Victorian Geomorphological Framework (VGF)

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The major divisions and sub-divisions proposed by the VGRG are outlined below, as at 23 February 2007.

This page last updated 19 July 2007.

1	Eastern Uplands (EU)
	1.1	Landscapes above 1200 m of low relief
		1.1.1	Summit plateaux (Mt. Bogong, Baw Baw, Buffalo, Mt. Wills)
		1.1.2	Broad ridges, plateaux (Hotham-Lock Ridge, Mt. Fainter Ridge, Barry Mountains, Davies Plain)
		1.1.3	Enclosed landscapes of low relief (Horsehair Plain)
		1.1.4	Capped (basalt) plains (Mt. Jim-Bogong High Plains, Dargo Plains, Nunniong Plains)
	1.2	Landscapes above 500 m of low relief
		1.2.1	Plateaux and broad ridges (Strathbogie, Koetong-Shelly, Errinundra, Kinglake, Olinda)
		1.2.2	Enclosed landscapes of low relief (Fraser Tableland, Benambra)
	1.3	Landscapes below 500 m of low relief
		1.3.1	Low relief landscapes at low elevation (Cann River south, Silvan, Templestowe)
		1.3.2	Enclosed landscapes of low relief (Murmungee, Omeo, Dargo, Buldah)
		1.3.3	Terraces, fans and floodplains (Kiewa Valley, Wonnangatta Valley)
		1.3.4	Karst with depressions (Buchan)
	1.4	Dissected landscapes at a range of elevations
		1.4.1	Prominent summits above 1200m (Mt. Feathertop, Mt. Howitt, Mt. Buller)
		1.4.2	Prominent summits between 500 and 1200m (Pine Mountain, Mt. Samaria, Mt. Ellery, Ben Cruachan)
		1.4.3	Escarpments, gorges (Mt. Buffalo escarpment/gorge, Erinundra escarpment; Genoa, Mitchell, Moroka gorges and Snowy River gorges)
		1.4.4	Deeply dissected ridge and valley landscapes (headwaters of major rivers such as the Wonnangatta, King and Kiewa Rivers Mt. Coopracambra)
		1.4.5	Moderately dissected ridge and valley landscapes (Alexandra, Yea, Baranduda)
		1.4.6	Outlying ridges and hills (Warby Range, Lurg Hills, Howe Range, Mt. Dandenong)

2	Western Uplands (WU)
	2.1	Dissected Uplands
		2.1.1	Ridges, escarpments, mountains on non- granitic Palaeozoic rocks (Ararat Colbinabbin, Pyrenees, Tarrangower, Big Hill, Mt. Macedon)
		2.1.2	Hills, valley slopes and plains on non- granitic Palaeozoic rocks (Daylesford, Maryborough, Bendigo)
		2.1.3	Ridges, escarpments, mountains on granitic Palaeozoic rocks (Mt. Cole, Langi Ghiran, Mt. Beckworth, Mt Alexander)
		2.1.4	Hills, valley slopes and plains on plutonic Palaeozoic rocks (Pittong, Harcourt, Amphitheatre, Victoria Valley)
		2.1.5	Plateaux and rises of residual Cainozoic landscapes (Dereel, Meredith, White Hills, Trentham)
		2.1.6	Eruption points and volcanic plains (Creswick – Ballarat plains, Mt. Franklin, Mt. Blackwood, Metcalfe)
		2.1.7	Terraces and floodplains (Upper Loddon, Upper Woady Yallock Creek, Pomonal-Moyston area, Crowlands, Avoca, Newstead
	2.2	Strike ridges and valleys - Grampians Range
		2.2.1	Cuesta landscapes (Serra Range, Victoria Range)
		2.2.2	Sandstone hills (Black Range)
		2.2.3	Valleys, alluvial terraces and floodplains (Victoria Valley)
	2.3	Low elevation plateaux (Tablelands)
		2.3.1	Low relief, low drainage density (Dundas East, Chatsworth)
		2.3.2	High relief, low drainage density (Dundas West)
		2.3.3	High relief, high drainage density (Mt. Stavely, Merino)
		2.3.4	Terraces and floodplains (Glenelg, Wannon Rivers)

