TAG 166 - Geological Society of Australia

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A late report — another universityhonours a geologistFor various reasons this pieceof news, of minor historicalsignificance, has escaped thenotice of most Australiangeologists. It happened about ayear ago on 3 February 2012.Australian universities havebeen slow to commemorategeologists who have taught at orattended particular establishments.The University of Sydneyerected a ‘custom-built’ GeologySchool in 1960, named forEdgeworth David, and proceededto demolish it in 2005 to make wayfor a new Law School. Fortunately, on this second occasion it took thedesires of David’s then living grand-daughter to rename ‘Old Geology’the ‘Edgeworth David Building’. This was an appropriate enough move,seeing that David had been instrumental in its planning and constructionin 1895. An earlier distinguished former Professor of Geology, ArchibaldLiversidge, continues to get the cold shoulder at the university.I’m not sure if the building at the University of New England namedfor Leo Cotton by the first Professor of Geology, Alan Voisey, at the timeUNE cut its ties with Sydney, still exists. Dorothy Hill at least has a libraryin her name at Queensland, and of course, Douglas Mawson is honouredat Adelaide. I think McCoy gets a mention at Melbourne, and Woolnoughlikewise at WA.However the 2012 naming was quite different for it took place at auniversity that teaches little or no science, let alone geology. So what isthe link?The name is the Tenison Woods House of the Australian CatholicUniversity, at its North Sydney (MacKillop) Campus. The link is, of coursesimple. Julian Edmund Tenison Woods (1832–1889), a Catholic priest,when in South Australia was the mentor of the young Mary MacKillopin her early years founding the Sisters of St Joseph (1866), an orderdesigned to ensure education of the underprivileged.Woods needs little introduction to those familiar with his Australiangeology work, which notably included karst, volcanic and metamorphicstudies in South Australia, and mineral studies in the Northern Territory,Malaya (as it then was) and Japan.The fine, renovated numerous-storey building was given a goodopening, thanks to the local member, Joe Hockey, and also received areligious blessing at the hand of Cardinal Pell. There was a certain ironyin the latter event, as Woods was somewhat on the outer with thechurch hierarchy at the time of his death in 1889, although CardinalMoran did preside at his funeral Mass at St Marys Cathedral. Howevertime has seen him well and truly rehabilitated!Descendants of Woods’s brother and several of his biographersattended the 2012 renaming ceremony.DAVID BRANAGANCase studies sought fortext book supplementDear Geoscience Colleagues,The highly successful Teacher Earth Science Education Programme(TESEP) is seeking your assistance.We are collaborating with Earth Science Western Australia (ESWA)to produce case studies that complement their fantastic Earth andEnvironmental Science (EES) text book.By updating with Australia-wide examples, the book will moreeffectively help all Australian teachers when the new AustralianCurriculum EES course for Years 11–12 is rolled out in a few years. TESEPis encouraging nationwide adoption of this text. By providing additionalcomplementary case studies we are helping to ensure it is of maximumuse across the country.The book has 19 chapters and we are looking for excellent Australianexamples for many areas of text. Each case study will consist of two tosix pages including research, diagrams, maps and activities. The chaptersaddress minerals, fossils, geological time, plate tectonics, geohazards,energy, resources and the three rock types. Chapters also embrace soils,water, weather, climate change, human activity, ecosystems andbio-diversity. A complete overview is available on the TESEP website athttp://www.tesep.org.au/casestudies.html.However, we are not seeking to rewrite the curriculum! You maythink there are sections of the book missing but it is written to meetthe WA EES curriculum requirements. It will also be revised to meet thenational EES curriculum even better in due course, but either way it willnot cover all possible content. Consequently, if you think you havematerial that does not fit the chapter headings do not be discouraged.The content touched on under those headings is wide-ranging and manyless-obvious connections can be made as a result.I will be personally contacting those in the geoscience communityI know may be able to provide or easily develop some of the materialrequired — but I encourage one and all to help.If you have anything of your own or are aware of materials thatmight suit our needs please contact me as soon as possible. Obviously,we need to be sure that there are no copyright restrictions on thematerials you provide. However, even if you contribute just one classicphoto of a particular geological phenomenon, the Australian teachingfraternity and all future students will be very grateful and yourcontribution will be acknowledged.Needless to say, in order to ensure national appeal the case studieswill need to have national geographic spread. This means we may havethe unenviable task of choosing some over others for the first batch ofcase studies that we hope to have finalised by October 2013. However,since the case studies are likely to be delivered online we should be ableto continually add them to the ESWA and TESEP websites as they arewritten up and inform teachers by email and newsletters.GREG MCNAMARAExecutive Officer of the Teacher Earth ScienceEducation ProgrammeEmail eo@tesep.org.auMobile 0412 211 797TAG March 2013| 19
