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167. Woolamai - Bass Fault

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:
Kilcunda – 665357. 3 km south-west of Woolamai near the unused railway line.

Access:
Staffer Road.

Ownership:
Private land.

Geology/Geomorphology:
The site includes the scarp and downwash fans of the Bass Fault northeast of Anderson. It includes an abandoned gravel pit, that is being used as a farm tip, that provides an exposure of steeply dipping gravel and coarse sand beds overlying Mesozoic sandstones. The beds are strongly indurated and their dip indicates they are not fan deposits but are beds of the Baxter Formation. The scarp of the Bass Fault is very distinctive and rises abruptly above the terraces of the Bass River floodplain.

Significance:
State. The site is of importance for distinguishing between alluvial fan gravels that lie on and at the foot of the Bass Scarp, and Baxter formation gravels that have been displaced and warped along the fault. This is one of the best exposures of these dipping beds.

Management:
Class 1. The site should not be reclaimed or filled as this would obscure the small area of outcrop available. The use of the old quarry as a rubbish pit should be prohibited and existing rubbish removed.

References:
Jenkin, J.J. (1962). The geology and underground water resources of the Tooradin area. Dept. of Mines, Vict. Underground Water Investigation Report No. 5
Power. (1971).
Spencer-Jones, D., Marsden, M.A.H., Barton, C.M. & Carrillo-Rivera, J.J. (1975). Geology of the Westernport sunkland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. (87) 1&2, 43-683


Image: Sites of Significance Westernport Bay Site 167
The degradation of former quarry sites
displaying significant features is illustrated
by Site 167
Image: Sites of Significance Westernport Bay Site 167
Steeply dipping Baxter Formation
gravels in the trace of the Bass Fault,
Site 167
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