ASSG7 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library TD 410.A82G7 The great Australian artesian basin and 3 1924 022 888 113 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022888113 DEPARTMENT OF MINES. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN AND THE SOURCE OF ITS WATER BY E. F. PITTMAN, A.R.S.M., Government Geologist of New South Wales. (Prej)ared Jor the Sydne'tf Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Scienc* August, 1914) .SYDNEY : WILLIAM APPLEGATE GULLICK, GOVERKMENT PRINTER. 1914. 98089- a CONTENTS. I. Introduction .. II. The Term " Artesian " III. Tub Run-off of the Darling and Murray Rivj;r.s ..; IV. The Loss by Percolation ^ (a) The BIythesdale Braystone (6) Other Intake Beds V. The Sources of the Subterranean Water («) The Diminishing Yield (b) Meteoric Water due to Ancient Infiltration ... (c ) Residual Water (4) Plutonic Water VI. Difficulties of the Water Pressure Theory (a) The Limitation of Water Pressure (6) Irregularities in Potiential Level (c) The Toowoomba Sandstones as a High-pressure Reservoir {d) Oscillating Wells VII. The Cause of ,the Ascent of the Water (a) Gas Pressure , (4) Eock Pressure VIII. The Chemical Composition of the Well Waters ... IX. Summary OF Conclusions X. Bibliography of Australian Artesian Water XI. Map Showing Isopotential Lines fase. 3 12 12 14 19 19 20' 21 22 22 22 25 29 33 33 33 35 37 39 43 B Q Z < LiJ D a O H % CO . Q I < S O :5 Z ?^ < 1° cc S < 5 o - GQ O Z < I- < THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN AND THE SOURCE OF ITS WATER [By E. F, PITTMAN, A.E.S.M., Government Geologist op New South Wales.] I. — Introduction. The first general description of the New South Wales portion of the Great Australian Artesian Basin was issued by the writer in 1901.* Trenchant criticisms of this were published by Professor Gregory, D.Sc., F.R.S., in 1906t and were replied to in 19074 ^n 1911 Profespor Gregory issued a rejoinder§ in which he traversed, and further criticised, the writer's arguments. The principg,! point at issue in the controversy is the source of the water obtained in the Artesian wells, the writer maintaining that it is of meteoric origin, or, in other words, that it is derived from rainfall, whilst Professor Gregory asserts that it is chiefly plutonic and has never previously appeared at the surface of the earth. In his latest papejtl Gregory discusses the subject under nine principal headings, and with a view of keeping the controversy within reasonable limits, it is proposed to adhere as nearly as possible to the same subdivisions in this reply. In discussing the cause of the oscillations of the Urisino well (IST.S.W.) Professor Gregory quotes as authorities several American Geologists who, he considers, play the part of Balaam.5I This is specially interesting to the writer, biecause, of the four Geologists who have published references to the tJrisino well, * E. F, Pittman, " The Mineral Resources of N.S. W.," pp. 452-i78. Government Printer, Sydney, 1901, t J. W. Gregory, " Tlie Dead Heart of Australia," pp. 271-341. London. John Murray, 1900. JE. F, Fiftman, "Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Austialia, with Special Reference to Professor Gregory's Theory." Journ. Koy. Soc. N.S.,W., Vol.41, 1907, pp. 100-13D. Also published, with additions, by ths Geol. Sur. N.S.W. 19C8. 30 pp. 3 pla-. 5 J. W- Gregory, " The Flowing Wells of Central Aistralia," Geogv. Journ., Jiilv, 1911, pp. 34-69, and Ausust, 1911, pp. 157-181. - , . 5 > , .r ! II lUd. 1[ Ibid. Geogr. Journ., July, 1911, p., 33. 4 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN lie happens to be the only one who has visitjed it. Professor David was the first to publish an account of the peculiarities of the Urisino well,* and the following is a quotation from his paper : — "The author has been informed of a curious phenomenon relating to oscillations of the hydraulic grade in New South Wales. Mr. E. F. Pittman, on the authority of Mr. T. T. W. McKay, Acting-Inspector of Stock, Wanaaring, informs him that at Urisino Station, a bore which has proved to be sub-artesian, was sunk to a depth of 1,680 feet. The water in this bore now stands at a mean height of about seventeen feet below the surface, but rises and falls with a rhythmical pulsation for two feet on either side of this mean level every two hours, that is, it is subject to a tide of four feet every four hours. Mr. J. W. Boultbee lias also informed the author that a similar phenomenon has been observed on Urisino Station, at ninety-one miles on the Milparinka road, in the water from a bore 2,000 feet deep. The water in this bore, which is also sub-artesian, is subject to six tides, of about four feet each, every twenty-four hours. No oxplanration of these phenomena has as yet been afforded." Apparently because the information was given (o him by two diiferent pertons (the late Mr. J. W. Boultbee and the writer), and the details did not altogether agree, Professor David erroneously assumed that there were two pulsating bores at Urisino, whereas there is really only one. In 1906 Mr. A. C. Yeatch, of the United States Geological Survey, published a paperf in which he quotes Professor David's description of the Urisino bore. He repeats and emphasizes the error in regard to there being two pulsating bores at that locality, and he gives the additional information that these bores are situated 200 mi]es from the ocean. It is dilncult to understand from what source Mr. Veatch obtained this last-mentioned information, because it was not given by Professor David, and Urisino Station is not shown on ordinary maps of New South Wales. As a matter of fact the Urisino wells are situated about 570 miles from the ocean at its nearest point. Mr. Veatch states that "Professor Charles S. Slichter has suggested the very probable explanation that the fluctuations are due to a sort of periodic geyser phenomenon. This is quite competent to produce the fluctuations observed, and the high temperature of the water in this basin lends considerable color to the suggestion." It will be noted that Mr. Veatch's and Professor Siichter's conclusions are based upon the assumption (derived from Professor David's paper quoted above) that the rise and fall of the water is regular and rhythmical, with a range of 4 to 5 feet every two hour?. Careful investigations, however, have proved that this assump- tion is quite incorrect. In November, 1894, the writer vibited the Urisino bore, and made some observations on tlie ebb and flow of the water with a tide-recorder lent to him by the late Mr. H. C. Russell, at that time Government Astronomer of New South • T. W. E. D.v.ia. " Artesian Water in N.S.W .ind CjHccnslanil," Journ. R. Soc. N.S W., 1S93, p. 429. + A. C. Vea'.ch. " Fluctuation of the Water Level in Wolli, with Special Reference to Long Island, N. Y." U.S. Sco. Sur. Witter Supply and Irrigation Paper. No. 156, lOO'i, p. 76, THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. O Wales. Subsequently, in 1896 and 1897, further charts were oLtained from the tide-recorder, -which had been left in charge of the caretaker of tlie nearest Government bore. From these charts it was found that the water rises and falls in the Urisino well to a varying extent (between three and four feet), and the periods of its oscillation are also very variable, the period between two successive ebbs or flows ranging from about 9 hours to 17 J hours. (Some notes on the results were published in 1903.