The South Australian Naturalist. 
107 
THE CRATERS AND LAKES OF MOUNT GAMBIER. 
(In Volume XLV. of the Proceedings of the Royal Society 
of South Australia, a former Chairman of our Section, Dr. C. 
Fenner, F.G.S., published a comprehensive paper on Mount 
Gambler, in which he summarised the available literature and 
gave the results of prolonged investigation and scientific 
enquiry. Herewith we have ])leasure in piiblishing a summary 
of the article, together with some figures, the blocks for which 
were kindly lent by the Royal Society. — Ed. “S.A.N.”) 
Though the geological features of the Mount Gambler 
volcanoes are on a relatively small scale, they have had a very 
great influence on the surrounding district from the economic 
point of view. The fertile soils of the ash deposits, together 
with the visible unlimited water supply of the lakes, led to early 
settlement in the district, and to the rise there of a well-built 
town, that has become the chief centre of the south-eastern 
districts of South Australia. 
The history of the volcanic area having been so unusual 
and varied, the resulting scenery is equally notable for its 
variety, beauty, and unexpectedness. For this reason the town 
has become noted as a tourist resort. Practically the whole 
area of the Mount itself is reserved for public purposes — 
botanic, forest, or public ])ark — and much has been done to 
add to the beauty by tree-plaiiting and improvement, without 
destruction of the unique natural features. 
The well-built nature of the town is largely due to the 
abundant supplies of good building stones (limestones and 
dolomites). The basalt (from Mount Schank) is used for road- 
making, and the ash forms excellent footpaths. The local 
water supply is drawn from the Blue Lake. But for the exist- 
ence of the volcano, the area would doubtless consist to-day of 
a broad limestone plain, sparsely settled, and economically 
unimportant. 
Mount Gambler is the best known of a series of small 
volcanic hills, which may be classified in three groups: — 
(1) Mount Gambier, The Bluff, Mount Muirhead, and 
Mount Burr. 
(2) Mount Edwards, Mount McIntyre, and Mount Graham. 
(3) Mount Schank. 
^ The bed-rock of the surrounding country consists of a 
senes of marine tertiary limestones, which include red and 
cb'cam-coloured dolomites and a ployzoal limestone (all three 
used as building stones), and, in places, flints are extremely 
