Ma1 Werribee - Prior Stream of Werribee Delta

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

Location	Manor - 903978. Former Shire of Werribee. Section of channel of Lollypop creek, south of the Princes Highway one kilometre west of the Maltby By-Pass Road.	Ma1 - Shallow channel of Lollypop Creek, a distributary stream of the Werribee delta.
Access	Old Boundary Road.
Ownership	Crown land (MMBW Farm).
Site Description	The site is a shallow meandering section of the channel of Lollypop Creek. This stream is an abandoned distributary channel or prior stream of the system that fed from the Werribee River to deposit the sediments of the Werribee River Delta. These channels were active during a higher sea level episode in the Pleistocene. Lollypop Creek no longer links with the Werribee River as the main channel of the river is now incised deeply into the delta sediments and the creek has been abandoned as an ephemeral channel.
Significance	Regional. Lollypop Creek is one of the last unmodified examples of the formerly extensive distributary channel system of the Werribee River. Most other channel systems lie within the pond system of the MMBW farm, or are on private land and have been considerably modified by agricultural activities. The channel is an example of the processes that produced the extensive sedimentary body of the Werribee River Delta. It is evidence that the delta was built as a subaerial feature by terrestrial streams and is not a true subaqueous delta.
Management	Class 1. The channel system should be retained in its present form and not be filled, drained or submerged. Changes in land use should be planned to maintain this form.

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