*) Moreover, none of the phenomena of the Urisino well is suggestive of geyser action. The motion of the water is not turbulent pr intermittent ; on the contrary, it is so gradual and gentle as to be practically imperceptible, and it is only by noting the height of the apparently quiescent water on the sides of the well, before and after considerable intervals of time, that any movement can be detected. ' >. It will be seen, therefore, that Professor Gregory depends, for support of his theory as to the cause of the pulsations at Urisino well, upon the opinions formed by two American geologists, who, like Gregory himself, have never visited the locality, and who have been in possession of quite erroneous information, not only in regard to its geographical position, but- also as to the conditions and details of the phenomenon. The literature in reference to the Urisino Avell is somewhat reminiscent of the old atory of " The three black crows," and it is inconceivable that Messrs. Veatch and Slichter would have expressed the opinions quoted if they had been in possession of more correct data. II.— The Term " Artesian." Most geologists have experienced a difficulty in i-ecent years in accurately .defining the term "artesian," because of the many different conditions under which water occurs in bores or wells in different parts of the world. The word is derived from Artesium, the Roman name of the French Province Artois, where the first artesian flow was obtained, and as (he conditions under which the water occurs at Artois are, in the main, similar to those which obtain in the Great Australian Basin, the writer has adopted the following definitions : — ■ An Artesian bore is one in which water is subject to a pressure sufficient to force it above the surface of the ground. Sub-artesian water is under a pressure which causes it to rise some distance in the bore, but which is not sufficient to force it above the surface. Owing to a diminution of pressure, an artesian bore may become a sub artesian bore. * E. F. Pittman and T. W. B. David. " Irrigation Geologically Considered, with Special Refcrcrce to (he ArtcsLin Area of New South- Wales." Jonrn R, Soo. N.S.W., XXXVir., 1903, p. l.'?2. 6 THF. GEEA-T AUSTBALUN ARTESIAN BASIN. The Run off of the Darling and Murray Rivers. The principal contention of tho writer objected to by Gregory is that the water," which overflows from bores put down within the limits of the Great Australian Artesian Basin, is of meteoric origin. A notable proportion of the rain which falls upon the western slopes of the Main Dividing Range (extending in a general north-and-south direction, and approximately parallel with the eastern coast of New South Wales -and Queens- land) is absorbed by the exposed surfaces of a series of porous sandstone beds which occur there. These sandstones are of Mesozoic age (principally Trias-Jura and Cretaceous) and they have a gentle dip in a general westerly direction under the comparatively waterless plains of Central Australia. Here the porous sand- stones are overlain by a maximum thickness of 4000 or 5000 feet of impervious shales and clays, and where these impervious beds ' are intersected by bores which penetrate the underlying porous sandstones, water is met with under sufficient pressure to rise above the surface of the ground. The altitude of the localities, where the rainfall is absorbed by the intake beds, is considerably higher than that of the central plains where the water rises in bores. All the upper tributaries of the Darling River in New South Wales and Queensland, and most of the upper feeders of the other western rivers in Queensland, flow across this belt of porous sandstones. In addition, therefore, to the rain which falls upon the exposed sandstones and which is absorbed by them in situ, much of the water which flows in the river channels in a westerly direction, across the belt of outcropping porous rocks, is soaked up by them, and gravitates down their western dip to replenish the sponge- like reservoir, under the central plains. Jn New South Wales the following rivers, tributaries of the Darling, flow across the porous intake beds, viz., the Bogan, Macquarie, Castlereagh, Namoi, Gwydir, Severn, and Macintyre. The same conditions obtain in the Queensland tributaries of the Darling, viz., the Weir Moonie, Condamine, Maranoa, and Warrego, Some of the rivers referred to lose so much water by absorption, in the manner indicated, that their volume becomes seriously reduced. Thus the Castlereagh at Gilgandra is only a flowing stream after heavy rain, and the Macquarie, which, at the town of Dubbo, is of considerable importance, only reaches the Darling in time of flood, and, for the greater part of the year, is lost in the Reed Beds, or Macquarie Marshes. The only other river in New South Wales which is comparable (in regard to length and climatic conditions) to the Darling is the Murray, but the watersheds of these two rivers are absolutely diiferent so far as their geological features are concei-ned. Whereasthe eastern and north-eastern portions of the watershed of the Darling THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 7 are composed principally of porous Mesozojc sandstonesj such rocks are entirely absent from the catchment area of the Murray, and all the tributaries of the latter stream flow over impervious rocks, such as granites, and dense Paleeozpie S3diments — slates, quartzites, and limestones. No artesian water has been obtained in this watershed j although numerous bores have been put down to eoii- siderable depths. Moreover no artesian flow has been met with anywhere in Australia except where an area of p6rous sandstones has been found to occUr. At the present time at least a dozen isolated basins have been located in the Commonwealth, but what is known as the Great Australian Artesian Basin, the subject of this paper, is by far the largest and most important not only here but in the whole world. If the foregoing conclusions (viz., ihat a notable proportion of the rainfall of. the Darling, but not of the Murray, watershed is absorbed by the porous rocks and gravitates to great depths) be correct, it follows that there must be a nbtiiofe- able difference in the " run-off " of the two rivers ; in other words a greater proportion of the rain which falls within the catchment area must find its wsiy to the sea in the case of the Murray than in the case of the Darling, and conversely, if it can be shown that the run-ftff of the Darling is as gt'teat aS that of thfe Murray, the arguments in favor of the meteoric Origin of the artesian watdt must fall to the ground. The late Mr. H. C. Russell, Government Astronomer of NiS.W., was the first to publicly state that there is a difference in the run-off of the Wd riverS) and he reasoned from this fact that much of the Darling water must he stored underground. The finding of the first artesian flow in I^ew South Wales was the direct result of experiments induced by Russell's reasoning, and great credit is undoubtedly due to him for this, notwithstanding that he was unaware of the geological construction of the basin, and that his estimate of the relative " run-offs " of the two rivers was somewhat inaccurate. Russell's estimate of the "run-off" 6f the Darling at Bourke was 1-46 per cent. of the rainfall, wherfeas he assumed that the " run-off" of the Murray was 25 per cent of its rainfall.