230 GLACIAL ACTION IN AUSTRALASIA. 



Neiv South Wales. — In New South Wales little additional 

 evidence has been obtained since the expedition of Professor 

 R. von Lendenfeld, Ph. D., to Mount Kosciusko in 1885. Dr. 

 Lendenfeld affirms that in this portion of the Australian Alps (the 

 Kosciusko plateau) evidences of glaciation are to be met with in 

 the shape of smoothed and rounded surfaces, somewhat of the 

 naiure of roches moutonnees. These evidences are stated to have 

 been most markedly developed in the Wilkinson Valley and on the 

 Abbot Range. No evidence, however, was obtained of rocks 

 grooved or striated by ice, nor was any evidence observable 

 indicative of glacial-action at a level of less than 5,800ft., Mount 

 Townsend, the highest peak of Kosciusko, being over 7,200ft. 

 high. Lately, however, Mr. R. Helms claims to have discovered 

 evidence of moraines and striated rock surfaces at Mount Kosciusko 

 at a lower level. As far as I am aware, no evidence of Tertiary or 

 Post-Tertiary glacial-action has been observed anywhere outside of 

 the Kosciusko plateau of New South Wales. The Government 

 Geologist of NcAV South Wales (Mr. C. S. Wilkinson) was of 

 opinion that there was undoubted evidence of a Pluvial Epoch in 

 late Tertiary or Pleistocene time in New South Wales on strati- 

 graphical and biological grounds. The widespread deposits of 

 red sandy clays and quartz gravels which cover such a vast area 

 on the western plains of New South Wales indicated, in Mr. 

 Wilkinson's opinion, a far greater volume in our western rivers in 

 flood-time than they have ever been known to possess in historic 

 time. Mr. Wilkinson"'''' states : — " 'J'he alluvial deposits of diluvial 

 origin forming over vast -western plains, those high terrace banks 

 of gravel along our river valleys, the deeply-eroded ravines carved 

 out on the sides of our mountains, all plainly tell of a time of great 

 rainfall since the Pliocene Period. The heaA^^ precipitations then 

 covered Mount Kosciusko and other of our Alpine peaks with 

 perennial snow, strong rivers coursed down the valleys, and their 

 flood-waters, I'eaching the low-lying country and becoming con- 

 fluent, spread out far and wide over it and deposited their burden 

 of muddy sediment to form the level plains of the western interior, 

 over extensive portions of which the highest floods of to-day never 

 reach, and wells or artificial reservoirs have now to be made to 

 supply water for stock." With Mr. Wilkinson's general conclu- 

 sicms I quite concur, but consider that the evidence as to these 

 plains being Post-Pliocene is insufficient, as portions of them are 

 probably at least as old as the Pliocene. At Cuddle's Springs, near 

 Brewarrina, teeth of crocodile have been found apparently smaller 

 than those of PalUmnarchus pollens, but of equal value as evidenc- 

 ing the existence in late geological times of extensive marshes in 

 what is now a semi-arid region. Evidence has been obtained by 

 Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.S., at Lake George, in New South Wales, 

 that that lake, vidiich at present has no outlet, has, in late geo- 



* Anniversary Address to Royal Society of New South Wales. May 2nd, 1888. 



