Bf1 Lovely Banks - Lovely Banks Monocline

Geelong - Maude Area, Tertiary Stratigraphic Sites

This information has been developed from the publications:

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 Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Shire of Otway (1984) by Neville Rosengren.

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

Location	Batesford - 672870. Former Shire of Corio. Immediately west of the Bacchus Marsh - Geelong Road 2 km west of Lara.
Access	Elcho Road off Bacchus Marsh - Geelong Road.
Ownership	Private land.
Site Description	Trending south-southeast from the easternmost of the Anakie volcanoes is an east-facing escarpment that is the surface expression of the Lovely Banks Monocline. The monocline is an important tectonic structure delineating the western margin of the Port Phillip Sunkland, and east of this line there is a marked reduction in the elevation of the lava plains south of the You Yangs. In the north the monocline is approximately in line with the Anakie volcanoes and may lie along the same fracture plane at depth.
	At Anakie East, the escarpment is only 10 to 15 m high, but the displacement increases rapidly towards the south so that at Lovely Banks the monocline is a substantial relief feature 70 m high. The most recent movement on the monocline post-dates the eruption of the volcanoes so that lava flows are warped over the monocline scarp. Dissection of the escarpment has exposed the Moorabool Viaduct Formation and Fyansford City in small valleys near Lovely Banks.
	The scarp at this site faces east and shows the displacement along the monocline to be 70 to 80 m.
Significance	Regional. The monocline is here a substantial relief feature. It is a clear example of a geomorphological feature determined by a tectonic structure.
Management	Class 2. To maintain the significance of this feature it will be necessary to keep buildings or other obstructive structures away from the crest and slopes so that the displacement can be readily appreciated. This is best achieved by maintaining the area of the escarpment in rural land use or as an open corridor through built-up land.

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