176 Henry C. Rich<(r<Js : 



quarry at Ceres, and which is generally regarded as producing 

 the best stone. 



The bedding is difficult to discern when freshly dressed, with 

 the result that in many of the older buildings it has been 

 used with the bedding vertical, thus leading of course to disas- 

 trous results. The stone is fairly uniform in colour, though 

 gradations to the bluish-grey colour of the stone in its unaltered 

 state are discernible. Bands of grit occur here and there 

 through the stone, which is almost horizontally bedded in the 

 above quarry. 



This stone, which is a s6ft one, and dresses easily, though 

 rather treacherous, has been used extensively in Geelong and 

 other places. When rough dressed it weathers better than 

 when smooth-dressed, as in the latter case it has a tendency 

 to flake off on weathering, due to a disturbance of the particles 

 near the surface of the stone during dressing operations. 



An examination of the Geelong structures of this stone gives 

 a good idea of its weathering properties, as some of them have 

 been erected for about fifty years — e.g., the Art Gallery in 

 Moorabool-street. The stone breaks, away at the corners, and 

 flakes along the edge, more especially if in a clamp situation, 

 with the result that these older buildings have to be continually 

 repaired and patched with cement. 



The stones crack easily, especially those over the windows, for 

 quite large stones which one Avould expect to stand the pres- 

 sure, easily develop dangerous cracks. 



In other stones wind erosion effects are most pronounced if 

 the stone is at all gritty, the harder parts standing out like 

 pimples. The Old Police Court, at the corner of Russell and 

 Latrobe streets, Melbourne, was built with this stone in 1842, 

 and here one sees how stone may decay, for nearly all the stones 

 are in a most rotten condition, and many of them could be 

 crumbled in the hand. Or her structures in Melbourne of this, 

 stone are St. Paul's Cathedral, which is showing very evident 

 signs of decay in many places ; Scots' Church, the Working 

 Men's College, Ormond College, and the Biology and Medical 

 Schools at the University. In many of the buildings of this 

 stone in Melbourne the gables come away from the main struc- 

 ture to the extent of one or two inches after a time ; some light 



