Olivine crystal fossicking at Mount Shadwell

A treasure hunt is a great way to entertain the whole family, and at Mount Shadwell near Mortlake you can do just that, by fossicking for olivine.

Mount Shadwell is located 1.5 km north of Mortlake and is one of the many scoria volcanoes found in the south west of Victoria. The area is made of a cluster of erruption points that have formed cones of overlapping scoria. The landscape is thought to have been formed within the last million years.

Scoria comes from beneath the earths crust and is forced to the surface by exploding liquid. Some of the larger egg shaped "bombs" of scoria are full of a sparkling green crystal known as Olivine.

The working quarry at Mount Shadwell supplies scoria and olivine as budget materials for road maintenance and construction. Olivine can also be made into jewelry.

Visitors to the site must complete an Indemnity Form before going. You can download a copy of the Mount Shadwell Quarry Indemnity Form  here.

For more information about olivine fossicking please contact the Mortlake Visitor Information Centre on 03 5599 2899.