112. Red Bluff - Baxter Formation, Coastal Cliff

This information has been developed from one or more of these publications:

Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Westernport Bay Catchment (1984) by Neville Rosengren.
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Western Region of Melbourne (1986) by Neville Rosengren
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance on the Coast of Port Phillip Bay (1988) by Neville Rosengren.
Sites of Environmental Significance in the Flood Plain of the Upper Yarra Valley Region (1983) by Neville Rosengren, Douglas Frood and Kim Lowe (as part of a study of Sites of Environmental Significance by the University of Melbourne for the then Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority).

Geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest and volcanic heritage sites, are under regular revision by the Geological Society of Australia, especially in the assessment of significance and values. Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the Earth Science Heritage section of the Geological Society of Australia website (external link) for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	Lang Lang - 701578. Eight kilometres south-west of Lang Lang.	Cliffs in Baxter Formation, Red Bluff.
Access:	Jetty Lane.
Ownership:	Crown Land.
Geology/Geomorphology:	Red Bluff is a 15 metre to 20 metre high coastal cliff south of Lang Lang Beach. It has developed on an outcrop of Baxter Formation ferruginous sandstones and clays that show strong mottling and discoloration. The cliff terminates at a ridge of higher terrain that trends south-east from the Bass Highway, this ridge being a topographic expression of the movement of the Wellington Fault (Jenkin, 1962). McMickan (1977) suggested that this structure be referred to as the Wellington Monocline as the movement in the Tertiary beds here is monoclinal warping rather than fault displacement. To the south of Red Bluff, the cliff becomes obscured by slump deposits and the accumulation of scree and beaches has produced a more graded slope profile.
Significance:	State. Red bluff provides a major exposure of Baxter Formation and this is the best coastal example of this formation in Westernport Bay. It is an important locality for the study of the stratigraphy and structure of these materials. The site is also a very useful teaching and reference site to illustrate the nature of cliff and bluff development in Westernport Bay.
Management:	Class 1. No artificial structures should be built at the cliff foot and crest or on the cliff face. No buildings, drains or other works should be permitted in the area of the site. A small car parking area could be provided north of Red Bluff and a sign-posted walkway provided to the beach. This is needed to stop pedestrian traffic degrading the exposures on the steeper cliff faces.
References:	Jenkin, J.J. , 1962. The geology and hydrology of the Western Port area. Dept. of Mines, Vict Underground Water Investigation Rept. No. 5. McMickan (1977).

Image: Sites of Significance Port Phillip Bay

The multiple recurving spits that comprise Stockyard point. Also shown are Lang Lang delta (A), tidal watershed (B), Red bluff (C), part of Pioneer Bay (D).

Sites 112, 113 and 114, Red Bluff and Stockyard Point area

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