Welcome
We cordially invite you to attend the 11th International Symposium on Granitic Pegmatites (PEG2026) that will take place on the 16th-19th August of 2026, in Perth, Western Australia, at the University of Western Australia.
Perth was chosen by a popular vote taken at the recent GAC-MAC-PEG2024 conference in Brandon, Manitoba. PEG2026 is the eleventh in the series of biennial conferences on granitic pegmatites and their minerals. These conferences were begun in 2003 in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic, with the most recent meeting taking place in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada in 2024. We are honoured to host the first international scientific meeting devoted to granitic pegmatites in Australia. PEG 2026 will showcase the world class pegmatite-related mineral deposits of Western Australia. Granitic pegmatites from Western Australia represent an important contribution to world production and resources of critical metals, and consequently to a global low carbon energy future.
Please stay tuned for further updates!
With kindest salutations,
The Organizing Committee of PEG2026
Venue and Location
The conference will take place at the University of Western Australia (https://www.uwa.edu.au/), located close to the city centre of Perth and the Swan River. Perth is a modern multicultural city with a vibrant culture, reflecting the wealth and diverse landscapes of the state. Perth has a warm mediterranean climate, with August temperatures in the range of 10-22 ◦C, with mostly sunny days. Perth lies on the lands of the traditional owners, the Aboriginal Whadjuk Noongar people, who maintain an unbroken connection to the lands and waters.
A wide range of tourism options are available in Perth (https://visitperth.com/) and further afield in Western Australia (https://www.westernaustralia.com/au/home). We particularly recommend the southwest Margaret River region famous for its scenery, beaches, wines and produce.
The conference will take place in the well-appointed University Club at UWA (https://universityclub.uwa.edu.au/). The conference is being run in conjunction with Centre for Exploration Targeting (https://www.cet.edu.au/), a key national ore deposits research centre within the University, and the newly established Australian Research Council Training Centre in Critical Resources of the Future (https://criticalresources.org.au/). The Centre for Exploration Targeting has a wealth of experience not only in research and industry engagement, but also in running conferences and workshops that will be utilized for this conference.
Conference
The conference program will include three days of talks, similar to past PEG conferences. We will encourage the submission of abstracts on a range of topics related to granitic pegmatites and their minerals. As a guide, these topics will be organized as session themes:
- Experimental studies of pegmatites
- Pegmatite mineralogy and crystallographic studies of their minerals
- Pegmatite geochemistry, geochronology and genetic models
- Pegmatite orebodies and their economic and structural geology
- Exploration for pegmatites, and exploration techniques
- NYF, gemstone and industrial mineral pegmatites
Session content may be modified to suit presenter’s requests.
The majority of oral presentations will be allocated 20 minute slots, which includes 5 minutes for questions. Keynote speakers will be allocated 40 minute slots, with 5 minutes for questions. Posters will be able to be up to A0 size, with a landscape orientation.
Economic studies of pegmatites and their mineralization will be a key part of the conference, given the importance of granitic pegmatites as resources for a range of critical commodities that are essential for the transition to low carbon future. A significant part of the conference sessions will be set aside for theoretical, experimental and laboratory studies.
Field Trips
At least one field trip will be offered, with a projected duration of 4 or 5 days. In the first instance, a bus trip to pegmatite localities within a few hours drive from Perth is planned. We would anticipate this field trip would be available to most delegates. This will include a visit to the famous giant Greenbushes lithium pegmatite mine, a drill core and rock sample exhibition in Perth held at the state core library, as well as visits to other pegmatite localities. A further field trip to other more distant pegmatite localities in Western Australia is also currently being arranged.
Registration and Presentations
For presenters, there will be an option for poster and/or oral presentations. There is also planned to be an option for extended abstracts, similar to previous PEG conferences, for those who wish to submit these.
As well as registration for physically attending the conference, there will be an option to attend virtually.
Registration will open in the second half of 2025, with dates for abstract submission to follow.
Accommodation in Perth
There are many accommodation options reasonably close to UWA, including hotels in the city (downtown) of Perth, and in the nearby suburb of West Perth (e.g. the Quest on Kings Park Road), with ready access to UWA by free CAT buses. For those who want to stay within easy walking distance of the conference venue, the Wonil Hotel (https://wonilhandwrittencollection.hotels-perth.com/) is an excellent option, and will be available to delegates at a discount rate.
Sponsors
We are inviting sponsorship from professional societies and from companies in the minerals industry.
Organizing Committee
Dr. Marcus Sweetapple – Consultant/Adjunct Research Fellow, CET, UWA (Chair)
Associate Professor Tony Kemp – Associate Professor, CET, CCRF, School of Earth Sciences, UWA
Dr. Lillian Kendall-Langley – Senior Geologist, SQM/Adjunct Research Fellow, CET, UWA
Dr. Walter Witt – Consultant/Senior Research Fellow, CET, UWA
Dr. Paul Duuring – Senior Geologist, Geological Survey of Western Australia, and Adjunct Research Fellow, CET, UWA
Ms. Keng Chai Ng – Senior Centre Coordinator, CET, UWA
Contact