176 GEOLOGY OF QUEENSLAND COAST, 



(12) Along the present seaboard the coastal plains maintain a 

 fairly constant height above sea level. A few miles inland from 

 Townsville, however, along the flanks of the ranges, recent 

 deposits occur at elevations'^ of as much as 300 feet above sea 

 level. Variable heights at which Post-Tertiary deposits occur 

 may be seen at the Hunter River mouth and Raymond Terrace 

 (E. C. Andrews), Maitland district! (50 feet; David and Etheridge). 



(13) Splendid examples of consequent drainage occur on the 

 coastal plains of Hinchinbrook Island, Townsville flats, Palm, 

 Dunk Island and other places. 



(11) The coast is attended by a wide upland, rising gradually 

 towards the west until an elevation of about 4,000 feet is attained. 

 Considered broadly, this mountainous belt is represented at the 

 coast merely by undulating country, rising occasionall}^ into 

 isolated mountains. Still further west the monadnocks crowd 

 together until the country has the aspect of a maze of wild 

 ravines from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in depth, separated by long razor- 

 backs, the summits of which would lie on the surface of a flattened 

 hemi-cylinder, the decrease in height taking place in an easterly 

 direction. The central and highest portion of the mountain mass 

 consists of undulating tableland. Flat basaltic hills occupy the 

 highest points, and overlie numerous extensive and deep masses 

 of auriferous river drift. These old water courses far exceed in 

 size those of the present streams. The central portion of the 

 Cordillera consists principally of various granitic rocks, while to 

 east and west lie the variously inclined rocks belonging to the 

 Palaeozoic era. On the upturned edges of these the old rivers ran. 

 A most interesting feature in the present topography is the 

 generally wide and shallow series of basins (with basaltic outliers), 

 in which the present streams run, and the numerous long and 

 narrow canons, 2,000' to 4,000' in depth, which are entrenched 

 along the recent broad basins of the present streams. 



* Jack and Etheiidge, Geology of Queensland, p. 617. 



+ David and Etheridge, Rec. Geol. Survey N.S. Wales, 1S90, ii., Pt. 2, 

 pp. 37-52, pi. 3. 



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