by thomas parker, f.g.s. 80 



Outlets to the Ocean. 

 Another condition of these artesian waters is that 

 they find an outlet to the sea at points greatly distant 

 from the locality of their intake. Mr. A. Gibb, Maitland, 

 formerly of the Geological Department of Queensland, 

 some years ago reported on the leakage of Queensland 

 artesian waters into the sea. He said that, as is the case 

 in Queensland, nearly all the important artesian water 

 basins cf the world leak into the sea, or present facilities 

 for the escape of water at a lower level than that at which 

 it is received. My researches in South Australia and Central 

 Queensland also lead me to the same conclusion that the 

 ocean is largely the ultimate destination of underground 

 waters. Reasoning then, as I think one may, from the 

 analogies of artesian basins in other countries, it appears 

 a safe inference that the underground waters of Western 

 Queensland are not a motionless reservoir of water, but a 

 moving stream ; a stream passing onward through the 

 porous locks and the fissures and openings of the several 

 rock formations in which the water is found. 



Xs Closing of Artesian Wells Diminishing their Flow ? 

 It is well-known that the flow of artesian wells in 

 Queensland and New South Wales has diminished during 

 recent years. The most common cause of reduced flows, 

 according to some American experience, is improper casing, 

 and these have existed from the beginning of the well. 

 In other cases the failure of flow is ascribed to poor jointing 

 or packing. In other instances a friable rock has been 

 fractured b}^ the boring tools, and this part of the bore 

 has been subjected to caving. 



From these and similar causes the leaks around the 

 casing or into adjoining porous beds may easily cause a 

 diminution cf the flow, or lead to the total loss of the flow 

 of the well. 



Some remarkable evidence on this question has been 

 given by Mr. R. S. Symmonds, of New South Wales, which 

 goes to prove that closing down artesian bores is an 

 injurious practice. Mr. Symmonds describes 19 bores 

 in which the closing of the valve at the surface was followed 

 by a rush of water outside the bore, causing permanentlj' 



