Werribee Eruption Points of Newer Volcanics

Werribee Eruption Points of the Newer Volcanics

This information has been obtained from the report: Eruption Points of the Newer Volcanics Province of Victoria by Neville Rosengren. This report was published in 1994 and was prepared for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division). The review of eruption points was based on an earlier unpublished manuscript Catalogue of the post-Miocene volcanoes of Victoria compiled by O P Singleton and E B Joyce (Geology Department, University of Melbourne 1970).

The term Newer Volcanics Province describes the area of volcanic activity in Western Victoria younger than 7 million years ago (Wellman 1974). This province is an irregular area that covers significant areas of the northern part of the Werribee region. Within the Province is contained a rich array of features typical of a basaltic lava field, and because of their relatively young age many of the volcanic features are well preserved. The eruption points are often quite conspicuous and form dominant landscape features.

Increasingly, the eruption points and associated volcanic features are being degraded by human activity. In many cases quarrying, agricultural activities and urbanization have significantly altered or even obliterated features. Conversely, in some instances quarrying has provided excellent sections through eruption points, exposing details that would otherwise not be visible. The purpose of this study was to examine the eruption points of the Newer Volcanics and identify those that are significant. Once these important volcanic features are destroyed or badly degraded, the community has lost a valuable scientific, educational and/or aesthetic asset.

Mt Kororoit is a fine example of the small complex eruption points that
occur on the plains between Melbourne and Woodend.

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