Cretaceous Stratigraphy of Loaver Murchison River Area, 19 
Western Australia. 
L— CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY OF LOWER 
jMURCHISON river area, western AUSTRALIA 
By 
E. DE C. Clarke and C. Teichert 
(Department of Geolog>% University of Western Australia) 
Read : 12th June, 1945. 
CONTENTS. 
I. Introduction Page 
1. Previous Work 19 
2. Present Investigations ... ... ... ... ... ... 21 
3. Geographical Notes 22 
IT. General Geology 23 
III. Cretaceous Stratigraphy (Murchison House Series) 
1. General * 24 
2. Tumblagooda Sandstone ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 
3. Butte Sandstone ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32 
4. Thirindine Shale ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35 
5. Alinga Beds 36 
6. Toolonga Chalk 37 
7. Second Gully Shale ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39 
8. Age and Correlation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 
IV. Geological History’ of the Area 42 
V. Extension of Cretaceous North of Murchison River ... ... 44 
\T. Bibliography 45 
1. INTRODUCTION. 
The latest available geological map of Western Australia, published 
in 1933 by the Geological Survey of AVestern Australia, shows an area 
■of Cretaceous rocks extending northward from the mouth of the Murchi- 
son River almost as far as Shark P>ay, that is between 27°40' and 26°30' 
S. lat. As practically nothing was known about the succession, thickness, 
lithology, and fossils of the rocks in this area it had long been our desire 
to investigate the geology of the lower Alurchison River where good out- 
■erops in these little knowui strata were reported to exist. After a 
preliminary visit to parts of the area by the junior author in 1943, our 
■wish was finally realized in August, 1944. 
1. Previous AYobk. 
As early as 1007 the occurrence of sedimentary strata along the 
lower part of the Arurehison River was noted by Alaitland who described 
14157 / 2 / 48—750 
