Building stones of Adelaide

A guide to sources covering the geology of South Australian building stones including details of the stone used in Adelaide buildings, properties of stones, quarries and quarrying methods.

• Building stones of South Australia. 1977?. Mineral information series. [31].
  Main collection 553.06 S72i
• A guide to the geology and mineral resources of South Australia. 1980.
  Main collection 559.423 L944g
• Building stones of North Terrace, Adelaide. 1986. In One day geological excursions of the Adelaide region.
  Main collection 559.405 A164a 15.Suppl. and 559.4231 P238o
• Stone masonry in South Australia. South Australia Department of Environment and Natural Resources State Heritage Branch, 1993.
  Main collection 693.1 S726Ss
• The history of stone use in Adelaide. Heritage Australia, Summer 1983, 26-31.
  Main Collection 333.7205 H548
• Handbook on quarrying. SA Dept of Mines and Energy. 5th ed. 1993.
  Main collection 622.3 S72.5
• Report on the Enquiry into Quarrying in the Hills Face Zone. SA Department for the Environment, 1977.
  Main collection 622.31 S726Er
• Mines and quarries of South Australia. Mines and Energy, South Australia, 1996.
  Reference collection 559.423 M664m
  - a list of quarry locations and operator details.
• Review of mining operations in the state of South Australia, 1903-1917. Mining review, South Australia Department of Mines. 1917-1967.
  Main collection 553.06 S72mi
  Check its index to 1-115 (1961) under the stone name (e.g. Marble-Kapunda) or the heading Building Materials or the place name. Useful for details of early quarrying operations.
• Dimension stone, PIRSA Minerals, Geology and Resources
  -summaries of South Australian building stones.
• MESA journal:
  Dimension stone potential of the Gawler Craton, 6, 13-16, 1997.
  Mintaro slate and flagstone, 39, 42-44, 2005.
  Murray Bridge freestone, 38, 40-42, 2005.
  South Australian bluestone, 37, 36, 2005.
  Padthaway green granite, 35, 44-45, 2004.
  South Australian dimension stone - a feature of the North Terrace library precinct redevelopment, 35, 46-47, 2004.
  Calca Red granite, 34, 22-23, 2004.
  Gambier stone, 29, 24-25, 2003.
  Gambier stone, 28, 36-37, 2003.
  Adelaide's gateway in stone [the entrance to the Adelaide-Crafers highway], 17, 28-29, April 2000.
• Bulletin of the Geological Survey of South Australia
  Main Collection 559.4206 S727b:
  Building stones of South Australia, 10, 1923.
  Limestone, dolomite and magnesite resources of South Australia, 38, 1963.
• Bulletin of the Field Geology Club of SA
  Main collection 559.4206 F453b:
  Excursion reports on building stones of Adelaide. 26(2): 4-14, 1997; 35(10):3-5, 2006; 36(8):6-8, 2007.
  Excursion reports on quarries in Adelaide, Mannum and Murray Bridge regions. , 27(9): 4-9, 1998; 28(9): 8-9, 1999; 29(6): 11-13, 2000; 30(6): 16-19, 2001.
  The appeal of sandstone [including a table of sandstone buildings]. 26(9): 5-7, 1997.
• Manning Index of South Australian history indexes Adelaide newspapers from 1837-1937 and has a section on building stone.
• Dimension stone in Victoria. Geological Survey of Victoria Report, 112, 1997.
  Main Collection 559.4505 G345g 112

For the geology of localities from which the stones were quarried see:

• Australian geology and South Australian geology guides for useful web sites and reference works.
• Geological databases guide to identify useful databases which can be searched for journal articles. In databases, try search terms such as:
  • a specific stone name, quarry name, quarry locality, geographic name, stratigraphic name
  • more general terms such as building stone, dimension stone, granite, marble, quarrying techniques

You will find background information on building stone properties and quarrying methods in:

• the call numbers:
  553 economic geology, industrial geology
  552 petrology
  624.15 and 624.151 engineering geology and rock mechanics

• Practical handbook of physical properties of rocks and minerals. 1989.
  Reference collection 552.0212 C287p for engineering properties of rocks
• Geologic appraisal of dimension stone deposits. US Geological Survey Bulletin, 1109.
  Main collection 557.306 U58b 1109
• Concise encyclopedia of mineral resources. 1989.
  Reference collection 553.03 C311c
• Encyclopedia of igneous and metamorphic petrology. 1989.
  Reference collection 550.3 E56 17
• Kempe's Engineers Yearbook. 1991.
  Reference collection 620 K32 1991
• BUILD database for building or quarrying methods.

For historical or architectural information e.g. dates of construction or architects, and sometimes stones used, see:

• Colonial architecture in South Australia : a definitive chronicle of development 1836-1890... 1980.
  Reference collection 720.99423 J54c
  - often gives detail of stones used in buildings and includes history of some quarries
• Heritage of the city of Adelaide: an illustrated guide. 1990.
  Main Collection 720.994231 M364h
  - often gives detail of stones used in buildings and has references to source literature.
• The Heritage of South Australia and Northern Territory : the illustrated register of the national estate. 1985
  Reference and Main collections 994.2 H548
• Register of historic buildings. 4th ed, 1980.
  Reference collection 720.9942 N277r 1980 and supp 1985
• Early Adelaide architecture 1836 to 1886. 1969.
  Main collection 720.9942 M847
• Adelaide's architecture and art: a walking guide. 1996.
  Reference and Main collections 720.994231 Q3a
• Victorian Adelaide: a guide to buildings remaining from the first fifty years. 1968.
  Reference collection 919.42 M848 and Main collection 720.9421 Mor.V
• Silent witnesses : Adelaide's statues and monuments. 1997.
  Barr Smith Main collection 731.76 C182s
• Australian Heritage Bibliography - HERA and ARCH databases: you may need to search by the original name or purpose of the building (rather than its current occupier) or by its architect.