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24.11 Shelly Beach

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:24-078028. Coastal sector one kilometre east of Elliott River.

Pitted concretion - no pedestal.
Access:Elliott Road and walking track.
Ownership: Crown land (Otway National Park).
Geology/Geomorphology:Shelly Beach is an accumulation of whole and broken shell fragments that dominate the composition of the beach material along a short coastal sector. The shells consist mainly of pelecypods of the family Veneridae and several families of gastropods (Gell, 1978). The deposit is very thick and appears still to be accumulating as many large rock fragments are partially or completely buried and there is little non-shell material on the beach.

This site includes other localities of particular interest along the cliffs and shore zone to the west. The shore platform near Elliott River has a concentration of concretions contained in the Mesozoic rock and a variety of weathering and erosion forms of these can be found. A bed containing rounded and broken gravels and boulders rests three to five metres above the level of the shore platform. This represents either a slump deposit, an old stream gravel or an emerged boulder beach. An abandoned and vegetated boulder bed lies at the back of the shore platform which is unusually over 100 metres wide.


Exfoliation concretion on pedestal.




Exfoliation concretion with basal flare.
Significance: State. The features described are of particular importance in displaying aspects of the evolution of the Otways coastline. No detailed research has been undertaken to determine the level or the age and origin of the higher level boulder beds or to correlate these with other emerged shoreline features on the Victorian coast.


Concretion destruction - remnant basal rim.
Reference:Gell, R. (1978). "Shelly Beaches on the Victorian Coast." Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 90 (1&2): 257-269.

Hollow in platform resulting from destruction of concretion.


Gulch infilled with gravel and boulders.

Detail of boulders in dotted area of "infilled gulch".
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