60 
238 feet. Dr. Selwyn, in his evidence before the Coal-fields Committee,, 
is rejiorted * * * § to have held the opinion of the “ probability of the existence 
of a workable coal-field between Port Phillip and the northern shores of 
Western Port.” 
Mr. R. A. F. Murray, F.G.S., late Government Geologist, also evidently 
holdsf the view that JurassicJ beds possibly occur in this area. 
In the light of the evidence furnished bv the occurrence of Silurian 
rocks, at or near the surface, over such a considerable portion of the area 
extending from Mount Eliza across Langwarrin towards Cranbourne, this 
area of possibly Jurassic strata is greatly reduced. Still, there is a large 
extent of country in the parishes of Mordialloc, Lyndhurst, Frankston, 
Cranbourne, and Sherwood, where such Jurassic rocks may be found. 
Taking everything into consideration, there does not seem sufficient 
justification for the opinion expressed § by the late Professor Sir Frederick 
McCoy, that it was useless boring through the basalt met with in the 
Mordialloc bore, as by so doing the “older slates” would be struck ; for 
instead of the basalt there occurring as a dyke, as apparently is the case 
in the Frankston bore, it may be flow basalt, and so be lying on coal- 
bearing rocks of Jurassic age. 
The occurrence of Jurassic beds, some of them containing coal, reported 
bv Dr. Selwvn as in evidence between Mornington and Frankston for a 
considerable distance along the shore and tested bv various bores and 
shafts, || which occurrences, by the way, are now only visible in two out- 
crops of limited extent, prove that these Jurassic beds flank the Silurian 
and plutonic area between mounts Martha and Eliza, and there seems no 
valid reason to doubt the possibility of their also occurring on the northern 
flanks of the same area, though probably, as stated by Mr. Murray, only as 
“attenuated vestiges,” owing to the great amount of denudation that had 
taken place before the deposition of the Cainozoic sediments. 
Rough plan and section are attached. 
Geological Survey Camp, Moyarra, 
5th March, 1901. 
* Prog. Rept. Sel. Com. upon Coal-fields, pp. 23, SO. 
t Murray, Notes re Boring for Artesian Wells near Brighton. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv^ 
Viet., No. VII. Report respecting Boring for Coal at the Carrum Swamp. Ibicl. 
X Now regarded by Mr. R. Etheridge, Jun., as Trias-Jura. 31.7.02. 
§ Prog. Rept. Sel. Com. upon Coalfields, p. 14. 
|| Ibid. 
