Preface . 
3 
Jjeen made both with respect to the Geological Sketch-maps, and 
the conclusions arrived at as to the position of some rock-forma- 
tions which he had not the opportunity to fully investigate. 
Irrespective of these matters of detail, to Mr. Selwyn and his 
principal colleagues is due the credit of having first demonstrated 
the leading facts of Victorian geology, and of having arrived at 
general conclusions, which the results of subsequent inquiry have 
in most cases tended to substantiate. 
The latest Geological Sketch-map of Victoria, prepared under 
the direction of Major Couchman, late Secretary for Mines, is — 
with the addition of being geologically coloured — the topographical 
map issued from the Crown Lands Department, under the super- 
vision of Mr. A. J. Skene, late Surveyor-General. 
A few modifications aud improvements, as regards detail on 
previous sketch-maps, have been effected, but owing to the prac- 
tical cessation since 1 877 of geological survey on an organized basis, 
and the limited time at my disposal for the work of revision in 
the field, the improvement is not so marked as it might have been. 
The map will, however, be found to contain valuable scientific 
information, and, if studied in connexion with the various detailed 
maps, drawings, and writings extant on Victorian geology, cannot 
fail to prove of interest to scientific men and students of geology, 
Mr. A. J. Skene’s map of Australia and Tasmania, geologically 
coloured by Mr. A. Everett, chief draughtsman of the Mining 
Department, has been prepared under the direction of the Secre- 
tary for Mines from the most authentic data obtainable. 
It will be found to be a most useful adjunct to the study of the 
Victorian map, and will illustrate the remarks as to the physical 
geography and geology of this colony as related to the rest of 
Australia which will be met with in this essay. 
Sixty-five geological quarter-sheets, each representing, on a 
scale of 2 inches to 1 mile, an area of 54 square miles, were 
prepared from minutely-detailod surveys under the directions 
of Mr. A. E. C. Selwyn. 
Similarly prepared maps of the principal gold-fields, namely, 
Stawell, Ararat, Cluncs and Talbot, Ballarat, Creswick, and 
