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

Victorian Resources Online

  1. Victorian Resources Online
    1. Catchment Management Regions
      1. Port Phillip & Westernport
        1. Landform
          1. Elevation
          2. Geomorphology
          3. Land Systems
          4. Eruption Points of the Newer Volcanic Province
          5. 3D Catchment Overview
          6. Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance
        2. Land Use
        3. Soil
        4. Land and Water Management
  2. Soil and Land Survey Directory
  3. VRO Sitemap
  4. VRO Feedback

102. Athlone - Silicified Mesozoic Sandstone

This information has been developed from one or more of these publications:

  • Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Westernport Bay Catchment (1984) by Neville Rosengren.
  • 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 Environmental Significance in the Flood Plain of the Upper Yarra Valley Region (1983) by Neville Rosengren, Douglas Frood and Kim Lowe (as part of a study of Sites of Environmental Significance by the University of Melbourne for the then Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority).
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.


Location:
Catani - 906663. Four kilometres east of Heath Hill.

Image: Sites of Significance Port Phillip Bay
Silicified Mesozoic sandstone beds in quarry at Athlone.

Access:
Lyons Road, Invermay Road.

Ownership:
Private land.

Geology:
A bedrock spur on the northern side of the Lang Lang River floodplain consists of fine grained silicified Mesozoic sandstone in beds up to three metres thick. There are also thinner bedded mudstones and coals. The induration of the sandstones may be due to the proximity of the Heath Hill Fault. The unusual hardness of this material, compared with the typical Mesozoic sediments, makes it suitable for road making and construction uses. The quarry presently being worked at the site provides extensive exposures of this rock. Abundant plant fossils - notably stem casts, moulds and leaf fragments - may be obtained. There are some small spherical sandstone balls that superficially resemble the concretions common in the Mesozoic rocks of the Otway region. These are less common in South Gippsland.

Significance:
Regional. The outcrop is an example of an unusual lithology in the Mesozoic strata.

Management:
Class 2. The general principles of quarry management apply at this site and should be consulted.

References:
Mahoney, D.J., 1921. Sandstone at Athlone. Geol. Surv. vic. Rec.. 4.

Image: Sites of Significance Port Phillip Bay
Concretions (arrowed) in Mesozoic sandstone at Athlone.
Page top

For information about DEDJTR please contact:

Phone: 136 186

National Relay Service: 133 677 or relayservice.gov.au

Email: customer.service@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Online: Contact us

Copyright

Privacy

Disclaimer

Accessibility
State Government of Victoria logo - link to Victorian Government home

© State of Victoria (Agriculture Victoria) 1996 - .

Creative Commons License

This work, Victorian Resources Online, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria (Agriculture Victoria) as author, indicate if changes were made and comply with the other licence terms.


The licence does not apply to ‘branding’ or some ‘images or photographs’ that may be owned by third parties. We ask you to seek prior approval to use images using the VRO feedback form. Access to higher quality images can also be provided on request.


This page was last updated on .