Building Stones of Victoria. 173 



sandstone with the best weathering properties which Victoria 

 has produced, but on account of its cost in dressing, is in most 

 cases proliibitive to the private individual. 



In the early building days of Melbourne, Tasmanian sand- 

 stones w^ere extensively used, and at the present time, in build- 

 ings other than public ones, little else than Sydney stone is 

 used, while all along Victorian sandstones have been adopted 

 only to a small extent. 



Of recent years the methods of testing stones for building 

 purposes have been greatly improved, and since the advent of 

 the microscope much more has been learnt about the constitu- 

 tion and the minerals in the stones, so that by its use in con- 

 junction with the other tests, much more can be concluded from 

 laboratory experiments than was the case previously. 



In view of all this, it was felt that an investigation on a 

 thoroughly scientific basis would yield results of value both 

 to the quarry owner and the architect, and as a result this 

 work was entered upon. 



Sandstones. 



The following Victorian sandstones have been dealt with: — 



1. Stawell. 



2. Dunkeld. 



3. Barrabool Hills. 



4. Apollo Bay. 



5. Bacchus Marsh. 



6. Darley. 



7. Egerton — both fine and coarse. 



8. Greendale. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



Stawell Stone. 



This is a fine, even grained, w^hite sandstone, quarried at the 

 foot of the Grampian Ranges, 17 miles north-west of Stawell. 

 It IS a very hard and compact stone, probably of carboniferous 

 age, shows very little bedding in the fresh state, and is remark- 

 ably free from ironstainino-. 



