NSW Division Newsletter - Geological Society of Australia

NSW Division
Newsletter
Contents: 1. Talk location details 2. Talk abstracts 3. Proposed fossil tour
MAY & JUNE TALKS
Places limited, please RSVP: m.vanderley@unsw.edu.au
On arrival, please call David Och on 0427002293 if unsure of talk location. Also, look for
GSA members wearing GSA caps.
20 th May
John Pickett
“Sydney in the Ice Age”
6.30pm
Parsons Brinckerhoff, L27 680 George St,
Sydney
17 th June
Phil Smart
"Geological Tourism in Ulladulla – Present and
Future"
6.30pm
Parsons Brinckerhoff, L27 680 George St,
Sydney
GSA-NSW Newsletter 12/05/2010 Page 1

John Pickett
“SYDNEY IN THE ICE AGE”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age
Dr John Pickett has had a long career with the New South Wales Geological Survey,
from which he retired as Assistant Director (Regional). He has many publications in
the fields of palaeontology, stratigraphy, palaeogeography and geomorphology, and
was for a dozen years Editor of the Society’s palaeontological journal Alcheringa.
Abstract
The jumping-off point for this talk is the question “Why should two adjacent coastal
embayments, Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay, be so completely different” One has a
complex shoreline, many islands, steep shores, and is narrow and deep; the other is almost
round, wide, with low shores, just one island and is remarkably shallow.
While exploring this topic the talk touches on such diverse matters as ancient sea levels,
coastal depositional systems, weather patterns, and, of interest in the framework of current
discussion within the Society, climate change.
GSA-NSW Newsletter 12/05/2010 Page 2

Phil Smart
“GEOLOGICAL TOURISM IN
ULLADULLA – PRESENT AND
FUTRE”
Phil Smart is a retired geologist, ex-BMR and former Head
of Resource Sciences at Canberra Institute of Technology.
In the last six months he has developed a fossil walk by
making use of Ulladulla Harbour's rock platforms.
http://www.ulladulla.info/fossil-walk
Abstract
The abundance and quality of preservation of Permian marine invertebrate fossils in the
Wandrawandian Siltstone at Ulladulla has long been recognized by geologists. The fossils of
the horizontal rock platforms were the subject of study by Bruce Runnegar who recognized
a number of new species of bivalves in the 1960s. Rock fishermen and local residents
enjoying a walk on the horizontal rock platforms also couldn’t help but notice the fossils but
had little or no knowledge of their geological significance.
Until last summer they remained a largely untapped scientific and educational resource
visited by only a few university and local school groups. Their tourist potential had been
completely overlooked.
As part of the planned upgrade for Ulladulla Harbour a local Councillor put geology on the
front page of the local paper in March 2009 with her call for the introduction of a Fossil
Walk to increase tourism to the area.
With the backing of the local Lions Club a pilot program of 16 Guided Harbour Fossil
Walks was conducted during the summer tourist season to explore the potential depth and
breadth of the market for this innovative type of geological tourism.
The Walks which were run entirely by volunteers attracted more than 400 locals and visitors
but this number could have easily exceeded 500 as the last 7 Walks were booked out days in
advance. Catering for mixed groups with adults as old as 80+yrs and small children as young
as 5yrs posed a real challenge, so dedicated “Children’s Fossil Walks” were introduced. These
proved very successful and glowing feedback was received in both the children’s and
parents’ written feedback.
The guided walks in Ulladulla Harbour offered much more than just the abundant fossils.
In a short walk across the rock platform, participants were exposed to glendonites; drop
stones; cannon ball concretions; a tessellated pavement and folded and faulted seismites.
They also saw evidence of geologically recent sea level fluctuations, were exposed to some of
the processes causing coastal erosion and learned about the geological origins of the present
day harbour landscape.
GSA-NSW Newsletter 12/05/2010 Page 3

Expressions of interest
FIELD EXCURSION – FOSSIL TOUR IN ULLADULLA
A GSA tour of the Ulladulla fossil sites is being proposed, and we need to know how many
members (and their families/friends) would like to attend, and also which times are
preferable.
Currently the times proposed are:
Saturday, 26 th June, 1.30pm
Sunday, 27 th June, 2.15pm
These times are chosen due to optimal tide conditions. Alternatively, please let us know if a
tour later on in the year is preferable.
Contact:
Mira - m.vanderley@unsw.edu.au
GSA-NSW Newsletter 12/05/2010 Page 4