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This specimen is a fragment of the Boxhole Iron Meteorite (IIIAB), discovered in 1937 at Dneiper Station in the central Northern Territory, Australia. Measuring 24 × 10 × 8 mm and weighing 4.2 grams, this naturally shaped piece displays the metallic lustre and dense composition characteristic of iron meteorites. Its smooth, weathered surface bears subtle regmaglypted features—shallow thumbprint-like indentations—formed as the meteorite ablated during its passage through Earth’s atmosphere. Mounted for display, it is a fine example of one of Australia’s most significant meteorite finds.
The Boxhole meteorite fall was discovered by stockmen in 1937, approximately 120 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. The fall produced an impact crater roughly 170 metres in diameter, surrounded by scattered metallic fragments such as this specimen. The main mass, weighing about 500 kilograms, was found near the crater rim, and subsequent recovery efforts uncovered several smaller pieces distributed across the surrounding plain. The crater’s young geological age—estimated at less than 5,000 years—makes Boxhole one of the freshest and best-preserved impact sites in Australia.
Classified as an Iron Meteorite of structural class IIIAB, Boxhole consists predominantly of iron and nickel with minor inclusions of troilite and schreibersite. When cut and etched, specimens reveal the characteristic Widmanstätten pattern—an intricate crystalline intergrowth of kamacite and taenite formed during the slow cooling of the parent asteroid’s metallic core. These internal structures record the earliest history of planetary differentiation and metal crystallisation within the solar system.
This Boxhole meteorite fragment stands as a compact but historically and scientifically valuable specimen. It represents both the geological legacy of one of Australia’s youngest craters and the enduring connection between Earth and the cosmic material that has shaped it for billions of years. This specimen includes a Certificate of Authenticity, mounted in a floating frame, and a Geological Time Scale for contextual display and documentation.
