[Proc. lioY. Soc. Victoria, 20 (N.^.)- ^''^'- ^J^- l-'O?.] 



Akt. XVI. — The Hi<jhlav(lx and }[aiu Diiide of 

 Western Victorin. 



By T. 8. HART, M.A., F.G.S. 

 (With Plat<>s XXII.-XXVI.). 

 [Read 12tli December, 1907.] 



The highlands of Western Victoria form an area mostly occu- 

 pied by ancient rocks between the north-western and south- 

 western plaiins'. The line of Division on these highlands be- 

 tween the north and south flowing streams is variously sp(.)ken 

 of as the Main Divide or the Dividing Range; to the latter 

 name the words " Main '' and " Great " are often prefixed. These 

 names are also applied to the rest of the main watershed line 

 throughout the State. 



The name Greait Dividing Range had a very simple origin. 

 In the days of ^arly settlement exact description of localities 

 was desirable, and the colony was divided into counties. For 

 the most part the boundary linos of these counties are the 

 streams, as being easily located natural boundaries ; hence the 

 main waitershed became the boundary between the counties of 

 the south slope and those of the north. Tliis watershed is an 

 actual fact on the land, usually easily located, though not always 

 conspicuous. For the most part it forms a range in the popular 

 sense of the Avord. It divides adjacent valleys, amd from the 

 fact that it forms the dividing line between a series of northert 

 and a series of southern valleys, it easily became known as the 

 Great Dividing Hange. The Hist official use of the term was in 

 connection with the definition of county boundaries,' purely 

 as a descriptive term without reference to its vai'ving character. 

 But apart from any geological examination the early surveyors 

 must have known that its aspect varied considerably, and that 

 occasionally it recpiired careful observation to exactly decide 



1 N. S. Wales Oovernnient Gazette, 184S. 



