2 * Transactions. 
Jurassic world, in which, in place of the Tasman Sea, a restrieted south- 
ward opening, “ Queensland Gulf," lay between the continental mass of 
Australia and a long promontory stretching from New Guinea through 
New Caledonia and New Zealand, where is now a somewhat elevated region 
of the ocean-floor. This feature has characterized most of the later 
palaeogeographic maps of Australasia drawn at various periods by David 
(1893), Koken (1893-1907), Frech (1897-1902), Lapparent (1900-6), Arldt 
(1907), Hedley (1909), Haug (1911), Schuchert (1916), but is not present 
in those of Lemoine (1906), while Walkom (1918) recognizes the presence 
of the gulf in Triassic but not in Jurassic times.* 
As a geologist trained in Australia, the writer, when settling in New 
Zealand, was naturally attracted to the problem Hector set himself, and 
especially towards its palaeogeographic aspect, and he has attempted in 
the sequel to summarize once more our modern knowledge of the broader 
features of Australasian stratigraphy. .As Walkom (1918) has clearly 
indicated, * the palaeogeography of the Australasian region involves а 
consideration of the structure of the western Pacific region ” ; and we shall 
therefore commence the discussion by giving a brief résumé of the con- 
ceptions that have been advanced concerning this broader problem in whole 
or in part. 
Basing his opinions on sections drawn through Canterbury and West- 
land by von Haast, and through Otago by Hector, Hochstetter (1867) 
stated that “ only the eastern half of a complete mountain chain has been 
preserved [in New Zealand], while the western half is buried in the depths 
of the main.” Hutton (1875) suggested that the Otago region in Devonian 
times was depressed beneath the sea, and emerged again in Permian times, 
when New Zealand formed a very subordinate part of a large continent 
which stretched far to the northward. Subsidence of all but the southern 
part followed, succeeded by a slight elevation, deeper subsidence, and 
this again by the great Alpine folding, believed by Hutton to have 
occurred in the Middle Jurassic times. This was part of a large move- 
ment which probably resulted in the upheaval of an Antarctic continent 
extending to South America, as shown by the fact that all the formations 
later than this upheaval contain fossils identical or closely connected wit 
those of Patagonia and Chile. Subsidence followed, New Zealand was 
reduced to a chain of islands, and has since remained isolated from any 
large continental area. 
Hector’s (1879) correlation of 
i : the geological formations of Australia 
e New Zealand is a close approximation to modern conclusions, as mà 
seen from the accompanying table. Hector held that New Zealand 
ИИИ А 
ж Am е ; 
whole or Pes m geographic maps or summaries dealing with Australia as 4 
1912), Basedow (1909), Gregory. (1910), Da formations are those of Jensen pans 
"aide: vid m 
.. 1913), Süssmilch (1919), Andrews (1916), Benson Чолу нани 
— rtm mend 
