MOUNTAINS AND THEIR EFFECT ON NATIVE VEGETATION. 267 
THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA AND 
THEIR EFFECT ON THE NATIVE VEGETATION. 
By Rh. H. CAMBAGE, F.L.S. 
[With Plate VI.] 
[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, September 2, 1914. ] 
THE principal mountains of the Australian mainland are 
situated along its eastern margin, and consist of a notched 
chain or dividing range, extending from Oape York in the 
north, to the centre of Victoria in the south. Here the 
range swings round to the westward, and except for the 
Grampians and a few isolated peaks, loses much of its 
rugged and distinctive character. It has a somewhat 
sinuous course, and the Main Divide lies at varying dis- 
tances from the coast, for while it follows southerly along 
the eastern portion of the Cape York Peninsula, coming to 
within ten miles of the ocean a little to the north of Cairns, 
(Plate VI) it afterwards recedes to the westward, and 
opposite Townsville is over 100 miles inland, and is 300 
miles west of the coast from Gladstone, while opposite 
Brisbane it has returned to within 80 miles of the ocean. 
Coming through New South Wales it may be said to aver- 
age 80 to 100 miles from the coast, its nearest point being 
to the south-east of Cooma where it approaches to within 
about 35 miles in a straight line. Curling round from this 
point to the west, north-west, and south, it reaches its 
greatest elevation in Australia, 7,328 feet, on Kosciusko. 
Passing south-westerly through eastern Victoria, with 
several points exceeding 6,000 feet above sea-level, it 
occupies a position about 70—80 miles from the coastline. 
This mountain system or Dividing Range and its effect 
on climate, and consequently on vegetation, can be better 
