1866.] CLARKE AUSTRALIAN CANNELS. 439 



2. On the Occurrence and Geological Position of Oil-bearing 

 Deposits in New South Wales. By the Rev. W. B. Clarke, 

 M.A., F.G.S. 



[Abridged.] 



1. Introduction. 



2. Stony Creek. 



3. Colley Creek. 



4. Illawarra Shales. 



5. River Nattai. 



6. Burragorang. 



Contents. 



7. Fluviatile Drift. 



8. Reedy Creek. 



9. Colo and Grose Rivers. 



10. Turon Drift. 



11. Bournda. 



12. Conclusions. 



1. Introduction. — ^The author, after detailing the circumstances con- 

 nected with the discovery of Cannel Coal at Reedy Creek, at the base 

 of Mount York, and near the line of railway from Sydney to Bathurst, 

 gives a brief summary of the various divisions of the coal-bearing 

 beds of New South Wales ; these divisions, with their estimated 

 maximum thicknesses, are represented in the following table : — 



ft. ft. 



1. Wianamatta beds 700 to 800. 



2. Hawkesbury rocks 800 to 1000. 



3. Upper Coal-measures (including Nattai, WoUondilly, Illa- 



warra, and Lower-Hunter beds) 5000. 



4. Upper Marine beds 3000. 



5. Lower Coal-measures 1000. 



6. Lower Marine beds (with Lejpidodendron, Sigillaria, 8y- 



ringodendron, &c.) 4000. 



7. Porphyry and granitic rocks rising through slates. 



Further investigations will probably establish the fact that marine 

 fossils occur in all divisions of the above series ; but it has been 

 already determined by indisputable evidence that, notwithstanding 

 the presence of Olossopteris, Phyllotheca, &c., in the Coal-measures, 

 both upper and lower. Palaeozoic fish range up to and through the 

 Wianamatta beds, and are associated in great abundance with ferns 

 (but without Glossopteris) at the junction with the Hawkesbury 

 rocks, in the upper part of which the same fishes are found. 



OU-bearing products have already been found in the third and 

 fifth divisions. Of these. Black Cannel occurs in the latter at Stony 

 Creek, near Maitland, on the Hunter, Brown Cannel in the former 

 at Reedy Creek, and Shaly Cannel on American Creek, in Illawara, 

 in various creeks running into the WoUondilly and Nattai rivers, in 

 the Grose River, in Burralow Creek, a feeder of the latter, and in 

 the Colo River. The CoUey-Creek cannel, which approximates to 

 that of Reedy Creek, I believe will also be found to belong to the 

 Upper Coal-measures. 



2. Stony Creek. — The cannel coals and associated beds in this sec- 

 tion occur in the Lower Coal-measures, and are overlain by nearly 

 3000 feet of fossiliferous rocks, dipping at the same or a somewhat 

 higher angle. Glossopteris occurs very low down in the series, which 

 has, by some geologists, been considered altogether of a much older 

 date than the formations which usually carry that genus ; but Mr. 



VOL. XXII. — part I. 2 H 



