Anniversary Address. 13 



My section from Stony Creek to Anvil Creek was published 

 in the 6th volume of the "Transactions of the Royal Society of 

 Yictoria. 



Since then I have sliced and set for examination under the 

 microscope portions of all the oil-bearing cannels from near 

 Hartley, Kembla, Mount Victoria, Cox's River, the Grose, Stony 

 Creek, Anvil Creek, Colley Creek, and from a spot near Circular 

 Head, on the north-west coast of Tasmania ; and in them all I 

 recognise a common feature — the existence of yellow resinous- 

 looking translucent spots, which induced me in 1861 to mention 

 resin, in a notice of the subject printed in the New South "Wales 

 Catalogue of the International Exhibition of 1862. 



As it is now determined that where the largest specimens of 

 coal plants of Europe occur the seams are thickest, so the infer- 

 ence must be, that where certain trees of the Australian coal 

 period occurred in our seams, there would probably be left some 

 evidence of their existence. Such I assume to be the case, and 

 from it I deduce the further inference that all our coal seams 

 whether upper or lower are of one continuous epoch ; and, if so 

 the oil-bearing products of the coal pabulum may be looked for 

 in any part of the coal measures though in none to any consider- 

 able extent. 



I believe that the known extent of the mineral, near 

 Hartley, does not exceed an area of 80,000 yards, but that is a 

 considerable area. The Colley Creek cannel being full of sand 

 and quartz grit, and having the external surface of a dried mud, 

 and occurring with muddy deposits, seems to point out that it 

 must have been once in a swampy condition, capable of receiving 

 successive layers of grit washed into it from time to time, whilst 

 the swamp was under water. 



Mr. Selwyn, of Yictoria, in his late visit to this colony, came 

 to a similar conclusion respecting the character of our oil-produ- 

 cing beds as merely transmuted portions of ordinary coal-seams ; 

 and the fact that the distinguishing fossils of the latter occur 

 also in the woody cannel justifies the opinion, even if the passage 

 were not as readily traceable as it is. 



Having mentioned Mr. Selwyn, I cannot refrain from expres- 

 sing my regret that, after an expenditure of £100,000 on the 



