Excursion to the Berwick Quarry. f 



Vict. Nat. 

 Vol. XXXIII. 



EXCURSION TO THE BERWICK QUARRY. 



Though Berwick is within a reasonable distance of Melbourne, 

 and in the early days of the Club was frequently visited by 

 members in search of insects and plants, the visit on Saturday 

 afternoon, 8th April, was the tirst arranged for the purpose of 

 studying the geological features of Wilson's Quarry and the 

 physiography of the district. The quarry, which is witWn a 

 short distance of the station, is ?ituated on the south-western 

 slope of One-Tree Hill. It has been worked for many years, 

 and is as well knowTi to palaeobotanists as it is to geologists, 

 for the many species of fossil leaves which have been obtained 

 there from time to time. The north and east faces form a 

 section which is typical of a higli level lead — the sides of the 

 old valley. The infilling flows of basalt — two main ones and 

 several minor ones — the underlying lignitiferous clay — repre- 

 senting the forest growth immediately preceding volcanic 

 activity — a leaf-bed, and a band of roimded and subangular 

 fragments resting on palaeozoic slates and shales, showing the 

 exact relation of the basalt to the underlying bedrock, and 

 the sequence of events during the Miocene volcanic activity. 

 Having examined the section the party proceeded to a face 

 that Mr. Wilson liad kindly cleared so that members might 

 more readily inspect the leaf -bed. Many valuable fossil speci- 

 mens were obtained, and Mr. F. Cliapman has kindly permitted 

 me to use the list of identifications made by him. Later in 

 the afternoon the party ascended One-Tree Hill — a \new-point 

 from which one may see the main physiographical features of 

 the district. The general trend of the old stream, lioth north 

 and south, was indicated by the lateral streams — Xarre W'arren 

 and Cardinia Creeks — that have cut their way back through 

 the palaeozoic sediments at the edge of the basalt. To the 

 north the course of the old stream was shown to be directly 

 towards the Lysterfield wind-gap, and it was explained that 

 the fiats at the head of Dandenong Creek, and the Lilydale 

 basalt, were directly connected with it. To the south its 

 course was traced on to the ]:)ene-plain, and the effect of an east 

 and west fault of large displacement was indicated by the 

 somewhat steeper slopes to the north. From the hill members 

 had the pleasure of witnessing a glorious sunset, whicli fitly 

 terminated the day's observations. 



The plant remains found in the pipe and carbonaceous clay 

 were as follow : — (?) Nephelites quercifolia, Deane ; Tristanites 

 angustifolia, Deane ; Eucalyptus, cf. Hootmanni, Ettings- 

 hausen ; E., cf. Hermani, Deane ; E. Kitsoni, Deane : Athero- 

 sperma Benvickense, Deane ; Mollinedia helicioides, Deane ; 

 M. praelongipes, Deane : M., cf, Muelleri, Deane, pre\nously 

 recorded from Pit field I^lains ; cf. Hedycarya, sp. ; Lomatia 



