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PP63. Olivers Hill - Tertiary Sections

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:344653. Base of Olivers Hill on the eastern side of the Nepean Highway between Somme Ave and Warringa Road, Frankston.
Image: Sites of Significance Port Phillip Bay
Site 63. Conglomerate bed at Olivers Hill

Access:
Nepean Highway.

Ownership/Managing Authority:

Crown land (Road Construction Authority) and private land.

Site Description:
A cliff slope developed by an old landslip at the base of Olivers Hill exposes a Tertiary sediment sequence underlying weathered Older Volcanics basalt. The most distinctive bed, at the base of the section, is a weathered conglomerate with cobbles and boulders of Palaeozoic sandstone, shale, quartzite and slate set in a sandy clay matrix. The conglomerate rests on weathered granite but the contact is obscured by slope wash debris. The sediments dip northward at an angle of about 15 degrees.

Significance:
Regional. This is the best exposure of sub-basaltic sediments on the eastern coast of Port Phillip Bay. This is an excellent site to determine the environment of deposition of this material and makes a natural starting point for geological excursions examining the Tertiary geology of the Mornington Peninsula. It has been exposed for at least 90 years and is a stable and accessible site for senior geology students.

Management Considerations:
Class 1. The exposure is relatively stable despite the numerous small rills. It should be retained as a geological exposure and not regraded or artificially covered. If highway safety (from slipping or falling material) is perceived as an issue, investigation should be made to providing a protective fence or barrier rather than covering the slope. An elevated, rather than an excavated footpath, would ensure safe access to the lower part of the exposure.

References:
Kitson, A.E. (1900). Report on the coastline and adjacent country between Frankston, Mornington and Dromana. Geol. Surv. Vict. Prog. Rep. 12, 1-13.
Gostin, V.A. (1966). Tertiary stratigraphy of the Mornington district, Victoria. Proc. R. Soc. Vict., 79, 459-512.

Image: Sites of Significance Port Phillip Bay
Site 63. Northward dipping Tertiary
sediments, Olivers Hill, Frankston
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