rhlisioiiniplni of the Mansjield District. 387 



During 1913 I spent sonu- niontlis collecting data on the geology 

 and physiography of the district, and this paper embodies the 

 material collected under the latter head. 



Physiographically. the Mansfield area is intciesting, for at least 

 three reasons : — 



(a) It forms a part of the basin of the westward draining upper 

 Goulburn River, the latter l)eing an area of coiiiplcx relief, and 

 witli many fine rivers. 



(b) A variety of rock types. Iwtli igneous and sedimentary, 

 occurs, and a corresponding variety of physiographic types is 

 found. 



(c) Tlie sedimentary rocks are of various ages, with complex 

 faulting, bringing further variety of physiographic features. 



The upper Goulburn basin has moved several Victorian 

 geographers to make specvdations concerning it. It is distinctly 

 impressive in Victorian mappings as the largest westerly draining 

 valley in the State, and is easily noted, not only on contour maps, 

 but on rainfall, })opulation. and railway charts. The following 

 detailed account of the Mansfield portion may help toward th^ 

 elucidation of the bigger problems of the upper Goulburn. 



II. — Previous Literature. 



While there are no records of previous physiogiaphic work in 

 the Mansfield district, the following papers have been found very 

 useful and suggestive : — 



(a) Griffiths Taylor. — " Physiography of Eastern Australia," 



Com. Bureau Meteorology. Bull. No. 8. 1911. 



(b) Jutson, J. T. — " Physiography of the Yarra River." 



Proc. Rov. Soc. Vic, Aug:.. 1908. 



III.— Rivers and Creeks. 



(1) — General Description. — (See fig. 1.) 

 In the nortii. Broken River, rising in the highlands that form the 

 western boundary of the upper King, flows westerly, receiving the 

 Bridge and Blue Range Creeks on the northern side. When it 

 reaches the parish of Nillahcootic. it takes a sudden turn north- 

 ward, and passes out through the Barjarg Gap. thence away over 

 the Murray plains, past Benalla, where it divides into two streams. 

 Further south. Ford's Creek rises in the low Springfield hills, east 

 of Mansfield, flows west through Mansfield, and then south across 

 Quartzite ridge to the Delatite. Burnt Creek and Howe's Creek 



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