* Alluding to these, figures of Russell's Professor Gf egoty saysf thkt the former was a 75 per cent, under-estimate of the discharge of the Darling, and the lattfet- k 300 per cent, over-estimate of tile disciiarge of the MntTay. He also statest tllat "the Murray River and the Darling both discharge about the same proportions of the water that fells upon their basins." With the object of obtaining reliable information as to the " t'un-btf " of the two rivfers, the writer, in the year 1 907, applied to Mr. R. T. McKay, Assistatit Th^, Hiissell, "The Source of the Undeigrouhd Water of the VVcstetn Districts," Jauth. Boy. SOc. N.S.W Vol. XXill', 1889, pp. 69-eo t " Dead B.eB,Tt of Australia," Ibid., p. 336. X Ibid; p. ^97. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Engineer of the Public Works Department, N.S.W., who had acted as Secretary to the Interstate Commission on the Murray, and who, in the year 1906 had read a paper before the Royal Society of N.S.W. on " The Rainfall and Discharge of the Murray River and its Tributaries." The information supplied by Mr. McKay was to the effect that during the nine years, 1895-1903 inclusive, the Murray at Wentwcrth discharged 31 times more rainfall than the Darling al Wentworth. He pointed out, however, that 1902 was a year of abnormal drought, and that if it were excluded from the period under review the proportion of the rainfall discharged by the Murray would be twelve times greater than that of the Darling.* In criticising these figures Professor Gregory states t that they were submitted, though only as approximations, to the Interstate Commission on the Murray, and that they were rejected. The writer has since ascertained that they were rejected by the Commission because they were submitted merely as approximations. Professor Gregory also quotes figures, supplied by Mr. H. S. Wilkinson, representing the "run-off" in inches of the Darling at Menindie, which is 80 miles below Wilcannia, and he says " In spite of (Menindie) being so much lower down the river, in a non-contributing area, the "run-off" in inches over the catchment is always higher than that given by Mr. Pittman at Wilcannia, as shown by the following comparison." Year. 1894 1895 1896 1897 1S98 1899 1900 1901 1902 At Wilcannia accotding to figures quoted by Mr. Fittman. it Menindie aceord'ng to Mr. H. S. WilkinEOn. 0-464 0-110 0-161 0-128 0-104 0-051 0-127 0-059 0-001 0-22-2 0-298 0-248 0-242 078 0-233 094 The Wilcannia figures, thus quoted by the writer, were correctly copied from Mr. McKay's paper,}: but it has since been ascertained that they are not now accepted as correct, having been based upon gauging observations made with the old-fashioned rod floats. Mr. McKay's estimate of the run-off of the Darling at Wentworth, as compared with that of the Murray at Wentworth, was not, however, based upon the Wilcannia figures just referred to, but upon guagings with a currenc-meter at Menindie, and it is fairly reliable, as will be shown later on. ^ ^ — — __— ^^^^^_^_^^ » E. F. Fittman, " Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Australia " ibid nn 23-24 t " The Flowing Wells of Ccntrtl Australia," ibi.d, p. 40. ' "' -' ' *"' '" ^'• SB. T. McKay, " Rainfall and Disebarge of the Murray Kiver and it! Tributaries." Joutn, B Soo . N.S.W., 1906., p. iTxv. -• ' THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. d Pfofessoi- Gregory, being unwilling to accept Mr. McKay as an authority upon the runoff of the Darling, publishes the opinion of Mr. A. S. Kenyon, who was formerly attached to the Water Supply and Agricultural Departments of Victoria, but who now occupies the position of Engineer to the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (Victoria) under Mr. Blwood Mead. Mr. Kenyon, in a personal communication* to Professor Gregory, gives the following comparisons : — ■ Percentage of Rainfall Discharged. 1891. (Jlnximum Year.) 1896. (Minimum Year.) 1990. (Uean Year.) Darliog River at Bonrke Murray River at Mildura 6 10 3 4 6i Mr. Kenyon is also quoted! as making the following statement (the italics are the writer's) :— " Measurements- (ifte records of which I cannot find) made at Bourke showed that the estimate of Mr. Russell was somewhere about a quarter of the truth, wJiile gauginga of the' Murray at Mildura showed just the opposite, his estimate being about three times in excess. The actual gaugings at Bourke were, however, I understand, only isolated measurements." It is freely admitted that Mr. Kenyon is an able and accomplished man, and his opinion, in regard to any engineering question which had come under his personal observation would most certainly be received with the greatest respect. He is, however, ^ Victorian, whose prof essioiiar work has been entirely confined to that State, and it must be remembered that the Darling is an inland New South Wales river. It is remarkable that Professor Gregory — with his acute criticar faculty — should be content to quote, in a controversy involving many figures, the dictum of a gentleman who admittedly relied upon his memory for the record of other people's investigations, and who had never occupied a position of responsibility in regard to the question at issue, viz., the run-off of the Darling River. One is almost tempted to ask whether Professor Gregory would have been equally willing to accept Mr. Kenyon's opinion if it had been in the-opposite direction. And, indeed, the query would be rather an appropriate one, for there is evidence that Mr. Kenyon has modified his views somewhat since the date of his letter to Professor Gregory. In May, 1912, an Interstate Conference on artesian water was held in Sydney, the members consisting of Geologists and Engineers representing the States of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Vest Australia. Mr. Kenyon was one of the signatories of the report, which w^s unanimously •" The Flowing Wells of Central Australia." Ibid., ji. ^2, - - t Ibid., p. 42. C I 10 THE tiREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASlN. adot)ted by the members of the Conference, and from which the following extracts are taken : — "As there has been a considerable amount of controversy in regard to the origin of artesian water and the cause of the flow, we have given special consideration to the question, and have no hesitation in stating that, in our opinion, the ascertained facts indicate that the water is almost wholly, if not entirely, derived from rainfall ; and that it percolates the porous beds under the influence of hydraulic conditions. The hydraulic surfaces which have, so far, been plotted, fragmentary though they are at the present time, show by their contours that the water is in motion, and that its rise to the surface is clearly controlled by the laws which govern the flow of liquids in channels which are more or less confined." It appears, therefore, that once again a scientific man plays the part of Balaam {vide " Introduction ") in this controversy, but, on this occasion, it is surely' not the writer, but Professor Gregory, who must represent Balak, the son of Zippor, in the Biblical incident.