I met. Yeppoon Gem Club. I visited the club when the President, Peter, agreed to meet me there so I could have a look at their facilities. The club is located in the showgrounds and makes good use of it’s space. The club has a good range of lapidary and silversmithing  equipmemnt

Peter invited me to his home for lunch (which was delicious) and I had a chance to look at some of his silversmithing and metal work. Very nice as shown in the photos below!

The Bundaberg Gem Club is located in the showgrounds among a large number of other clubs. When I visited, the club president Deanna was very welcoming and gave me the full tour of their premises. The club started in 1965 in a small dirt floor pavilion at the old showgrounds. It relocated (in 1990 ) to the current location, in their own building at new showgrounds.

Front of the club rooms with the main door in the distance.

PHOTO LHS: The building on the rhs of the path is the original portion of the club (also above left), on the left of the concrete path is the ‘new’ addition. RHS: good use of a tyre for the flat lap surround.

BRIBIE ISLAND GEM CLUB: I visited the club for a few hours. The club is a block back from the beach in a quiet spot. Like the other clubs I visited, the members were friendly and happy to show me around.

LHS: external view of club. RHS: cabbing room L to R: silversmithing area, cabbing units , faceting area.

For a full view of the gem show go to the 2018 show page!