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137. Corinella - Former Outlet of Bass River

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:
Corinella – 644473. 2 km east of Corinella near the mouth of a small creek.
Image: Sites of Significance Westernport Bay
Abandoned outlet of the Bass River east of Corinella (A). Arrows show low sand ridges, Site 137
Access:Beach walk from historic monument at the end of Jamieson Street.
Ownership:Crown land.
Geology:The embayment here is the mouth of an abandoned outlet of the Bass River. The embayment has a small amount of deltaic fill and salt marsh peats and clays. There are several elongated sandy washover fans on the western side that form slightly higher ridges. Study of aerial photographs indicates that sand arrives periodically as a series of irregular lobes as a result of eastward drift from Corinella.

East of the old river mouth where there are no sandy ridges, the coast is in a stage of rapid erosion with low crumbling cliffs cut into the alluvial material. This erosion is a consequence of the abandonment of the river outlet and a formerly prograded coast is now undergoing erosion due to the depletion of its supply of sediment. Abandoned gravel beaches lie on the alluvium and there is at least one such beach contained in these alluvial deposits.

Significance:State. The site illustrates the processes of embayment fill by fluvial and marine processes and the change from a prograding to an eroding coast following the abandonment of this position by the river. This is one of the largest abandoned river outlets on the Victorian coast.
Management:Class 1. No excavation or construction works or development of marine facilities should be permitted at the site. Some erosion protection structures east of the old river mouth could be permitted to allow protection of private property.

Image: Sites of Significance Westernport Bay
Eroding cliffs in alluvium deposited at former outlet of Bass River east of Corinella, Site 137
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