BY, H. C. RICHARDS. 129 



are to be seen in the facings of the Police Commissioner's 

 Building, the gate piers of the Botanic Gardens fence, 

 the portico of the University, the fountain at the inter- 

 section of Queen and Eagle streets and the columns of the 

 George Street front of the Treasury Building. 



In Toowoomba, this sandstone has been used in the 

 Railway Station, Post Office, and Court House. 



In Ipswich, it has been used in part in the Post 

 Office and also in a fountain. 



In Maryborough, the stone facings of the Customs 

 House are of this stone, while at Cooktown the monument 

 erected to Captain Cook is of this material on a base of 

 the local granite. I understand from Mr. G. Cr3-le in the 

 latter use the stone has fretted rather badly. 



Tests on this sandstone were made prior to the erection 

 of the Executive Buildings. The absorption Avas deter- 

 mined as 5 per cent., the specific gravity, 2.605 and the 

 average resistance to crushing of three samples was about 

 3,5001bs. per sq. inch. The weight per cub. ft. would be 

 1631bs. The resistance to crushing is fair while the absorption 

 is rather high. The use of this stone has, however, been 

 accompanied with considerable success. 



Highfields Sandstone. 



This stone has been obtained from quarries 1| mile west 

 of Spring Bluff. The stone is of particular importance owing 

 to its use in the first wing erected of the Treasury building 

 (1887-89). The wing facing Queen, William and Avest part 

 of Elizabeth Streets is built of this stone on a base course 

 of the Brisbane Tuff (see text-fig. 17). The stone has not 

 been a success from a weathering point of view, its 

 appearance also is poor owing to its tendency to wear 

 rather dirty and the very pronounced current bedding. 

 It is a very soft sandstone, white in colour. In grain-size it 

 is uneven, with an average of about ,4mm. Weathered 

 felspar granules are abundant, and the cementing material 

 forms a large proportion of the stone (see micro j)otograph 

 17, plate X). 



The quarries are 9 miles from Toowoomba and 91 miles 

 from Brisbane. There were at least three quarries but the 

 one adjoining the railway line Avas the one from AA'hich the 

 J 



