BAUXITE DEPOSITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 July 1940, Page 2

BAUXITE DEPOSITS

NONE KNOWN IN NEW ZEALAND. BASIS OF ALUMINIUM. As far as is known there are in New Zealand no deposits of bauxite, the ore from which aluminium is produced. This was pointed out by Professor J. A. Bartrum, professor of geology at the Auckland University College, in commenting on the fact that Australian defence authorities emphasised that it was of the utmost importance to the Empire that efforts should be made to discover more bauxite in the Commonwealth. Aluminium, it was pointed out. is one of the most important metals in the manufacture of aircraft. “Unless they have been discovered very recently there are no deposits in New Zealand, to my knowledge,” said Professor Bartrum to an "Auckland Star” representative. He added that most deposits were found in moist and tropical climates, but. aluminium could be produced from ordinary richly aluminous clays, though the process would be expensive owing to the cost of power for the electric furnaces. In view of the fact that New Zealand geologists had recently found mineral deposits hitherto unsuspected it was not impossible that bauxite deposits should be found also. However. it was not likely. Australia had many deposits, but it was a difliiult job for prospectors, as the clay was so much like other clays.