An unrecorded meteorite from Coolac, New South Wales
Abstract
Through the kindness of Mr. W. E. Williams I was informed that Mr. Noel McMahon, of Coolac, New South Wales possessed an object thought to be a meteorite. On request, Mr. McMahon very generously sent the specimen to the Museum on loan, with permission to cut off a small portion for purposes of investigation.
He stated that his grandfather, Thomas McMahon, found the iron about the year 1874 on his selection known as Happy Valley, about three miles west of Coolac, Parish Bongongolong, County Harden, New South Wales, latitude 34°58′S, longitude 148°7′30&Pprime:W.
Mr. McMahon believes that his grandfather found it four feet below the surface while prospecting for gold. He further reports that "there is a distinct depression in the ground where I believe the meteorite was found. This would be about twenty yards wide; a dry creek in summer now passes through the depression."
The iron was used by his grandmother as a fires top in an open fireplace for about four or five years, when it was sent to Sydney for analysis. According to Mr. McMahon, the result of the analysis was "that it had been in a fire on this earth". I am unable to discover who reported on the matter or to whom the sample was submitted. Etc.
