Fleshing out the Landscape: Two centuries of Australia’s geological heroes

Abstract

Aboriginal people guided European prospectors to outcropping mineralisation during the 19 th century. One such European was Ernest Henry, led by Kalkadoon people to the Argylla and Mt. Oxide sites in the Cloncurry region, NW Queensland, 1880-82 (Blainey, 1960). From European settlement (1788) until 1940, fewer than 1,000 geologists had worked in Australia. About 300 had been members of the Geological Society of London (F.G.S.) formed in 1807. Others belonged to local scientific societies, and, from the 1890s, the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers (later The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy). An exponential increase in the number of geologists occurred about 1950, when many graduated and were employed by Commonwealth and State government surveys and research bodies. Projects such as the Snowy Mountains HydroElectric Scheme recruited geologists, as did mining and exploration companies. There was also demand for teachers in tertiary institutions. Geologists migrating from Europe and North America added a new mix to an environment which had traditionally been wedded to British practices. Today, approximately 4,000 geologists work in Australia. Since the last International Geological Congress held in Australia (the 25 th , 1976), there has been growing interest in the origins and progress of Australian geology, as summarised in this paper. With several exceptions, only non-living geologists are included in the account, and the story is taken only to the mid 1960s. The paper does not discuss the major theoretical problems of Australian geology, such as the Gondwana concept, ancient glaciations, desert landforms, geomorphology in general or geophysics (for which see Vallance, 1975; Branagan and Townley, 1976; Day, 1966). Australian Geology, from its beginning, was linked to the development of resources, in a number of distinct colonies, often with little cooperation between them. While the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901 saw the beginning of an Australia-wide approach to geological studies, the former colonies, now states, still guarded certain rights, acting independently, in as far as possible. Separate colonial geological surveys continued as State bodies, focussed largely on resource (including water) studies. Geological education was mainly through a few universities, where research on broader issues was undertaken, with results published in separate, largely colony/state oriented, society journals. The Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, formed in 1888, was a major influence in bringing geologists into direct contact, and marked the beginning of attempts to rationalise results and focus on Australia-wide aspects. Post World War 11 saw the expansion of geological research, formation of a Commonwealth Survey and the Geological Society of Australia, with the latter providing a medium for promulgation and discussion of ideas. The paper discusses the role of some 180 geologists through two centuries.

Cretaceous faunas and events, northern Eromanga Basin, Queensland

“…Marine and marginal marine units span Australian Palynological units APK2.1 to APK6, with the upper nonmarine Winton Formation belonging within APK7 (Figure 2). Dinocyst zones of Helby et al (1987) indicate the Cadna-owie Formation extending to include an unnamed zone, and the basal O. operculata zone, with the youngest marine units in the P. ludbrookiae zone (see Branagan (2012) for more on Nell Ludbrook). Price (1997) replaced zones with dinocyst units, the upper Cadna-owie in ADK17, and the Mackunda Formation within ADK22.…”

The 25th International Geological Congress, Sydney, Australia (1976)

“…The 1976 Congress occurred at a pivotal moment in the history of Australian geology. The 19 th -and early 20 th -century pioneering phase of Australian geology was long past (Branagan, 2012). In the previous 30 years, geological teaching at universities had blossomed, and many graduate geologists were finding employment.…”