Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

7.7 Gellibrand River - Confined Floodplain and Gorge

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:7-018260. Eight kilometres south of Carlisle River.

Gellibrand River floodplain.

Access:

Gellibrand River Road and King Track.

Ownership:

Mainly private land and some Crown land (River Reserve).

Geology/Geomorphology:

This large site displays the effect of faulting on river alignment and the development of a confined floodplain. The western valley wall is a fault scarp. Depositional features of particular interest are mapped and include levee banks, abandoned channel sectors, and small flood crevasses. Of particular interest is an apparently higher level cutoff which may be an expression of relatively recent movement on the fault.

Significance:

State. Faulting is a major structural feature of the Otway Ranges area and this site displays clearly the physiographic effects of recent fault movement. Stages in confined flood plain development and the interplay of tectonics, river erosion and deposition may be studied here in some detail.

Page top