In a search for possible economic Mississippi Valley - type base metal mineralisation within an area located 30 km north-east of Maitland, 941 auger holes for 6839.2 m total penetration were drilled at 100 to 200 m spacings along roadsides to test the target Cambrian bedrock. Results of geochemical analyses were disappointing, except for a 1.0 x 1.5 km wide anomaly located 4 km north-west of Melton which returned values of up to 0.8% Co and 0.5% combined Cu/Pb/Zn. 31 air percussion holes totalling 425.8 m were then drilled to test this prospect. Based on the patchy and shallow nature of the occurrence, and its authigenic, concretionary nature as deduced from petrographic examination of rock chips, the cobalt mineralisation was attributed to supergene manganese scavenging of trace metals in a thin and laterally discontinuous, likely Tertiary age, cryptomelane - rich ferruginous-manganiferous horizon developed above the Kulpara Formation.