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Mount Blackwood

This information has been obtained from the report: Eruption Points of the Newer Volcanic Province of Victoria by Neville Rosengren. This report was published in 1994 and was prepared for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division). The review of eruption points was based on an earlier unpublished manuscript Catalogue of the post-Miocene volcanoes of Victoria compiled by O P Singleton and E B Joyce (Geology Department, University of Melbourne 1970).

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 value. Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the Earth Science Heritage (external link) section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Clarkes Big Hill

Mount Blackwood

37 32 60S 144 21 30E (external link); 7722-1-4 (Greendale) 667399. 14 km NW of Bacchus Marsh, Mount Blackwood Road.

Bacchus Marsh.

Private land:

Bare, grazing, communications tower on summit, weather outcrop.

Type 9:

Composite scoria cone overlying lava flows.

Mount Blackwood is a prominent scoria dome built on lava flows extending 8 km to the south. The flows are narrow and elongated and followed an upland valley thus covering stream gravels. Korkuperrimal Creek and Myrniong Creek have excavated lateral valleys leaving the lava flows as an elevated ridge.

736 m; 120 m.

Regional:

Mount Blackwood is one of the most elevated eruption points of the Newer Volcanics Province and is of obviously different geology from the adjacent eroded Ordovician sediments of the Lerderderg Ranges. The eroded lava flows provide a clear example of lateral stream development.

Class 3:

The site would make an excellent lookout and interpretation point if public access was available.

References:

Fenner, C. 1918. The physiography of the Werribee River area.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 31. pp. 176-313.
Roberts, P.S. 1984. Explanatory notes on Bacchus Marsh and Ballan 1:50 000 geological maps.
Geological Survey of Victoria Report 76.



Mount Blackwood and lava ridge to south.
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