* Gregory contends that the only placeSat which a fair comparison of therun-offs of the Darling and Murray, respectively, could be made are Bourke and Mildura, and this contention is admitted by the writer to be reasonable. In view of the Hlany contradictory opinions on the subject of the run-off of the Darling, application Was recently made to Mr. L. A. B. Wade, Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation, New South Wales, for the latest information in regard to this matter. By virtue of his official position Mr. Wade must be regarded as the final arbiter on such a question, as all the observations made to determine the discharge of the river Darling are in his custody, and the officers who make fhern are members of his staff. In a personal communication, dated 24th April, 1914, he has now supplied the writer with the following information covering the twenty- one years, 1891-1911 inclusive; — Dei v„„.. run-off jth of in inches Deptli of rainfall in Per cent. Depth of run-off in inches Dfepth of rainfall in inches. Per cent. Year. over Jourlce inches. discharf^'ed. over Mildura dischai:ged. natc iment. catchment. 1891 1 59 31-32 5-1 2-48 27-0 9-2 1892 79 27 16 2-9 1-67 22-0 7-6 1893 1 58 28-94 5-5 2-37 24-0 9-9 1894 1 07 27-84 3-9 3-48 310 11-2 1895 24 22-26 1-8 1-61 18-0 8-9 1896 35 22-97 1-5 -93 19-0 5-0 1897 30 21-45 1-4 -92 170 5-4 1898 31 18-09 1-7 -95 18-0 5-3 1899 12 18-44 -6 -97 180 5-4 1900 28 18-84 1-5 1-64 23-0 7-1 1901 14 17-80 -8 ■98 17-0 5-8 1902 00 11-54 -0 •27 13-0 21 1903 69 25-10 2-7 1 00 22-4 4 4 1904 37 21-10 1-7 1-25 19 6-6 1905 20 20-00 10 1 33 20-0 6-6 1906 34 25-80 1-3 2-81 27-1 10'4 1907 25 22-^0 1-1 1-19 15-8 7-5 1908 37 22-00 1-7 •94 16-7 5^6 1909 20 24-10 •8 2-14 20-0 107 1910 51 21-70 2-0 1-24 20-9 .5-9 1911 49 24-00 2-0 1-77 22-5 .. 79 Total ... 10 19 475-85 — 31-96 431-4 ■— Mean ... 1 48 22-66 • 2-1 1-53 20-54 7^4 ♦Numbers, xxii-xxiv, •STHE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 11 Mr. Wade adds : — " The statement hears the following conclusions : That, although the Bouike catchmenl enjoys a 10 per cent, greater rainfall than the Mildura cajchijient, and .' contains a much larger proportion of effective or contributing country, the percentage oi rainfall which eventually reaches the Darling at Bourke is very touch smaller than ■ that which passes Mildura (on the Murray). In other words, the gauged quantities show that the losses by evaporation, absorption, and other causes on the Darling catchment exceed by more than 3 J times the losses on the Mildura (Murray) catch- ment." In a subsequent communication, dated 22nd June, 1914, Mr. Wade gave the following -information : — " In accordance with J?our request I submit the follbwing comparison of the Murray • ' and Darling catchment rainfall and run-off at WentwOrth for the years 1895-1903. As there are no gaugings available at Went worth I have deduced the flow from the current meter-gauged discharges at Menindie, using the loss co-efHcient found for the lowest M.urrumbidgee. All calculations for discharges at Menindie were based on current meter observations ; rod discharges were never used. "For the Murray run-off at Wentworth I have adopted the Mildura gaugings.^ The latter station is so close to the Darling junction that no sensible difference in the ratios of rainfall and runoff would be made by expressing the figures at the actual junction. "The following is a statement of the rainfall and run- off of the Murray and Darling at Wentworth ; — Murray. | Dabliso. Yc». Depth of Kainfall in inches. Depth of Hun-ofl in inchbs. Per cent, discharge. Depth of Kilinfall in inches. Depth of finil-off in inches. Per cent, discharge 1895 1896 1897 1898 -1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 180 190 170 180 18 '0 230 170 13^0 22 '4 1-61 .95 '92 ■95 •97 1-64 •98 •27 100 89 5-0 5 '4 5-3 5-4 1-1 5-8 2-1 ,4-4 16-07 17-67 , 15-SS 13-63 14-03 12-77 8-32 18-38 -083 -109 •030 •088 •028 .086 .034 •000 •187 -51 •61 -58 -65 ■ii •61 •27 '00 116 Totals... 165^4 9 29, — 129-29 •705 — Means , . . ' 18-4 1 03 5-8 14'36 •078' ;g4 tutting the figures in the form adopted by Mr, McKay (in his letter to you date) 29th August, 1907)i they are as follows :^ '-. 1S95 Murray per oentage of run-off is 18 times greater than Darling. 1896 „ „ ,■ « 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 9 8 25 12 21 THK GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. The figures for 1902 have been omitted because the Darling flow was so low that no useful oompariaon could be made. The Darling was practically dry during the whole of the year 1902, while the Murray discharged during the same year 1,309,000 acre feet. Taking each catchment with its total rainfall for the 9 years, and computing the mean quantity of water which fell upon each square mile of catchment and the quantity discharged, we have the following statement in millions of cubic feet : — Darliko. j Murray. Quantity fell, 1 Quantity discharged, i Quantity fell. 1 Quantity discharged. 300 j 1-7 1 384 1 22 It will be seen from this that the run-ofif (in proportion to rainfall) of the Murray at Wentworth during that period was about ten times that of the Darling at the same point. There can be no more effective reply than this to Professor Gregory's statement that the Murray and Darling both discharge about the same proportion of the water tha falls upon their basins," IV. The Loss by Percolation. (a) The Blythesfiale Braystone. Professor Gregory states * that the Blythesdale Braystone consists of a series of isolated outcrops of a total length of only 600 miles, and that " the largest area of Blythesdale Braystone, which includes 13,840 square miles out of the total o f 16,765, is in Northern Queensland, and can contribute neither water nor water- pressure to the main area of the flowing wells ; for both its surface and subterranean waters^ except, perhaps, for a small area at its Southern end, would discharo-e into the Gulf of Carpentaria, as they are separated from the central basin by the ridge of old rocks below Manfred Downs," Mr, B. Dunstan, Government Geologist of Queensland, recently informed the vvriter that he has grave doubts as to the identity of the sandstone compoiiing this area, with the rock which is typically developed at Blythesdale, near Koma, and which was named the Blythesdale Braystone by Dr, R, L. Jack. Mr. Dunstan says that the surface deposits on the northern area referred to consist largely of ferruginous gravels, that there is nothing to distinguish these rocks from those further to the westward, and that they may belong to the Desert sandstone series. Gregory publishes several small maps f showing the outlines of the various areas of the Blythesdale Braystone as surveyed by Messrs. Jack and Maitland,-and he endeavours to show by the positions of creeks passing out of, or crossing the beds • "The Flowing Wdls of Central Austrsilia." Ibid., p. i^. ■f "The Flowing Wells of Central Australia," Ibid., p.p. 45-47. