Art. XV. — Note on the Stony Creek Basin, Daylesford. 



By T. S. hart, M.A., F.G.S. 



(With Plates XXV., XXVI.). 



[Eeacl 13th October, 190i]. 



The Stony Creek Basin is a relatively low-lying area of about 

 50 acres situated a short distance to the south of Daylesford. 

 The Stony Creek enters the Ijasin at its south-west corner, 

 flows along its west side, and leaves it at the north-west corner 

 by a narrow gorge. The locality has been mapped in Quarter- 

 sheet 16 S.E. of the Geological Survey of Victoria. The 

 northern and western banks of the basin are capped by basalt, 

 and present a level surface divided by the gorge thi-ough which 

 the creek flows out. On both these sides deep leads occur under 

 the basalt, but at higher level than the floor of the basin. On 

 the other two sides the Ordovician bedrock extends to the 

 summit of the bank and reaches levels rather higher than the 

 basaltic plateau. The road from Daylesford to Ballan runs 

 along the top of the east bank. The old alluvials have been 

 worked by timnels, aaad also appear on the surface at the north- 

 east corner of the basin. 



Tlie central portion of the basin is nearly level, rising towards 

 the east and north sides. Numerous sluicing channels intersect 

 the basin, and expose black clays and shales containing (in the 

 shales) fossil leaves, (eucalyptus, etc.) fruit, (banksia, etc.), and 

 a few coleoptera. The dips of these beds are irregular, both 

 in amount and direction, reaching 45 degs. at one place, where 

 the bedding is most distinct, and possibly vertical on the 

 eastern side of the basin, but the bedding here is obscure. The 

 black clays and shales are covered by newer accumulations on 

 the east and north sides derived from the disintegration on 

 the rocks forming the upper parts of the banks, and hence 

 differing in character. The Stony Creek itself does not expose 

 the black clays and shales, nor are they seen to the west of the 

 creek. The steep banks are much aft'ected by landslips on the 

 east and west sides. 



