The oil shales of Tasmania

The name of the discoverer of oil shale in Tasmania was not recorded in the annals of that time: The earliest account appears in the "Papers and Proceedings-of the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land" in a paper read by J. Milligan in the year 1851.
It was the original purpose of the writer to deal with the two types of shale, namely, tasmanite and the so-called torbanites or kerosene shales, but as the subject assumed such large proportions it was decided to confine attention to tasmanite only.
number of companies hold shale interests in Tasmania today, one of which, the Australian Shale Oil Company, has erected a very large plant, and has opened another area for mining. It is expected that the plant will be put into operation this month.
Investigation shows that the shales are found in disconnected basins situated in the north and north-central parts of Tasmania, associated with kerogenite and humickerogenite coals. The most important is that extending from Latrobe to Quamby Bluff and Chudleigh.
The first question for consideration is whether it is advisable to market the fuel oil portion as such, or whether it is advantageous to crack the fuel oil into benzine and tar. Tests have shown that the straight-run benzine and the cracked fuel oil derived from tasmanite contain oils of the aromatic series, and that the benzine so produced has proved an excellent motor fuel.