Physiograjyhy of Werribee Area. 251 



through by the valley of the Lerderderg, and beyond again to the 

 Werribee plains, and thence to' the sea. Looking south, the line of 

 the Greendale fault can be clearly detected, running east and west, 

 and separating the heavily-timbered ranges from the open country 

 beyond. While the sides of this hill (Wuid Kruirk) are clothed 

 with timber, the summit is a bold, bare bluff, and the views in all 

 directions are thus unimpeded. 



The Divide, which runs nearly E.-W., from Old Bullarto to Gar- 

 lick's Lead (Newbury), now turns sharply N.E., no doubt due to 

 vigorous work being done here by a strong S-flowing tributary of 

 the Lerderderg. Ferguson (ref. 18), who examined the sub-basaltic 

 alluvials at Garlick's Lead, found evidence therein of a northern 

 migration of the Divide. The north-pointing salient east of Wuid 

 Kruirk is in Ordovician rocks, and the Divide turns southward 

 again at the volcanic area of East Trentham. Thence it continues 

 south easterly in Ordovician to the head waters of the Campaspe, 

 and so out of our area. There) is a low pass through the Divide at 

 the point separating the Campaspe from Gisborne Creek, and 

 through this a survey has been made for a projected Holden-Tren- 

 tham railway; this survey crossed the Divide at 2376 feet. The 

 somewhat flat, and occasionally swampy, valleys of the Campaspe 

 and Gisborne Creek, near their sources, contrast strongly Avith 

 the steep-sided valleys of the Lerderderg and its tributaries. 



While examining the Divide in this area, unsuccessful effort was 

 made tO' find evidence in favour of Gregory's '' Primitive Divide " 

 having at all affected the present topography. While touching on 

 this matter the writer would wish, only for a moment, to enter inta 

 the controversy regarding this postulated ancient range. 



Professor Gregory (ref. 20), to whose inspiring work Victorian 

 physiography owes so much, appears to base this theory of the 

 *' Primitive Mountain Chain," largely on the linking up of 

 selected mas-ses of Plutonic rocks, the exposures of which are be- 

 lieved to liave an east-west trend across the highlands of Victoria. 

 T. S. Hart (ref. 22, p. 264, etc.), advances strong evidence against 

 the correctness of this hypothesis. 



It is to be expected that we couhl get the most correct reading of 

 our pliysiogi-aphic and geological history l)y linking up both with 

 the known facts of South-Eastern New Soutli Wales. A sketch 

 (Fig. 17). lias therefore been prepaied to sliow tlie actual distribu- 

 tion of the plutonic masses of the south-eastern part of Australia. 

 As mi'orht be anticipated, this sketch shows tliat the general trend of 

 he pluiitonic masses is similar to the geneial tiend of tlie axes of 



