8522-7 Stony Creek

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:	885165 to 914165. 12 kilometres south-west of Nowa Nowa.
Abstract:	Outcrops of limestone, equivalent to Bairnsdale Limestone Member, of Gippsland Limestone in McCraes quarry. Two caves of geomorphologic and zoological significance.
Access:	Bridges Road and Ostler Road.
Ownership:	Crown land and some private land around McCraes quarry.
Geology:	McCraes quarry and road cuttings adjacent to the quarry expose highly fossiliferous partially ferruginized limestone. Large beds of Ostrea sp. are common while other pelecypods and echinoids occur suggesting that equivalents to the upper unit of the Bairnsdale Limestone as defined at Pound Swamp, occur in this area.
Geomorphology:	Two caves are known in this area, Narguns Cave (NN-1) and an un-named cave (NN-2). These are of particular interest as they are through-flow, stream passage caves which represent an old stream of tributaries of Casey Creek. Narguns Cave (NN-1) consists of an incised stream passage generally one to two metres wide, up to six metres in height and extending for approximately 300 metres. The passage opens into a single large chamber approximately 10 metres wide, 12 metres high and 30 metres long. The cave is of particular significance as it is a major maternity site for bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus (Little Horseshoe Bat) and the only known maternity site for Miniopterus Schreibersii (Little Bent Wing Bat), in Eastern Victoria. Inadvertant disturbance of the bat colony by over-zealous fossil collectors, together with deliberate vandalism including shooting of bats is a problem at this site. It has been suggested that such disturbance has resulted in a significant reduction in the bat population over the last 15 years.
Significance:	State. Excellent exposure of Bairnsdale Limestone occur at this site. Caves in Tertiary Limestone in Eastern Victoria are rare and these are of particular significance as they provide the only known maternity site for the bat Miniopteris Schreibersii in Eastern Victoria.
Management:	Fossil collecting is widespread in the many exposures of Bairnsdale Limestone in this area. Although fossils are still plentiful, destruction of the site through future over collection is possible. Fossil collection should be prohibited in the area of the caves, and the significance of these features warrants limitation of access. This could be obtained through the closure of the roads in the area of the caves, e.g. Bridges Road.
References:	Hamilton-Smith, E. 1965. 'Distribution of cave-dwelling bats in Victoria', Vict. Nat. 82 :132-137. Matthews, P.G. (ed) 1968. Speleological Handbook. Victorian Speleological Association. Hocking, J.B. 1976. 'Definition and revision of Tertiary Stratigraphic units, onshore Gippsland Basin', Rep. geol. Surv. Vict. no. 1979/1.

Image: East Gippsland Sites of Significance

Ostrea sp. Tertiary limestone - Stony Creek

8522-7

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