With our support, a rare and significant meteorite now has a new home at Geoscience Australia.

Man holding the Georgetown iron meteorite. It fits in both of his hands and is quite large.

The Georgetown (iron) Meteorite was found in 2016 in Queensland by prospectors using a metal detector, who were initially disappointed they had not struck gold.

The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility established its scientific value as one of only six officially confirmed samples of this rare type of meteorite worldwide.

Weighing 24.3kg it is the largest known sample of a dendritic troilite-iron meteorite in existence and experts estimate it to be around 4.5 million years old.

These types of meteorites are objects of great scientific interest and are actively sought for research given the unusual conditions of formation.

To have such a large sample available through funding from our National Cultural Heritage Account gives Geoscience Australia an invaluable opportunity to research this rare meteorite.

The National Cultural Heritage Account has provided $200,000 to assist Geoscience Australia in acquiring the Georgetown Meteorite. The Meteorite is now available to view through Geoscience Australia's online gallery.