On the physiography of Northeastern Australia. 3 



lution of landscapes was a subject of very slight importance only 

 — scarcely more tban a concession to the broader classes of his rea- 

 ders. So it was left to later investigators, who ail of them had not 

 the great local knowledge to try the solution of the ter t i ary and quater- 

 nary évolution of Eastern Australia and especially its Pacific coast. 



Only the new school of geologists, thoroughly trained in phy- 

 siography — mostly in the Institute of professor David, University 

 of Sydney — very eagerly took up ail problems concerning the phy- 

 siographical évolution of the pacifie margin of the continent and some 

 of its principal adhérents (Andrews, Hedley, Taylor) extended their 

 though rather preliminary studies into the Great Barrier Reef area 

 and paid some attention also to the hydrography of the Northeast 

 coastal part- of the mainland, especially to that so very clear and 

 plain capture of the Barron River. 



Their results hâve been of great importance for the change of 

 views concerning the évolution of the pacifie coast of Australia not 

 less than the many investigations on the physiography of New South 

 Wales mountains and coastal districts mostly by members of the 

 same scientific cercle in Sydney. The special geological studies in 

 Queensland executed and published by Jensen, Dunstan, Skertchly, 

 Maîtland, Rands, Ball, Cameron and others, allthough not paying 

 much attention to the physiography of the countries investigated, 

 brought forward much very valuable materiál which in connection 

 with the studies of older geologists give a pretty safe basis for a gê- 

 nerai study. 



It is a very interesting fact that almost simultaneously three of 

 the principal Australian scientists published papers on nearly the 

 same subject, although under différent titles. This circumstance is a 

 very important one, ail the three authors worked up their own ma- 

 teriál mostly in an independent way not iofluenced by any one of 

 the others. Withthe exception of those three Australians the author of 

 these linestook up studies about the same problems and was fortunate 

 enoughto publish a summary of his views shortly before the other publica- 

 tions hâve been issued. 



He had afterward the good luck to meët Mr. Hedley and Mr. 

 Taylor and to discuss with them the problems in question and was 

 so happy to get a letter from M. Andrews, in which this scientist of 

 note expresses his agreement with the summary of his results published 

 in the short resumen „Some Problems of Queensland Hydrography". 



