^■j'.'] Hart, Eucalypts ahout Cresun'ck and Chines. 83 



NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE EUCALYPTS 

 ABOUT CRESWICK AND CLUNES. 



By T. S. Hart, M.A., B.C.E. 



llRead before the Field Naturalists' Cliih of Victoria, 14th May, 19 17.) 



During a time of residence at Creswick I made a number of 

 observations on the distribution of various species of eucalypts 

 and other trees in the district, and, though many points still 

 remain to be examined, it seemed that these notes might be 

 of interest both with regard to the district itself and for 

 comparison with occurrences elsewhere. 



The district, being mainly composed of bedrock (Ordovician) 

 ranges and volcanic plains, is to that extent analogous to some 

 parts near Melbourne, but differs in its inland situation on the 

 north of the Main Divide, and in its elevation from 900 to over 

 2,000 feet above sea-level, with consequent differences in 

 climate, some of which are seen in the amount and seasonal 

 distribution of the rainfall, and in the temperature and its 

 variations. Geographically, the locality presents features of 

 interest with regard to plant distribution. The wooded ranges 

 of east and central Victoria are practically continuous to 

 Creswick, but immediately to the west a strip of volcanic 

 country a few miles wide passes over a low part of the Divide 

 and connects a northward projection of the Western District 

 plains with the largest area of similar country on the north. 

 Apart from the conical hills, the plains here only reach a little 

 over 1,500 feet in elevation close to the Divide, and sink to 

 about 1,360 on the Divide at Learmonth. North Creswick 

 railway station, on the plains, has an elevation of 1,421 feet ; 

 Clunes, 10 miles to the north-west, 1,081 feet. From north 

 of Creswick the volcanic country extends eastward with in- 

 creasing elevations — 1,800 at Newlyn ; thence southward it 

 crosses the Divide again, but at elevations over 2,000 feet, 

 and further south, as the Bungaree Plateau, has still an 

 elevation of 1,940 feet at Wallace, on the main Ballarat railway. 



The tourist map of Ballarat and Creswick, recently issued 

 by the Tourists' Bureau, forms a useful guide to the district, 

 and on it will be found most of the places mentioned in this 

 paper. 



The north-westerly fall of the open plain from Newlyn and 

 Creswick to Clunes gives it a warm aspect, but exposes it to 

 bleak north and north-west winds in winter, as the hills to the 

 north-west are" not high enough to be any shelter. At the 

 same time the low part of the Divide exposes the plain to the 

 sweep of cold south-westerly winds. Elevation and exposure 

 contribute to more severe climatic conditions. 



The bedrock country at Creswick occupies the space between 



