02/06/2026
Right near us
Port Gregory is a mine, but not in the usual iron ore or gold sense.
Near Yallabatharra, north of Geraldton, GMA Garnet operates one of Western Australia’s most unusual mineral sands operations. The site is built around alluvial almandine garnet, a dense, durable mineral used in abrasive blasting, waterjet cutting and industrial surface preparation.
The discovery dates back to 1973, when GMA’s main garnet source was identified near Port Gregory, close to the pink waters of Hutt Lagoon. From there, the business grew into a global supply chain, with mining and processing tied to the Mid West region and export routes through Geraldton.
GMA describes Port Gregory as the world’s largest alluvial garnet deposit. Its importance comes from consistency, not spectacle. The material is mined, concentrated and processed into products used to clean ship hulls, cut steel, prepare pipelines, maintain bridges and support precision manufacturing.
The broader operation is commonly linked to about 400,000 tonnes of garnet production capacity per year, making it a quiet but significant part of WA’s industrial minerals sector.
It’s not a famous mine.
It doesn’t have the profile of the Pilbara or Kalgoorlie.
But Port Gregory has turned red coastal sand into a global abrasive product, proving that Western Australia’s mining story isn’t only written in iron ore, gold and lithium.
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Photo: GMA Garnet Group
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