Ediacaran Golden Spike localityVisitors to South Australia’s Flinders Ranges wishing to view the EdiacaranGlobal Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), also known as ‘Golden Spike’,may benefit from an explanation to assist them find its location.Approach the site by turning left at the well-signposted, gravelBrachina Gorge Geological Trail intersection with the bitumen Hawker toBlinman Road. Time spent at the excellent information station, close tothe beginning of the trail, provides the visitor with comprehensive knowledgeof the geology of the trail that they are about to drive along.Back on the trail, regular signage directs the traveller to self-guidedlocalities to view exposures of geological interest and to campinglocalities. Take the signposted Trezona Campsite turnoff, approximately6 km from the eastern end of the trail. Within the campsite on EnoramaCreek (not at the trail turnoff) is an information panel shown in a photographaccompanying this article. This panel gives both the background tothe Ediacaran time-slice and broad directions as to where the Ediacarangolden spike may be found by walking along the creek.Follow the yellow marker posts for about 500 m in an easterlydirection along the southern bank of Enorama Creek. The final marker,several metres from the golden spike, states:Golden Spike — Global Stratotype Section and Point. Geo site marks thestart of the Ediacaran Period of geological time, as Earth warmed followingglaciation. Multi-celled organisms became widespread in maritimeenvironments. The brass disc indicates its location, where pink ElatinaFormation glacial tillite is overlain by buff Nuccaleena Formation dolomite.The Ediacaran Period information panel in Trezona Campsite, Enorama Creek,Flinders Ranges. Image courtesy Roger Pierson.Ediacaran GSSP in the Nuccaleena Formation dolomite exposure on thesouthern bank of Enorama Creek at Lat 31.331°S, Long 138.633°E. Scale incentimetres.The tillite, with prominent erratic pebbles, is shown below. A photographof the golden spike Lat 31.331°S, Long 138.633°E is shown above.On 19 March 2004 the IUGS approved the reference point indicatingthe beginning of the Ediacaran Period (about 620 Ma) in the FlindersRanges. The Ediacaran Period golden spike marks the first new geologicalperiod to be defined in 120 years and it is the only time-slice demarcatedby rocks in the Southern Hemisphere. On 16 April 2005, the then-premierof South Australia, Mike Rann, completed the formal defining of thisespecially significant Australian geological site by driving in the brass‘Golden Spike’. No fossils are present in the dolomite near the golden spike.Ediacaran fossils are found further west along the geological trail inyounger sections of the Nuccaleena Formation.Useful resourcesUseful information resources for geological travellers in the FlindersRanges include:Commonwealth of Australia (1999) Parachilna South Australia, TopographicalMap 1:250 000 scale, SH54-13 Edition 2.Hema Maps Australia, Regional Map, Flinders Ranges Regional Map,4th Edition.Minerals and Energy, Primary Industries and Resources SA, Brachina GorgeGeological Trail.Primary Industries and Resources SA (1999) Parachilna South Australia,1:250 000 scale Geological Series, Sheet SH54-13 with explanatory notes.Primary Industries and Resources SA, Geology of the Flinders RangesNational Park.South Australian Department of Lands (1994) Corridors Through Time —the Geology of the Flinders Ranges National Park.ROGER PIERSONSchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityPink Elatina Formation, 620 Ma glacial tillite with erratics, which underliesEdiacaran Nuccaleena Formation dolomite. Images courtesy Roger Pierson.20 |TAG March 2013
Page 3 and 4: From the PresidentWelcome back from
Page 5 and 6: Society UpdateGovernance changesCom
Page 9 and 10: Society UpdateFrom the AJES Hon Edi
Page 11 and 12: Society UpdateEducation&OutreachIn
Page 13 and 14: A conference in 2014 is envisaged a
Page 15 and 16: NEWSIn the news this issuen NRG Roc
Page 17 and 18: It is proposed that an important el
Page 19: IGCP projects with Australian leade
Page 23 and 24: Feature 1Feature 1Snowy Mountains H
Page 25: Tumut 2 tailwater tunnel during con
Page 31 and 32: Fossil hunting organised by Kronosa
Page 33 and 34: Fortunately for Paul Stumkat, he is
Page 35 and 36: Year 12 EES students from across WA
Page 37 and 38: Special Report 3Global warming and
Page 39 and 40: As indicated in the table accompany
Page 41 and 42: Ian Percival spoke on protecting an
Page 43 and 44: Books for reviewPlease contact the
Page 45 and 46: An introductory paper to the volume
Page 47 and 48: this land, and showing the richness
Page 49 and 50: Geology of QueenslandP Jell (Ed)Dep
Page 51 and 52: O B I T U A R I E SSylvia Whitehead
Page 53: The Australian GeologistBackground

TAG 166 - Geological Society of Australia

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