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN,' , 13 that no large volume of meteoric water could be absorbed by the Blythesdale Braystone. Several reasons for rejecting this line of argument could be advanced, but it is hardly necessary to do so in view of the fact that the re-survey of the Queensland intake-beds which is being carried out under the supervision o£ Mr. B. Danstan, Government Geologist, has already proved that by far the greater portion of the area in the neighbourhood of Roma and Blythesdale, hitherto regarded as Blythesdale Braystone, really consists of freshwater Trias-Jura sandstone. Moreover, the so-called Blythesdale Braystone does not exist as a separate or distinct rock. The lowest bed of the Lower Cretaceous series was first described and named the Blythesdale Braystone by Dr. R. L. Jack in a paper read at the Brisbane meeting of the Australasian Association for the advancement of Science, in 1895. Dr. Jack described it as a porous sandstone ef marine origin, and stated that it is the principat intake and storage bed of the artesian basin. He considered that it forms a practically continuous deposit under the whole area occupied by the Lower Cretaceous series, and that its outcrop extends in a general north and south direction for about 1000 miles. Tt is now evident, however, that the lowest bed of the Lower Cretaceous series is an arenaceous limestone (Fontainebleau limestone), consisting of grains of sand set in a cement of calcite. An analysis recently made in the Laboratory of the Department of Mines, Sydney, shows it to have the following composition : — OH2 = 4-76. Fe2O3=3 00. Si02= 53-74. MgO = -86. CaO= 15-58. MnO = -73. C02=ll-49. Na20=-75. ; Al203=7-35. K20=l-32. Moreover this rock is not of a particularly porous character except where it has- been subject to much atmospheric weathering. So far, therefore, as it refers to the lowest bed of the Rolling Downs Formation, the term " Blythesdale Braystone " is a niisnomer, and there are no rocks in the Blythesdale district — other than those of the Trias-Jura series — which possess the characters of a Braystone, In 1901 the writer stated * that the Blythesdale Braystone, so far as was known, does not outcrop in New South Wales, and had not been intersected in any of our bores, and that this suggested the probability of its being merely a littoral deposit formed along the north-eastern shore of the Cretaceous sea, and of its not extending far in the direction of the dip. It may be mentioned that beds of limestone containing characteristic Lower Cretaceous fossils were obtained in several of the ♦ E, F. Pittman. " Ihe Mineral Resources of New South Wales." Govt. Printer, Sydney, 1901. P. 4«0. 14 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN., bores in the Moroe district (IST.S.W.), just above the Trias-Jum rocks, bat no water was met with until the drill had reached some 800 feet below the base of the Cretftpeous rocks. As the work already done in the re-survey of the intake-beda has - proved that most of the so called Blythesdale Braystone in the type district has been wrongly named, and really belongs to the Trias-Jura series, it is extremely probable that the more northern areas shown on the map as Blythesdale Braystone will also ultimately prove to belong to a totally different geological horizon. In fact there is very little doubt that the lowest bed of the Lower Cretaceous Series is of very much less significance than has hitherto been supposed, and that it can no longer be regarded as occupying a more important role than that of local feeder to the Trias- Jura sandstones, which, so far as New South Wales and Southern Queensland are concei'ned, certainly form the real intake and storage beds of the Great Australian Ai'tesian Basin. There is a succession of porous sandstones in Queensland ranging in age from Upper Cretaceous down to Pernio-Carboniferous, which all possess very similar characters, and in the absence of definate palseontological evidence it is extremely difficult, in many cases, to distinguish the Desert Sandstone from the Trias; Jura, or even the Permo-Carboniferous ; and this accounts for the fact, now clearly demonstrated, that in the rapid survey of the intake beds which was made in 1894- 1895, large areas of Trias- Jura were included in those mapped as Blythesdale Braystone. (i) Other Intake Beds. The fact that there are other and older rocks than the Blythesdale Braystone which act as intake and storage beds for the artesian water was first pointed out by the writer in December, 1895. In a paper read before the Royal Society of New South Wales he announced* that in the porous rocks which outcrop along the eastern margin of the New South Wales portion of the artesian area, the fossil plant Taniopteris Baintreei, which is characteristic of the Trias-Jura coal measures, occurred. He also recorded the presence of the same fossil in the " reamings " from the Coonamble bore, which is situated about 100 miles west of th.e eastern margin of the basin, and also in the Nyngan bore about 75 miles . south-west of Coonamble. Subsequently (in 1901) he showedf that in the Wallon and Bulyeroi bores in the Moree district (N.S.W.) the drills passed through from 520 to 1,500 feet of lower cretaceous rocks containing characteristic marine fossils, and below these it penetrated Trias-Jura shales and sandstones containing impres- sions of Tceniopieris Daintreei. N o artesian water was obtained in these bores until a very considerable depth had been reached in the Trias-Jura rocks. An • E. F. Pittnian.- " The occurrence of artesian water in rocks otlier than cretaceous." Trans, Roy. Soo NSW Vol. XXIX, 1886, pp. 408-416. Also records Geo. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. V., part I, pp. 1-6. t E. F. Pittman. " The Mineral Resources of N.S.W., p. 46?. F/gJ -oonambie™; ♦' ln«»' __apfiBiad&. SKETCH MAP OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA SHOWING THE THE GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN and the Intake Beds along its eastern margin C^ peJaffa,C BEACWOST C&peBuikB'* ,fltt<»^ ^^ ' •""■ .no; ftint Upright ^ O ENi,TVoftUd9y eHowe Atae/fr Srinlet "*»n« Promontory BASS POROUS MESOZOIC SANDSTONES C ACE UNCERTAIN) S T R A J WATER BEARING AREA Western and Southern boundary.") 156 »"__ PHOTO-LITHOQRAPHCD BY W. A. QULLIOK. GOVT. PRINTER, N.