8423-16 Lake Hill and the Nunniong Plains

This information has been developed from the publications:

Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in Central Gippsland (1981) by Neville Rosengren, M.S McRae-Williams and S.M Kraemers.
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Gippsland Lakes Catchment (1984) by Neville Rosengren.
Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in East Gippsland, Victoria (1981) by Neville Rosengren, M.S McRae-Williams

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 section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	830872. 12 kilometres east-south-east of Bindi.	Site 8423-16
Abstract:	Lake and stepped topography on Tertiary Older Basalts.
Access:	Lake Hill Track and Nunniong Road.
Ownership:	Crown land.
Geology/Geomorphology:	Outstanding examples of stepped topography in basalt occur on the slopes of the mesa-like Lake Hill and on the Nunniong Plains. Large scale terraces together with smaller scale features are encountered in all directions on the descent from Lake Hill to the Nunniong Plains. These terraces are in part related to differential erosion along basalt flow boundaries or of softer intervening tuffs, and in part related to frost prising of the steepened inter-terrace slopes. Lake Hill is so named for the lake occurring on its flat lying summit which occupies a primary depression in the basaltic land surface. It is less than 0.7 m deep and the basin is approximately 120 m in length along the longest axis.
Significance:	State. Outstanding examples of basalt stepped topography occur in the area. Additionally, lakes formed on Tertiary Older Basalt are uncommon. The nameless lake on Lake Hill is the best example of such a feature in Eastern Victoria.
Management:	The stepped topography covers a large area and the geomorphological significance of the site is unlikely to be decreased by localised land disturbance which may result from road construction or extractive industries. The nameless lake on Lake Hill should not be artificially drained and its small catchment should be protected from forestry operations.
References:	Talent, J.A. 1965(b). 'The Stratigraphic and diastrophic evolution of Central and Eastern Victoria in Middle Palaeozoic Times', Ibid, 79(1) :179-195.

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