3	Southern Uplands (SU)
	3.1	High relief, (moderate elevation, about 250 –600 m) Otway, Strzelecki and Hoddle Ranges
		3.1.1	Plateaux and broad ridges (Beech Forest, Wyelangata, Balook)
		3.1.2	Ranges (Forrest, Barramunga, Poowong, Fish Creek)
		3.1.3	Basalt residuals (Thorpdale, Nerrim South)
		3.1.4	Prominent hills (Wilsons Promontory)
	3.2	Low relief (low elevation, about 100 –250 m)
		3.2.1	Plateau and broad ridges (Arthur’s Seat, Grantville-Drouin, Cape Woolamai)
		3.2.2	Ranges (Barrabool Hills, Athlone)
		3.2.3	Basaltic residuals (Warragul, Red Hill)
	3.3	Very low relief (very low elevation, generally less than 100 m)
		3.3.1	Plateau (Bellarine Peninsula, Cape Liptrap, Moorooduc Plains; including Mt. Martha and Mt. Eliza)
		3.3.2	Hills and low hills (Barwon Downs, French Island)
		3.3.3	Basaltic residuals (Phillip Island)
		3.3.4	3.3.4 Terraces and floodplains (Aire River, Barham, Birregurra, Carlisle and Gellibrand Rivers, Fosters Creek, Upper Bass, Lang Lang, Tarwin, Morwell and Tarago, Birregurra Rivers)

4	Northern Riverine Plain (RP)
	4.1	Modern floodplains
		4.1.1	Meander belt below plain level, sometimes source-bordering dunes (Mooroopna, Wangaratta)
		4.1.2	Areas of inundation away from modern channels (Gunbower Forest, Dingee swamps, Loddon fan, Carag Carag)
		4.1.3	Lakes and basins with lunettes (Kow Swamp, Lake Cooper, Kanyapella depression)
	4.2	Older alluvial plains
		4.2.1	Plains with leveed channels, sometimes source-bordering dunes (Tatura, Naneella)
		4.2.2	Plains without leveed channels (Tragowel, Pine Grove)
		4.2.3	Plains with lakes and depressions with lunettes (Lakes Mokoan, Bael Bael, Lake Tutchewop)
	4.3	Alluvial fans and aprons (Burnt Creek, Seven Creek, Broken River, Katamatite, Raywood, & aprons around Korong, Dookie Hills)
	4.4	Hills and low hills (Terrick Terrick Range, Mt. Major, Mt. Wycheproof)

5	North Western Dunefields and Plains (DP)
	5.1	Calcareous dunefields
		5.1.1	Linear dunes dominant on the Millewa Ridge and in regional depressions (north, south and east of Sunset Desert)
		5.1.2	Linear dunes co-dominant in regional depressions (north and east of Big Desert, south of Millewa)
		5.1.3	Linear dunes sub-dominant in regional depressions (mostly south east of Big Desert, Millewa)
		5.1.4	Hummocky dunes dominant on the margin of the Tyrrell Depression (south east of Lake Tyrrell, north and south of Lake Hindmarsh)
		5.1.5	Hummocky dunes with sub-dominant hummocky dunes and ridges (south east of linear dunefields)
		5.1.6	Linear dunes sub-dominant on prominent strandline ridge lands
		5.1.7	Linear dunes sub-dominant in regional depressions with prominent north east - south west ridges
		5.1.8	Linear dunes sub-dominant on older alluvial plains, groundwater discharge depressions, north east - south west ridges and lunettes
		5.1.9	Linear dunes co-dominant on subdued strandline ridge lands
	5.2	Siliceous dunefields (Sunset, Big and Little Deserts)
		5.2.1	Parabolic dunes and sandplains (dominant in west and central Big Desert)
		5.2.2	Linear dunes and sandplains (Little Desert, Sunset Desert and eastern Big Desert)
		5.2.3	Modern floodplains with co-dominant siliceous dunefields
	5.3	Groundwater discharge depressions and palaeolacustrine plains
		5.3.1	Groundwater discharge depressions and associated lunettes, north east - south west ridges, gypseous dunes and sandplains (Lake Tyrrell area, east and west of Sunset Strip)
		5.3.2	Palaeolacustrine plains with sub-dominant linear dunefields (north of Lake Tyrell, east of Sunset Strip)
		5.3.3	Linear depression (Douglas Depression)
	5.4	Clay plain with subdued ridges (Minyip)
	5.5	Ridges with sand, and flats ( Goroke, Nhill)
		5.5.1	Prominent ridge tops with remnant aeolian sands and oriented swales with lakes and lunettes (north of Little Desert)
		5.5.2	Low ridge tops with remnant aeolian sands and oriented swales with lakes and lunettes (south of Little Desert)
		5.5.3	Prominent ridges with eroded ferruginized northern spurs (south of the Lower Norton Wimmera Bridge)
	5.6	Hills and low hills (Mt. Arapiles, Mitre Rock, Mt. Jeffcott)
	5.7	Modern floodplains within dunefields
		5.7.1	Modern floodplains
		5.7.2	Modern floodplains with co-dominant calcareous linear dunefields
	5.8	Older alluvial plains within dunefields
		5.8.1	Older alluvial plains
		5.8.2	Older alluvial plains with sub-dominant north west - south east ridges, hummocky dunes and calcareous linear dunes

