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Twenty Bushwalks in the Mount Alexander Region
Mosses of Dry Forest book
Eucalypts of the region book
Wattles of the region book
Native Peas of the region book
Responding to Country
Category Archives: Geology
Colours from an ancient ocean
There are many sites around the Castlemaine area where 19th Century gold miners have removed all traces of soil in a process called ‘ground sluicing’. A blight upon the environment, but also, a wonderful opportunity to take a peek at … Continue reading
Signs of the ancient and dynamic Earth
The mysterious sandstone layers of Castlemaine and Chewton are one of the most defining characteristics of the local bush. Like the bones of some ancient earthly animal, they form a pattern of upstanding ribs that hold clues to the land’s … Continue reading
The Cascades: sculpture park or work of nature?
The Cascades at Metcalfe – is this a sculpture park or a work of nature? The answer is obvious but you would be forgiven for thinking the former. Here at this mesmerising stretch of the Coliban River, organic curves and … Continue reading
Posted in Geology
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Mind-boggling force, rocks that bend
Some people think the world is a messed-up place. I prefer to stay optimistic but, I have to admit, when it comes to the rocks beneath our feet, it’s a pretty accurate view. These anticlines are just a selection of … Continue reading
Looking down into the distant past
Geology creeps into everyday life in the sneakiest ways. Take Castlemaine’s gutters and buildings; they exhibit a gallery of local rocks. At Stonemans Bookroom corner, deep gutters are paved with sandstone blocks and a dash of Harcourt granite along the … Continue reading
New Year fireworks 110,000 BC: Lalgambook!
Mt Franklin, or Lalgambook, is a volcanic scoria cone with a wonderfully preserved crater. Lalgambook was once thought to be 470,000 years old but a more accurate and surprising date was published in 2013; it turns out to be amongst … Continue reading
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Liquid gold!
Quartz Hill is the site of some of the earliest reef mining in the Castlemaine area. Just 2km north of Chewton, it was one of a handful of huge quartz outcrops that demanded miners’ attention. The problem is not all … Continue reading
Posted in Geology
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Guildford Plateau – an upside-down landscape
We don’t often see mesa-like hills in Victoria but the Guildford Plateau is a wonderful example. The story starts around 40 million years ago when the ancient Loddon River carved its way from the Glenlyon headwaters. This was a vigorous … Continue reading
What? Rainforest valleys at Guildford?
Ordinary looking rocks can tell some amazing stories: that’s the magic of geology. We’ve asked geologist Clive Willman to write an occasional series of posts on what the stones of our region are telling us. This is his first: The … Continue reading
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