Geology of Mount Macedon. 187 



September, 1836, in order to connect his route in northern 

 Victoria with the southern coast. From the summit he saw 

 Port Phillip, and, neglectful of Hume and Hovell's priority, he 

 adopted for the mountain a new name suggested by that view. 

 Mitchell explains, " I gave it the name of Mount Macedon with 

 reference to' that of Port Phillip " (12, vol. ii., p. 283). He adds 

 that "Geboor is the native name of this hill, as since ascertained 

 by my friend. Captain King, and is a much better one."^ 



Mount Macedon consists geographically of one long ridge, 

 which on the west, south and north rises abruptly from the sur- 

 rounding country. The ridge stands on a platform of Ordovician 

 rocks, which are exposed beneath the Macedon series on all sides 

 except the north-west. There, according to Aplin's map, the 

 " traps " sink below the basalts of the "upper volcanic series " — 

 the " Pliocene " basalts of the Geological Survey. 



The " traps " of the Macedon group are represented on the 

 survey map as covering an approximately rectangular area, the 

 sides facing the cardinal points. The margins, however, are 

 irregular, as inlets of Ordovician rocks are exposed on the floor 

 of the deeper valleys. The main Macedon ridge runs obliquely 

 across the area from the south-western corner to the eastern side. 

 It is about five miles long and has three main summits. The 

 name of Mount Macedon is often restricted to the south-western 

 shoulder of the main ridge ; this point is marked by the cairn of 

 the Trigonometrical Survey. The height is 3325 feet. To the 

 north-east of the trigonometrical station the crest descends 

 slowly ; it rises again to a central hummock, known as the 

 Camel's Hump.^ Hence the ridge descends again to another 

 saddle, rising slightly to the eastern shoulder, the third con- 

 spicuous point in the view from Melbourne. The eastern shoulder 

 is less abrupt than the south-western ; beyond it a lower ridge 

 continues towards the the east, where Macedon ends at the peak 

 of Mount Eliza. 



The northern face of the ridge is steep and comparatively 

 unbroken. The southern side is a long slope, which has been 



1 This name is given as a synonym on Arrowsmith's Map of S.E. Australia. Pari. Pap. 

 Gt. Brit., 1852-3, vol. xvi., p. 97. 



'i The exact height of the Camel's Hun)p is doubtful ; it is generally regarded as slightly 

 higher than the south-western shoulder. 



