54 TERTIARY OR CAINOZOIC AND RECENT ROCKS. 
TERTIARY OR CAINOZOIC AND RECENT 
PERIOD. 

“The rock formations of the Tertiary, including the recent period, 
whether regarded in their economical, physical, or geological aspects, 
occupy by far the most prominent place in Victorian geological history. 
Strata of sedimentary or volcanic origin, referable to some section of 
Tertiary or recent time, occupy probably fully one-half, or over 40,000 
square miles, of the surface of Victoria, forming deposits from a mere 
capping to over 300 feet thick. They are found resting unconformably 
on all the older formations, igneous and stratified, and range from sea- 
level to elevations of over 4,000 feet. They include groups of strata of 
earth, loam, sand, clay, gravel, conglomerate, ferruginous and calcareous 
sandstone and grits, hard quartz rocks, marble and other kinds of lime- 
stone, and various volcanic products, each of which has its more or less 
distinctive geological, paleontological, or mineral character, indicating it 
to be truly representative of the recognized Eocene, Miocene, Pliocene, 
or Pleistocene (including recent) deposits of Europe and other countries ; 
the terms being applied here, however, simply to denote Lower, Middle, 
Upper and Recent Tertiaries, rather than exact synchronism with Euro- 
pean beds, or any ascertained relative percentage of living and extinct 
forms in their fossil contents.”—(Wotes on the Physical Geography, 
Geology and Mineralogy of Victoria—Intercolonial Exhibition Essays, 
1866.) 
Tue Lower Gorp Drirts. 
“The attention of the Geological Survey has lately been directed to 
the very important question of the age and probable auriferous or non- 
auriferous character of what are called the ‘lower drifts of Victoria.’ 
From the facts observed, the following conclusions have been arrived at :— 
“Ist. That these particular drifts are clearly antecedent in date to 
the Upper and Middle Miocene beds, under which they have 
now been traced, and therefore, that they are far older than the 
lowest Pliocene gravels, to which age the ‘deep-lead’ gravels 
of Ballarat, the ‘White Hills’ of Bendigo, and other similar 
rich gold-bearing gravels have been referred. 
“2nd. That they do not probably contain gold in paying quantity, 
the reason being, that they are derived from the abrasion of 
quartz veins that themselves contained little or no gold, and 
that were probably formed by forces in operation, as long prior 
to those which produced the gold-bearing veins, as the denuda- 
tion, producing the barren Miocene grayels, was prior to that 
which gave rise to the Pliocene productive ones.” 
The Tertiary formations afford, besides gold, tin-ore, also diamonds 
and other precious stones, lignite or brown coal, salt, limestones suitable 
