20 
E. DE C. Clarke and C. Teichert. 
how, about 20 miles east of the sea coast the river enters a narrow 
gorge, flanked by vertical walls of sandstone and grit. ^‘The junction 
between these sandstones and the older gneissic rocks (to the east), as j 
caix be seen by a seotion on the north bank of the river, is a fault 
dipping to the west. Tliis sedimentary formation occupies the wliole 
of the Murchison Valley as far as (Jantheainne May.’’ This fault had 
been discovered by ^Maitland on an (‘arlier occaHi(m. In 1808, he stated 
that in tlie vicinity of Hardabut Pool, on the Murchison Kiver, sandstones 
and grits are exposed a few yards from gneissic and schistose rocks 
and that the junction between the two series is a fault dipping west. 
However, Maitland did not then realize the extent of the sedimentary 
area to the west of this fault. 
Xeither in 1808 nor in 1907 does Maitland give any indication otfl 
the ])ossil)le age of the sandstone series, hut in 1019 he refen’ed to it 
briefly in connection with a description of the Jurassic rocks of Westera 
Australia. 
Jutson, in 1904, quoled Maitland's observations and was puzzled by 
the appearance of a deep gorge in this country. The reason for tliis, he- 
said, is not apparent. 
The Hrst indication of lln? presence of fossiliferons rocks in the area 
was in November, 1929, when Mr. L. Glauert of the Perth Museum received 
some fossils, collected on ^Vrurchison House Station. These he found to- 
be identical with species from the Gingin chalk. Nothing was jnihlished 
about this occurrence, except a brief notic(‘ in the local press. 
In 1992, tlu' country ju'ar tlu' month of lln^ ^rnrehison Kiver was 
visited separately liy K. S. Simpson and F. G. Forman. Dr. Simpson, 
who had been attracted liy a report of jibospiiatie rocks, spent a few 
days at ^lurcliison House, live niil<*s from (he mouih of the river, and 
in lb;!!- publislied a note on apatite, bai’ite, and glanconili' from these- 
beds. In this connection he stated that the :\rurchisnn River flows for 
about fifty miles througli ji deep gorge before reaching Ganthcaunic Bay. 
**rhe walls on the south side ot this gorgi- are about 800 feet high and 
consist essentially of reddish sandstone ( -fiirassic ? ) . The north side is^ 
somewhat higlu'r, the sandstone being overlaid by glauconitic' sands and 
shales, end finally capped by clialk, both of pro^'ed G retacenus age.''"' I 
This latter ])iece ot information was be-^ed on an examinadion by ^Fr. 
L. (ilanert of sonic fossils colb'cted liy Dr. Simpson, but no fossils were 
mentioned by nann^ in Simpson's paper. 
^Ir. Forman crossed the ^lurchison on camels, travelling from the south I 
towards Shark Bay, luit the full rc'port of his lilp has never lieen tniblished. 
Reference was first made lo it in a paper by Hobson in 193(i who says that 
Foi'inan found (. relaceous sedinnmts overlying a sandstone series, the whole 
sef|Uence dipping 1® or 2° west. Forman himself briefly refemnl to hi.s- 
obsenations in a. report in lf)3^, when he ]>roposed a tentative correlatioit 
of tlu* lower sandstoiu's Avitli the Permian TCennedy 'Sandstones which had 
then become known from RaggatPs investigations (193(1) in the Carnarvon 
Natural Region. He recognised the Cretaceous nge of the beds overlying- 
this sandstone series and noted the ocenrreuce. in tin* vicinity of Mt. Curious,, 
of lossiliferons clialk containing TTifjonosf tnns^ Cithtrlft, Ostroa,^ 
and other fossils. 
