An investigation of several well-defined and relatively high intensity aeromagnetic anomalies (up to 20,000 gammas), disclosed by an Aero Services Corp. 1962 regional survey conducted partly in the vicinity of Mount Woods, was undertaken in a search for possible economic orebodies of magnetic iron ore. SA Government geological consultant Keith Miles was commissioned to carry out a ground reconnaissance survey in the area of the principal anomalies, to try to elucidate their sources and to gather local geological information to assist the licensees in planning future exploration. His lithological and structural studies on outcrop, and the results of limited detailed ground magnetic traverses, implied that the strongest anomalies at Mount Woods are in part derived from magnetized components of metamorphosed sediments in the exposed Precambrian basement, and that lesser anomalies located over soil-covered plains to the south and west of Mount Woods probably arise from buried portions of the same rock suite. Not all of the poorly exposed basement in the region was seen to produce magnetic anomalies, a fact which suggested that some uncommon stringers of magnetite noticed within certain quartzite interbeds at Mount Woods are likely to be the sole cause of the observed anomalies. However, the scale of the magnetic effects observed was hard to reconcile with even the cumulative influence of perhaps many shallowly concealed occurrences of such apparently minor concentrations of polarisable minerals. Furthermore, no significant concentrations of magnetite or other indications of massive iron ore of any type were seen: the only truly ferruginous rocks encountered were a few isolated beds of non-magnetic, earthy haematite/limonite. In view of the inconclusive results of this work, a follow-up more widespread ground gravity/magnetic survey was conducted by GSI in mid-1963 [484 stations at 500 foot intervals on lines 2000 feet apart] which confirmed the sharp and locally quite variable nature of the aeromagnetic features and identified some weaker, spatially associated gravity anomalies at both the major Mount Woods and South magnetic anomaly sites. At this stage of geophysical interpretation, a limited scope percussion and diamond core drilling programme was planned to evaluate the Mount Woods prospect for buried basement iron orebodies, but this programme was later deferred in favour of performing additional surface-based, less expensive evaluation procedures such as alternative geophysical methods and mineralogy determinations.