500 J. T. Jufson: 



burn until it joins Gardiner's Creek near Murrumbeena. The 

 two streams at their junction are at right angles to one an- 

 other. When plotted on a map they do not appear perfectly- 

 normal to each other. A normal tributary generally joins the 

 main stream at a more or less acute angle, and if Main Creek 

 and the creek a little to the west are normal affluents, their 

 courses would be expected to have a more westerly trend than 

 their present directions. T'he question therefore arises whether 

 some changes have not taken place during the development of 

 the streams. 



Tte general slope of the country south of the Mitcham Axis- 

 is towards the south-west. Main Creek follows this slope until 

 it reaches Gardiner's Creek, which enters the Yarra at a nor- 

 mal angle. During its course, Gardiner's Creek cuts througk 

 the country between Malvern and Camberwell. According to 

 the contour maps of the Lands Department, the country about 

 half a mile to the north-east of the East Camberwell railway 

 station is about 320 feet above sea level. It descends from 

 here south-westerly to Malvern, whose highest point is about 

 212 feet above the same base. East of Malvern the countiy 

 drojjs to 169 feet at Caulfield, 141 feet at Murrumbeena, 

 and 187 feet at Oakleigh. The latter is the height of the 

 railway station, but the country rises rapidly to the north-east 

 and east. This high land also continues south-eastward to- 

 wards Clayton township, from which a Ioav ridge runs to the 

 south. 



The Caulfield and Murrumbeena country steadily dropa* in a 

 south-westerly direction to the sea. It has been slightly 

 eroded by small streams, but the latter have not affected the 

 general level, which appears to be about that quoted for Caulfield 

 and Murrumbeena. 



Gardiner's Creek therefore passes from the lower country 

 of Murrumbeena and Caulfield through the higher strip 

 bounded on one side by Camberwell and on the other by Mal- 

 vern. This, taken in conjunction with the direction of the 

 Main Creek, suggests that the present stream disposition has 

 not always been the same. 



The following may have been the history of the streams. As 

 the Yarra dug its course, a tributary was formed, which cut 