&Wi THE GEEAT AUSTEALIAN ARlTfiSIAN BASIN, "15 impressioh of the same fossil plant was also obtained, at a depth of abottt 1,400 feet, in a flowing bore at Salisbury Downs Station, which is situated about 400 miles west of the eastern margin of the basin*. The obvious conclusion from this fossil evidence was that.f " so far as New South Wales, at any rate, is concerned, the Triassic Coal Measures are the chief sources of the artesian water, i , . , Moreover, the Roma (Queensland) artesian well must, it is believed, have derived its water from the Trias-Jura rocks, as its depth would, in all probability, bring it below the horizon of the Blythesdale Braystone, which outcrops only a few miles to the east of Roma. The railway between Roma and Toowoomba runs for a distance of about 200 miles across the strike of the Trias-Jura sandstones, and in all probability the area of country between these two places, and extending southwards to the New South Wales border, will be found, when tested, to be . artesian-water-bearing, though it is all outside the limits of the lower cretaceous basin." This has since been proved to be true. In considering the question of intake beds other than the " Blythesdale Braystone," Gregory suggests three divisions for the Queensland portion of the artesian basin, viz., the Northern, the Central, and the Southern (vide map, figure 1), and proceeds to show,f from the evidence of the State Geological Map of 1905, the area of porous rocks which, in his opinion, would form the only available intake beds for each division. This line of argument would be a sound one if the definition of the various geological formations on the Queensland map could be relied upon as being as accurate as those of the geological map of England ; but a very small amount of field experience in Queensland would satisfy any geologist that they are not. It must be remembered that Queensland is an enormous territory, and that the geological staff has always been a small one. In publishing a geological map of the State, the Government Geologist has no doubt found it necessary to depend, for the greater part of his information, upon fiyiiig or reconnaissance surveys, and even upon notes taken during coach or railway journeys, and many geological boundaries have been roughly sketched 'in by the simple process of joining up localities — often a very considerable distance apart — where the occurrence of apparently similar rocks has been thus noted. Even the work undertaken in 1894-5 to define the intake beds of the artesian basin was in the nature of a rapid survey, and as already stated, the conclusions then arrived at are being considerably modified in the light of more recent investigations. Dealing first with the Southern division of the Queensland basin, viz., from the New South Wales Border to the line A B (figure 1), Professor Gregory admits * ^' F^,^'""""" *"^ '''■ ^- ^- Da^d. "Irrigation geoIoeioaUv considered, with special reference to the artesian aiea of New South Wales." Trans. Boy. Soc. N.S.W., Vol, XXXVII, 1903, p CXXIV t" The Mineral Resources of N.S.W." pp. 400-461. t" The Flowing Wells of Central Australia," Hid. p. 4S, 16 -THE GREAT AUSTBALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. that* " In this area the only d,vailable intake would, as Mr. Pittmau maintains, be the Jurassic beds, as the Blythesdale Braystone has only a very limited outcrop." He then proceeds to mention the altitudes at which these sandstones are crossed by the railway, presumably for. the purpose of showing that these altitudes are not . suflScient to provide the necessary hytlraulic head for the artesian flows, though this is not specifically stated. He further states (page 50) " If the sandstone were one thick permeable bed, the wat6r pressure should only be reckoned from the lowest part of the outcrop. If, on the other hand, as is actually the case, the Jurassic sandstone be an alternation of sandstone and shale, the water pressure for each layer of sandstone should b3 considered separately, and measured from the lowest outcrop of that layer. The maximum height to which the Jurassics rise near Toowoomba aflfects only the level of the water in the particular bai,nds of sandstone that occur at that height, and only a very small proportion of the water that falls on the Jurassic area has any chance of percolation into those bands. The highest level of the Jurassic formation is either immaterial or affects only a very small proportion of the water." The Professor's conclusions in regard to this matter are not necessarily cowtot for they are evidently based upon the assumption that the deposits of shale in the Trias-Jura series are regular and continuous, whereas it is a well-known fact that in many cases they are not. On the contrary they are usually lenticular in shape, and only intermittently developed along any horizon. ARTEOIAN GORE Fig. 2.— Sketch showing alternative beds of Sandstone and Sliale. The sketch (figure 2) illustrates how, under these circumstances, it is possible for an artesian bore to strike water under a hydraulic head representing the maximum altitude of the outcrop. Elsewhere in the same paperf Professor Gregory states that " Mr. Pittrtian's view that the water absorbed by the Jurassic sandstone near Toowoomba transmits a high pressure southwards is opposed to the fact that in that direction is an area of low potential." * lUd., p. 48. t Page 179. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 17 The phrase " low potential " is essentially a comparative pne, and can only have a practical application when considered in connection with altitude. Thus a potential of 1,000 feet would be too " low " tx) produce a flow in a locality which was 1,100 feet above sea^level ; on the other hand the same potential would be. considered decidedly " high " at a site which was 800 feet above sea-level, and would produce a flow of some magnitude. It is not quite clear what moaning Professor Gregory wished to convey by the words " low potential " in the sentence, quoted above, but if he intended to suggest that the area refcri-cd to could not yield artesian supplies of any importance, it is only necessary, in reply, to mention the following as some of the flows which have been obtained in bores situated directly south-west of the Toowoomba Jurassic area (vide the Hydraulic Engineer's map) : — North Callandoon Bore, Goondiwindi, altitude 670 ft Flow 2,000,000 gallons per day Myall Plains Bore „ 1,355,000 „ „ Dareel Bore; Noondoo ... ... „ 1,. 319,760 ,, ,, St. George Bore, altitude 659 ft. ... „ 576,100 .,, ,) Nindi Gully Bore, altitute 604 ft. ... ,, 540,000 „ „ Yarrandine Bore ... ... ... ,, 300,000 „ ,, The altitude above sea-level of the sites of, these bores, when compared with the altitude of the intake beds on the Toowoomba highlands, shows that there is plenty" of difference to account for the necessary hydraulic head indicat d by the flow from the bores. Gregory next refers to the lithological character of the Trias-Jura sandstones, and questions whether they are sufiiciently porous to transmit water-pressure, or considerable quantities of water to great distances except through the jointpla,nes. He does not appear to have made a. personal examination of these sandstones in the Toowoomba district, but bases his opinion upon a hand specimen from Brisbane shown to him by Mr. Cameron, and upon some " well-cemented compact sandstones grits, and fine-grained conglomerates with a compact base " outcropping in the neighbourhood of Brisbane. In the absence of comparative tests of the porosity of the Trias-Jura and the Desert sandstones respectively from different localities, the following facts a,ve a suflBcient answer to Professor Gregory's query : — There is ample palseobotanical proof that, in the New South Wales portion of the artesian basin, the water is obtained from the Trias- Jura sandstones, and therefore it may be regarded as proved that those rocks are sufficiently porous to "transmit water-pressure and considerable quantities of water to great distances." These sandstones outcrop at high altitudes (up to 2,000 feet) along the eastern margin of the basin, and this outcrop crosses the border into Queensland, and can D 18 THl! GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. be followed co'htiliuously through Toowoomba and t^ell to thfe north of Rotaa. It is not to be suggested that a mere jaolitical boundary could have any effect upon the litholbgic^l character of the sandstones, and, thereforej it is A reasonable assumption thsit they are S-s ptirous to the north of the State border line as they are to the south t>f it. Moreover, the occurrence of wsiter under high pressure in the bores to the south-west of the Toowoomba area of Trias-Jura rocks is prima facie evidence that them is no great diiFerence in the porosity of the sandstones in the two States. If any f urthet' proof be required of the water-bearing capacity of the Queensland Trias-Jura sandstones, it is supplied by the small i.solated artesia.n basin at Stanwell, l6 miles south-west of Rockhampton. This occurrence was ^described in considerable detail in 1898 by Mr. B. Dunstan, and one of his cross-sectioris is here reproduced (figure 3). Fig. 3.-^S6ction of the Stanwell Artesian Basifa, Queensland. (After B. Dunstan.) rl/he writfer has inspected this intei-esting little basin, and can testify tiiAi the (Stanwell Trias-Jilra sandstones, some beds Of which are extensively used in ilockhampton for biiilding purposes, ai-e hot noticeably niore porous than those of the Toowoomba highlalids. With reference to Gregory's Central and Northern divisions of the Queensland- artesian basin, the writer is of opinion that it is preferable to await the results of the re-survey of the infcake-beds, rather Ihan to attempt to dogmatise witk reference to data which are, to say the least, lincertaiii. There are excellent reasons for believing that the classification of the Northern intake area as "Blythesdale Bray- stoiie" is eri-oheous ; it is ijuite tevident that the intake-beds of the Central division will also i'tequire re-classificatioii. In the meantime, however, it niay he safely asseirted thai a belt of porous mesozoic sandstones having a mean wisijth of abotit 65 miles, stretches, alWost coiitinu'olisly, frOm Cape York on the north to Dubbo ^ B; Punstan., -'-'The Mesozoic Coal Measures 6i Stanwell, and nsBociated formations." Parlianientary paper l39Sj Government Printer, iBHsbane. ■> f f , THE GEEAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 19 (N.S.W.) on the south — a distance of about 1,500 miles ds the crow flies. Tlie southern portion of- this belt, for a length of about 500 milfes; consists of Trias- Jui-a> sandstones, and it is more than probable, in the writer's opinion, that these rocks are represented in the northern portion also. According to Gregory, " The Jurassic sandstones of Queensland would hardly have been adopted as the intake bed for its vast system of flowing wells if the BIythesdale Braystone had not been previousljr adopted and failed."* This statement is erroneous, as can easily be proved by a reference to the published literdrture of the subject. As d matter of fact, the Trias- Jura sandstones were described by the wi'iter as " the chief storage beds of the artesian water supply of Australia " in the year 1895, f about six years before the date of Professor Gregory's first utterance| on the subject of Australian Artesian Water, slnd about eleven years prior to the publiciiticih of his " Dead Heart of Australia." The Trias-Jura rocks were adopted as intake-beds, not because the BIythesdale Braystone had failed, but because the field bvidence; geological and palseophytological, proved therti to be such. V. The Sources of the subterranean Water. (cs) The Diminishing Flow. Professor Gregory commences the consideration of this subject in the following sentence : — - " If, then, there is no evidence of any considerable percolation into the wat bearing beds at the present day, what is the origin of this siibterraneah Water believe it comes from three main sources : (1) Plutbnic water which has risen fro below ; (2) Residual water deposited in the beds at the time of their formation ; and ) some rainfall which percolated into the sandstones at an earlier geologibal tiine. The writer is- under the impression that quite a quantity of evidence of " considerable percolation into the water-bearing beds " has been adduced, bu that, on the other hand, there is an absence of evidence to show that such volume of water as are obtained from the artesian basin could be derived from the sources mentioned by Professor Gregory. There is po do.vtbt whatever as to there being a gradual but serious diminution of flow from tjie s-rtesian bores. The report of the Interstate Conference on Artesian Water, held at Sydney in 1912, alludes to the subject in the following words; — . ,, ,, , ;, , ,,, ^ ,>, .;• "Periodical measureinents , of the flows of those bores in New South Wales and Queensland which haVe fceen in existence for some years proves conclusively Ihat there is A gieneral deefease in the flow of the Great Artesian Basin, and experielltee hsis alfe, I shown ,th»t the game, thing ia true in regard to thfe Perth. Basin in Western Australiai',,, * " The Flowing Wells of Central Australia." Ibid,, p. 51. t E. F. Pittman. "The Occurrence ol Artesian Water in EJocIi's other thart cf-et4ce0tiS." Ttans. R. Soc. N.te.W., XXIX-, 1895, p. 414. . . tJ. W. Gregory. " Vttriation bf ores in depth— the cOtttrolUrig festors." Australian Mining Stondai'd, D8c, 12 and 26, 1901. -0 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN.. It might be added that diminution of flow has resulted in many other cases, in America, and is probably due to the overtaking of the reserve supply by reason of the increased number of bores put down within the basin. At the present time the mean annual decrease of flow from all the bores iiuNew South Wales amounts to 7f per cent., and thirteen bores have ceas'd flowing altogether, the supply Jiaving become sub-artesian, rendering pumping necessary. As examples of individual losses the following may be cited : — Warren bore has lost 91 per cent, of its flow in 14 years. Bourbah ,, ,, 853 „ „ „ 18 ,, Three Corners „ „ 84-9 „ „ „ 9 „ Haddon Rigg „ „ 76-3 „ „ „ 10 ,, Moramina ,, ,, 74-9 ,, „ „ 16. ,, Quabathoo „ ,, 73-4 ,, ,, „ 8 „ Carwell „ „ 69-7 „ „ „ 9 „ Florida „ „ 53-5 „ „ „ H ,, Lower Quambone ,, „ 50'7 „ „ ,, 9 ,, Brigalow „ „ 44-6 „ „ „ 8 „ In Queensland it appears from the report of the Hydraulic Engineer for 1911 that decreases in flow have been observed to range from a maximum of 67 per cent, to a minimum of 14 per cent. It appears probable that within the near future there may be a cessation of flow from many, if not most, of the bores. It will then be necessary to resort to pumping, for which purpose the compressed air lift has been found extremely satisfactory By means of this machine, compressed air is forced down some distance below the surface of the water in a bore, and has the effect of a,t once causing it to ris'e above the surface. (h) Meteoric water due to ancient Infiltration. Professor Gregory has devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to an attempt to prove that the rise of the water in the Australian flowing wells is