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2-8 Swan Lake and Johnstone Creek

This information has been developed from the publications:
  • An assessment of the Geological/Geomorphological Significance of Private Land in the Shire of Portland (1981) by N. Rosengren, J Mallen, T Shepherd.
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 (external link) for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Locality:

7121-272709 to 272717. Two kilometres south of Bindarra.

Access:

Swan Lake Track off Portland - Nelson Road.

Ownership:

Mainly private land and public land of the Discovery Bay Coastal Park.

Geology/Geomorphology:

Johnstone Creek forms a waterfall over the Swan Lake fault scarp and has dissected Bridgewater Formation calcarenite to expose basalt of the Mount Kincaid eruption. The stream drains into Swan Lake, which is a coastal lagoon formed by the blocking of Johstone Creek by transgressive Holocene dunes. Occasionally the lake drains via an outlet channel originating in the south-western corner of the lake. The lake is surrounded by calcarenites of the Bridgewater Formation which are well-exposed in an undercut cliff at the south-eastern corner.

Significance:

State. This is one of the few occurrences of dune-blocked valley lakes in Victoria. The waterfall is mainly of interest for the geological material it exposes.

Management:

Although Swan Lake is located on public land, it forms an integrated site with Johnstone Creek and its headwaters. The sites are of interest for hydrological studies and it is recommended that only minimum disturbance be permitted in the catchment. In particular, the vegetation community should be left intact.

Reference:Womersley, I.N. (1972). The Fluvial Geomorphology of Johnstone Creek, South Western Victoria.
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