Nickel

Nickel makes a major contribution to modern life. To name a few applications, it is used in stainless steel, buildings and infrastructure, chemical production, communications, energy supply, environmental protection, food preparation, water treatment and jet engines.

There has been very little exploration for nickel in Victoria. However, the recent discovery of nickel at Avebury in western Tasmania and the geological links between parts of Victoria and the Mount Read Volcanics in Tasmania provide incentive for Victorian nickel explorers.

Nickel is found in the Hummocks Serpentinite in western Victoria and the Williamson Road Serpentinite near Mount Stavely, in the Heathcote greenstone belt in central Victoria and the Mount Wellington greenstone belt in the west of the State.

Nickel sulphides have also been found in copper ore in the Walhalla – Woods Point district, notably at the Thomson River copper mine.

The Geological Survey of Victoria recently identified potential for nickel discoveries in western Victoria, where granites intrude large structures and ultramafic complexes. The potential for nickel mineralisation associated with rifting of the cratonic margin in the west of the state, and around the margins of an older craton (the Selwyn Block) in central Victoria has also been suggested.

View the full list of metals.

Further information

Maps

To create your own maps online and in real time, plan exploration activities by viewing land status, or download GIS data to add to your own maps, visit GeoVic.

Page last updated: 12 Jan 2023