2.1.4 Dissected Western Uplands associated with volcanic landforms

The recently formed volcanic landscapes in the Western Uplands contrast with the older Cainozoic landscapes. The basalts of the Newer Volcanics fill many of the large ancient valleys to form elongate planar to undulating basalt plains which are usually fringed by streams of the displaced drainage. Occasional steep-sided gorges (e.g. Devils Kitchen, Lal Lal Falls) have developed where streams have cut into the basalt flows. The eruption points form prominent lava cones, composite cones and low shield volcanoes.

The soils on both the sedimentary rocks and the granites are regarded as agriculturally ‘poor’ compared to the soils of the Newer Volcanics, which exhibit friable, clayey dark brown and red gradational soils on the younger rocks, to coarsely structured texture contrast soils on the older rocks.

Soil-landform units

Soil-landform unit	Original unit ID	Unit description	Area (km²)
29	58, 59	Moderately to steeply inclined high cones (Mounts Warrenheip and Buninyong)	6
30	259	Steep high cone (Mount Anakie)	5
31	44	Extensive, slightly dissedted plains (north of Cargerie)	2
32	84	Low hills (e.g. Hardies Hill)	12
33	233	Steep low cones (e.g. Black Hill)	3
34	258	Steep low cones (e.g. Mount Egerton)	1
35	33	Eruption point with steep rock slopes (Scarsdale)	<0.5
36	35, 36	Low cone and gently inclined slopes (Cargerie)	2
37	42	Gently undulating plains with scarp (south of Ballan)	22
38	54	Gently undulating rises (Pootilla)	72
39	54	Gently undulating rises (Springbank)	72
40	54	Gently undulating rises (Claretown)	2
41	55	Undulating rises (south of Mount Buninyong)	1
42	56, 57	Gently undulating low cones (e.g. Green Hill)	2
43	63	Moderately inclined low cones (e.g. Mount Moriac)	5
44	64	Moderately inclined low cones (south of Mount Mercer)	1
45	68	Gently undulating rises (south of Pootilla)	12
46	80	Undulating low basalt hills (south of Mount Mercer)	52
47	83	Undulating rises and plains (e.g. Smythesdale)	30
48	252	Undulating rises (Ballan North)	12
49	255	Undulating rises (e.g. Myrniong)	2
50	41	Gently undulating basalt plains (e.g. Elaine)	388
51	53	Gently undulating plain with broad crests (Clarendon)	6
52	67	Gently undulating plains (Navigators)	16
53	85	Gently undulating plains (west of Rokewood)	14
54	254	Gently undulating plains (south of Elaine)	10

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