ARTESIAN WATER IN N. S. WALES AND QUEENSLAND. 423 
Some of the deepest portions of the Cretaceous basin in Queens- 
land have been proved to exist at Malvern Hills, and, if high 
temperatures are a test, at the Darr River, Westland, Tara, and 
Toorak. It is interesting to note that water having a temperature 
of 140° Fah., though the bore is only 1,550 feet deep, has been 
obtained at Toorak on the north side of the Main Divide at the 
head of the Flinders River. This water is therefore probably 
derived from a depth of over 4,000 feet below the surface of the 
Cretaceous rocks. The surface level of Toorak is not known to 
the author, but judging from the levels in its vicinity, given by 
Mr. Henderson, it would be about 600 feet, the bottom of the 
bore then is nearly a thousand feet below sea-level, and the base 
of the Cretaceous strata in its vicinity would probably be 3,000 
feet below sea-level. At Strathfield also, in the same neighbour- 
hood, the high temperature of the water implies a considerable 
depth for the Cretaceous strata. The bore is only 841 feet deep, 
but the temperature of the water flowing from it is quoted as 
130° Fah. which would give a depth for the Cretaceous strata 
in its vicinity of 3,780 feet. There is probably therefore a deep 
outlet between Cloncurry and Croydon for the underflow of 
artesian water to the.bed of the Ocean in the Gulf of Carpentaria, 
the artesian water probably working its way into the sea through 
the porous beds of the Cretaceous as through an inverted siphon. 
There can, however, be little doubt in the author’s opinion that 
the main outlet for the water, if there be any outlet at all, is in 
the direction of the Great Australian Bight. 
At Malvern Hills the Cretaceous strata, (if the surface level be 
about 700 feet), have already been proved to extend to at least 
3,200 feet below sea-level, and at the Darr River, if the tempera- 
ture of the water can be relied on as a test, the thickness of the 
Cretaceous strata must exceed 6,000 feet and the base of the 
series must be at least 5,000 feet below sea-level. At Westland 
also, which is not far distant from Malvern Hills, whereas the 
surface level of the bore is 600 feet and the depth 2,848 feet, the 
temperature is 162° Fah., and this implies a depth for the source 
