Heavy minerals from coal measure sandstones near Ohai, Tuatapere, Orepuki, Waimumu, and Gore form distinct suites, in most cases derived from immediately adjacent older rocks. This restriction of parent detritus to limited distributive provinces facilitates paleogeographic reconstruction of small, isolated, coal measure basins at the onset of Tertiary sedimentation. Samples from stratigraphically higher marine beds indicate a more even spread and an admixing across Southland of detritus which represents mineralogically three areas of provenance: Fiordland metamorphics and intrusives, Otago schists, and Permian-Jurassic sediments.