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173. Churchill Island - Coastal Bluffs

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:
Woolamai – 550373. 2 km north-west of Newhaven.
Image: Sites of Significance Westernport Bay
Churchill Island is fringed by low bluffs.
Small cliff sectors are shown by
arrows. Note the intricate drainage
on the tidal flats, Site 173

Access:
Churchill Island is linked by a bridge to Phillip Island. Access is from Phillip Island Road and visitors are permitted between 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily. An admission charge is levied by the National Parks Service.

Ownership:
Crown land.

Geology/Geomorphology:
Churchill Island consists of weathered Older Volcanics basalt and tuff which crop out around the shoreline of most of the island. There are only three small areas of active marine cliffing and most of the island is bounded by coastal bluffs. In the south, the island is extended by spits and beach ridges of coarse gravel and cobbles. Mangroves are restricted to an area extending for several hundred metres north-west of South Point. East of Grants memorial on the south coast is a terrace of beach gravels 0.5 m above high water mark. The gravel beaches here are only a veneer of stones that lie on a sloping ramp shore platform. Churchill Island is surrounded by a broad expanse of intertidal flat. This is now a low wave energy environment reflected in the dominance of clay-size material on the flats (Marsden and Mallett 1975). The former marine cliffs and abandoned gravel ridges may be interpreted as indicating either a more vigorous wave regime in the past or they may be relict of higher sea level forms.

Significance:
Regional. The shorelines illustrate many of the characteristics of the northern coast of Phillip Island. Particular interest centres on those aspects that may be indicative of higher sea levels.

Management:
Class 2. Continued management by the National Parks Service as an historic area is consistent with maintaining the significant geomorphological features. Roadworks adjacent to the bridge would disturb the gravel ridges and should be prohibited. Road widening or installation of culverts should not be permitted across this part of the island.


173 Churchill island - coastal bluffs
Churchill Island and adjacent tidal flat

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