6	Western Plains (WP)
	6.1	Volcanic plains
		6.1.1	Eruption points: maars, scoria cones and lava shields, including associated ash and scoria deposits (Lake Purrumbete, Mt. Elephant, Mt. Cottrell
		6.1.2	Stony rises (Mt. Eccles, Pomborneit, Mt. Rouse)
		6.1.3	Plains with poorly developed drainage and shallow regolith (Wingeel)
		6.1.4	Plains with well developed drainage and deep regolith (Cressy)
		6.1.5	Terraces, floodplains and lakes, swamps and lunettes and their deposits (Lough Calvert, Lower Woady Yallock, Chain of Ponds, Condah Swamp, Lake Murdeduke & lunette)
	6.2	Sedimentary plains (Plains on unconsolidated (sedimentary) deposits
		6.2.1	Plains with ridges (Follett)
		6.2.2	Dissected plains (Heytesbury)
		6.2.3	Karst plains with depressions (Warrnambool)
		6.2.4	Plains and plains with low rises (Duck Hole Plain, Irrewillipe, Hanson Plain)
		6.2.5	Terraces and floodplains, and coastal plains (Barwon River, Moolap sunklands, Cape Otway)
	6.3	Hills and low hills (Mt. Kinross, Greenvale, Mt. Emu, Summerhill, Darraweit Guim)

7	Eastern Plains (EP)
	7.1	Central sunklands
		7.1.1	Coastal plains with ridges and dunefields (Brighton, Cranbourne)
		7.1.2	Alluvial plains (Nar Nar Goon, Caldermeade, Bass River Plain)
		7.1.3	Former swamps and lagoonal deposits (Koo-wee-rup, Tobin Yallock, Bass River Delta, Carrum Downs)
		7.1.4	Coastal Dunefields (Boneo, The Cups, Cerberus)
	7.2	South eastern riverine plains
		7.2.1	Flood plains and morasses (Powlett, Tarwin, Moe, Latrobe, Thomson, Avon, Mitchell, Jack and Tarra Rivers, Dowd's Morass)
		7.2.2	Prior stream plains (Agnes, Yarram, Yinnar, Tinamba, Clydebank)
		7.2.3	Older alluvial plains (Stratford, Briagolong)
		7.2.4	Plains with dunes (west of the Perry River)
	7.3	High level terraces and fans
		7.3.1	Plains without dunes (Darnum, Loy Yang, Giffard, Leongatha South, Munro plains)
		7.3.2	Plains with dunes (Woodside, Longford, Munro plains with dunes)
		7.3.3	Dissected plains (Yallourn North, Inverloch)
		7.3.4	Dissected plains with dunes (Nowa Nowa)
		7.3.5	Dunefields (Gormandale, Wonthaggi South, Liptrap)
		7.3.6	Terraces on bedrock (Mallacoota)

8	Coast (C)
	8.1	Active cliffs (Port Campbell)
		8.1.1	Marine dominant processes: with shore platform
		8.1.2	Marine dominant processes: without shore platform
		8.1.3	Subaerial dominant processes; with shore platform
		8.1.4	Subaerial dominant processes; without shore platform
	8.2	Steep slopes with basal cliffs (Otways)
		8.2.1	Steep slopes with basal cliffs; with shore platform (Otways)
		8.2.2	Steep slopes with basal cliffs; without shore platform (Otways)
	8.3	Stranded cliffs (Gippsland Lakes)
		8.3.1	Stranded cliffs; Pleistocene or older (Two Mile Bay, Dutton Bay)
		8.3.2	Stranded cliffs; Holocene (Cape Paterson to Inverloch)
	8.4	Coastal barriers (Ninety Mile Beach)
	8.5	Transgressive dunes
		8.5.1	Cliff top; stranded (Marlo, Cape Bridgewater)
		8.5.2	Sea level (Discovery Bay)
	8.6	Low coasts (wetlands, tidal reaches)
		8.6.1	Tidal (Westernport Bay, Corner Inlet)
		8.6.2	Lagoonal (Nelson, Tamboon Inlet)
	8.7	Engineered coast (Port Melbourne)

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