Art. XVII. — Tlie Lieologij of the Barivon about 

 Inverleigh. 



By T. S. hall, M.A., and G. B. PRITCHARD. 



(With Plate XXVI.). 

 [Eead 12th November, 1903.] 



Any references to the geology of the Barwon Valley between 

 its junction with the Leigh and the Moorabool are but scanty. 

 In 18S9 we paid a brief visit to the junction of Native Hut 

 Creek with the Barwon, and collected a few fossils, which were 

 included in a Catalogue of Tertiary Fo.ssils published by one of 

 us in 1892 (1). A couple of years later the same author 

 described Pinna cordata from near the same locality (2). In 

 1898 Messrs. Dennant and Mulder noted the occurrence of 

 eocene clays at Inverleigh without, however, recording any 

 fossils, and concluded tliat the deposit was continuous from that 

 place northwards to the sections described by them about 

 Shelford. 



The general geological boundaries are shown on Everett's map, 

 with perhaps as much exactness as the scale would allow, and 

 are, as we understand from Mr. H. Herman, the result of a very 

 hurried visit. 



The township of Inverleigh is situated at the junction of the 

 Leigh and the Barwon on an alluvial tongue in the broad valley 

 cut by the two streams. To the west, south, and east the surface 

 rocks are mainly basaltic, while to the north is a sandy plateau 

 covered with the usual park-like growth of eucalyptus that this 

 class of country generally supports in Southern Victoria. The 

 surface of the lava plain drops rapidly from the northwards 

 towards the foot of the Bai"ral)ool Hills, Elaine, twenty-two 

 miles to the north, being 1300 feet above sea level, while the 

 basalt escarpment west of Inverleigh is about 200 feet. From 

 Inverleigh to Pollocksford the Barwon for the most part cuts its 

 way through the lava to the underlying tertiaries, though about 

 the junction of Native Hut and Bruce's Creeks it follows the 



