34 



PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



south of Cooktown the western waters approach to within a 

 few miles of the Pacific, while the eastern streams are a series 

 of cataracts, whose falls-line almost touches salt water. The 

 youthfulness of these streams implies a corresponding youth- 

 fulness for the range which bears them. A recent capture 

 of the Mitchell by the Barron was suggested by Mr T. G. 

 Taylor and myself.* Details of this capture have since been 

 published by Mr. W. Poole and are significant of recent 

 movement, f 



The Great Barrier Reef, whose features show vast and 

 recent subsidence, here faces a range apparently of consider- 

 able and recent elevation. The combination suggests power- 

 ful folding, recent or still in progress, carrying the reef 

 down in the trough and the range up on the crest. 



Fig. 7. — Diagram of a progressive fold. 



The abrupt truncation of the meridional coast line at Cape 

 Melville seems as if a whole coast range thence to Cape York 

 might have broken away and slipped into the abyss. In this 

 connection it may be recalled that Dr. Jack has described! 

 and illustrated a great precretaceous dislocation on the head 

 waters of the Kennedy River running north towards Prin- 

 cess Charlotte Bay. 



In conclusion, it is suggested that the last geological cycle 

 culminated at some post-miocene date with the reduction to 



* H. and T., Rept. xii., Aust. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1908, p.411. 



t Poole, Rept. xiii., Aust. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1910, p. 316. 



J Jack, Queensland Parliamentary Papers, Report on the Little River 

 Coalfield, 1882. 



