A sequence of Cambrian rocks buried beneath thin Phanerozoic cover on the western edge of the Murray Basin was explored for possible skarn-related base metal mineralisation associated with concealed Ordovician granitic intrusions, for stratiform volcanogenic base metal sulphide deposits, and also for Palaeozoic epithermal / hydrothermal or placer gold derived from Lower Cambrian basic and intermediate volcanic rocks. Work undertaken included photogeological studies, the reprocessing of BMR regional aeromagnetic survey data, the acquisition in January 1984 of a detailed, 873 line km airborne magnetic and radiometric survey (300 m flight line spacing and 90 m sensor altitude), the conduct of follow-up ground magnetic surveys at selected magnetic anomalies, and the drilling of 9 vertical rotary mud/diamond holes (total penetration 1535 m, including a total of 57 m of bottom-hole coring). Eight of the drillholes reached the basement, which in seven of the holes comprised variably magnetic, much altered but probably Cambrian intrusive to extrusive igneous rocks of intermediate to basic composition. Only low base metal assay values were returned from the drill core sampling of the volcanic rocks, which do not exhibit the alteration styles characteristic of known VHMS deposits. Furthermore, the skarn mineralisation model proposed for the basement in CSR's adjoining Coonalpyn EL 978 tenement area was unable to be validated at Yumali.