146 
Geology and Physical Geography: 
At Foster, in the bed of Stockyard Creek, and close to the 
boundary of the Silurian rocks, is a coal seam which possibly may 
be worthy of more attention than has yet been bestowed upon it. 
The coal itself is of fair quality, and as far as followed it dips 
north-westerly in a succession of descending shelves, the thick- 
ness of which increases downwards from 10 to 20 inches. Further 
insight into the character of this seam could be obtained at very 
small expenditure. 
Between Foster and Port Albert the measures were proved in 
bores to a considerable depth, and, it is stated, small seams of 
coal were discovered more than twenty years ago. 
Along the northern portion of the carbonaceous area there are 
on the Bass River and in the adjacent ranges several outcrops of 
coal seams up to 20 inches in thickness, some of which have not 
yet received much attention: In the head of the Bear Creek, a 
main branch of the Moe, is a seam (described in Progress Report 
No. HI. as 0 ’Mahoney’s seam) of excellent coal, though only 9 
to 11 inches thick; this seam dips south-easterly at 32° (an 
abnormally high angle, not likely to be maintained far), and, as it 
shows signs of increase on its dip, is worthy of further trial. 
In the extreme north of the carbonaceous area on Rintoul’s 
Creek, 8 miles north of Traralgon, is a seam of bituminous 
shale 10 inches thick, which yields a good illuminating oil, and 
burns well, but leaves a strong residue of undiminished bulk. This 
exposure is only the edge of the layer, as the Silurian rocks appear 
a short distance up the creek ; it dips south-easterly, and is very 
likely to increase in thickness in that direction. 
The Hazelwood seam outcrops on a branch of Billy’s Creek, 
8 miles S.S.E. from Morwell. 
In the width of a heading driven along it for a distance of 18 
feet, the coal increases from 20 to 28 inches, with indications of 
still further increase on its dip, which is to the S.E. at 27° (a high 
rate of inclination, not likely to continue far).* The coal, as far 
as proved, is soft, but burns well, caking and blistering strongly, 
and appears likely to yield a very good coke. 
The Moe coal seam is one of the most promising in Victoria ; 
there are two exposures, about 2\ miles apart, and, though 
not a matter of absolute certainty, these appear to be different 
outcrops of the same seam. The western outcrop is at the 
head of Mosquito Creek, 4 miles S.W. from Moe, on the fall 
towards the Moe Swamp. Near the surface exposure only about 
16 inches out of a total thickness of 24 to 28 inches is good 
coal, but as followed beneath its proper roof, it improves, and 
shows about 24 inches of good coal ; this seam rests on a clay 
* This scam has since been cut in a drive from a shaft sunk about 20 
yards from the tunnel, and shows an average thickness of about 3 feet. 
