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23.5 Castle Cove

This information has been developed from the publications:

  • 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 Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Shire of Otway (1984) by Neville Rosengren.
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 (external site) section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:23-103044. Glenaire.

Access:
Walk from Great Ocean Road.

Ownership:
Crown land (Otway National Park).

Geology:
This site includes a major Tertiary sedimentary sequence that may be compared with outcrops in the Johanna area and in the Aire valley blow Hordern Vale. The Tertiary lies with marked angular unconformity above the Mesozoic rocks and dips steeply to the southeast. This dip, when compared with those in the Johanna area, indicates an anticline or faulted structure trending north easterly from just west of Castle Cove. The Mesozoic rocks are exposed as marine cliffs and shore platforms at Castle Cove while the several Tertiary formation outrcop intermittently above these with some of the better exposures being in landslip headwalls. They also outrcop at sea level at the north western end of the Glenaire cliffs.

The site includes the type section of the Castle Cove Limestone and in all, six Tertiary formations are readily available for field inspection here.

Geomorphology:
At Castle Cove, southerly dip of the Mesozoic rocks has allowed large joint bounded blocks to be detached from the cliff face and slide or fall seaward. A small but distinctive rock stack is a joint bounded erosion remnant surrounded by a shore platform. In the more exposed larger embayment west of Castle Cove, the shore platform is irregular and does not maintain a consistent level. A higher level platform remnant about 1.5 metres above high side level is preserved here although it is regularly swept by storm waves.

Significance:
State. The site is a major locality for the study of Mesozoic-Tertiary contact in the Aire district and allows access to all the Tertiary formations that occur in the Glenaire-Johanna embayments. The reference list indicates the degree of geological interest in the site.

References:
Wilkinson, C.S. (1865). "Report on Cape Otway country." (From Parl. Papers 1864-65.) Rep. geol. Surv. Vict.
Raggatt, H.G. & Crespin, I. (1955). "Geology of Tertiary rocks between Torquay and Eastern View." Aust. J. Sci. 14(5), pp. 143-147.
Carter, A.N. (1958). "Tertiary Foraminifera from the Aire district Victoria." Bull. Geol. Surv. Vict. 55.
Cookson, I.C. & Eisenack, A. (1965). "Microplankton from the Browns Creek Clays, southwest Victoria." Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 79 pp. 119-131.
Taylor, D. (1965). "Preservation, composition and significances of Victorian Lower Tertiary "Cyclammina faunas". Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 78. pp. 143-160.
Singleton, O.P. (1967). "Otway Region. Excursions Handbook, 39th Congr." Aust. NZ Assoc. Advmt. Sci. Sect C. pp. 171-181.
Harris, W.K. (1971). "Tertiary stratigraphic palynology, Otway Basin, in the Otway Basin of southeastern Australia." (eds. H. Wopfner and J.G. Douglas. Spec. Bull. geol. Survs. S. Aust. and Vict. 67-87).
Taylor, D.J. (1971). "Foraminifera and the Cretaceous and Tertiary depositional history in the Otway Basin in Victoria, in the Otway Basin of southeastern Australia." (Eds. H. Wopfner and J. G. Douglas). Spec. bull. geol. Survs. S. Aust. and Vict. 233-239.
McGowran, D. (1973). "Observation bore No. 2, Gambier Embayment of the Otway Basin: Tertiary micropalaeontology and stratigraphy." S. Aust. Min. Res. Rev. 135: pp. 43-55.
Stover, L.E. (1973). "Palocene and Eocene species of Deflandrea (dynophyceae) in Victorian coastal and offshore basins, Australia." Spec. Publ. geol. Soc. Aust. 4: pp. 167.188.

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