not due to hydraulic pressure, and in the course of his arguments ho has endeavoured toBhow,* amongst other things, that the porosity of the sandstone is not sufficient to allow of the absorption and transmission- of rain water ;■ that the chemical contents of the water are not consistent! with the supposition that it was derived from rainfall ; that the "run-off" of the Darling is not greaterj: than that of the Murray, and that there could not, therefore, be any considerable absorption of r j.in- water by the so called porous rocks forming the catchment area of the first-named f " The Flowing Wells of Central Australia," Z! tlje 10 feet stfatum is |f ipch per second. To supply this, an equal quantity mjjst come froiti thei pjiter portion of the stratum. If it came in the foyni of a cylinder of uniform diameter th§ yelocjty would be constant, but if it come from all direotious, the velocity will djmiiii|h as we get further and further from the bore. It is obvious that, urjless a yac.uuin is io be created somewhere, the artiount of flow must always he proportionaj to the distance from tije pentre of the bore, and this fact is expressed by the formula V = ^~ ii, yiz. (1) in my paper. To put.it in another way, the quarifity flowing acrpss a series of cylindrical surfaces, 10 ft. deep, and parallel to the axis of the boi^j iiiyst always be the s/iipe ; and consequently the velocity must de0re9.se as tjig cir.oumference ' ifipreai^s. It i^ quite immaterial , wjiethey the flow ig in a 4lig ,?tr.%.tj)™> ^ coarsely porous stratum, or iri a stratum where there are inany int,ersti<;e| .9^ channels As the velocity of the water increases, the ' ' head " must fall more rapidly ; and if the porosiiy of the stratum and its thickness be uniform, the diminution of pressure will fbllow the law j'eferred to by Slichter, Hazen, and others. This law of fall in pressure is known as Poiseuille's, but is more properly Neujpann's, or Jacobsen's. (See my, paper on Viscosity of Water, Journ. Roy. See, N.S.W., XXIX, 1895, pp. 77-146. ) TJie introduction p| au illus^raf^pn froin experience!? with pipes shows that Professor Gregory has not understood H|iz.en's an^ Slich|er's work. _ First it may be said that the roughness of the inside of a pipe is immatei'ial for linear flo.w. It profoundly affects flow only when the (urbt^ent state of motion is estcib- ljisjt,ed, o2fd *■* ^g.es so by increasing the pprticfty. Flow in capillaries is ijoj; tuybuleji^, but linear, or ',' steady," and in this case the roughness of the boundary dpe^ not matter. The reason is obvious. In turbulent flow some of the' energy is expended iu establishing rotational movement of the fluid — that is, in producing vortices, instead of being effeptivp in producing pnjy jnot^on of Iransfation. IlluS;trations of the fall of pressure in pipes, are, .of course, S'J'ol'y jpapprppriate to the problem in questioii. What would be analogous or appropriate is a representation of a number of conical pipes, the cross sectional area of which iQcreasecJ in thp same prpportip..n as the distance frpm the centre 9f j;lf.e Ijprp. With such a represen,tatjpn one recognij?^ at once that the i;aj;e of fall of presgure is extremely slight at any distance from the bore ; in fact, 100 feet away frpin tfe^e bp.re the velocity and the slope of the surface denoting tbe variation in the {'head" are almost negligible |,er qujte largp flows. For flow in papiUarjea, pr, {;f^.Jf^j ii? all cases where tJhe flow is steady, p)ie loss of " head " varies as the yelocity, and not approximately as the square of the velocity. • Personal communication, 2nd April, 1914.' 24 THE GREAT AUSTR4LIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Curiously enough, although the statement — on page XXX of my paper — of the fall of velocity from unity to ^^-^ of a mile in the case of a bore of 3 inch radius is correct, the numerical illustration following is greatly in error. The flow should be ff of an inch per second, instead of 5J feet, and about y^iinr instead of -^hs ™<'^'> and this shows how minute a flow will give a million gallons per diem from a bore of any size and depth. This, however, instead of helping Professor Gregory's argument, cuts the other way, and, moreover, does not touch in any way the principle nor the statement immediately preceding it, which, as I have said, is correct. The fundamental mistake which Professor Gregory has made arises from the fact that he does not realise that the high velocity which absorbs the pressure disappears within a very tew feet of the bore, a fact clearly realised by Hazen, Slichter, and any other hydraulician dealing with the nature of flow in porous strata. Professor Gregory's sentence—" The friction of the passage of water through the fine pores of rock at a rate sufiicient to maintain a large flow from the walls soon absorbs the pressure due to head " — shows indisputably that he has not grasped the essentials of the problem, viz. , that, in order to maintain an enormous flow from a bore, only a very minute velocity is requisite at quite moderate distances from the bore itself; and that the fall of " head," in a stratum of uniform thickness and porosity, is almost negligible until we come very close to the bore itself. Near the bore it falls oft in increasing amounts, which become a maximum at the edge of the bore. One might say, in short, that parallel flow as in pipes is not the proper conception of the phenomenon, for as much as the cross-sectional area of a pipe is the same throughout, the velocity is the same throughout, ai.d the rate of fall in pressure equal for equal length. In flows which converge on a point the velocity varies inversely as the radius or distance from the centre of tlie bore, and this is the fact that Professor Gregory has not yet grasped. For capillary flow, the rate of loss of head also varies as the velocity, i.e., inversely as tho radius. In conclusion, I may point out that G. W. Grabham does not question the principle, but the mere numerical illustration, into which obviously a considerable error has crept. The correct calculation, however, tells more than ever against Professor Gregory's contention, as any hydraulician will at once see.'' To supplement Mr. Knibbs' remarks it may be mentioned that thet-e is one interesting point which was referred to by the writer in a previous paper* which Professor Gregory has, so far, failed to explain. In " The Dead Heart of Australia " he mentions the Grenelle Bore in the Paris Basin as an example of a flowing well in which the rise of the water is undoubtedly caused by hydrostatic, or rather hydraulic, pressure ; but the difference in altitude between the Champagne Hills, where the water enters the intake-beds, and the site of the bore, is only about 261 feet, while the distance, measured horizontally, which the water has to travel in the porous beds before it roaches the bore, is 100 miles. As the water at the Grenelle Bore has a head of 1 '20 feet, it can only have lost, at the most^ 139 feet of head in travelling through 100 miles of porous strata. Yet Professor Gregory denies the possibility of an analogous occurrence in Australia. According to M. L. Fuller f the loss of head in an open porous sandstone only amounts to -67 ft. per mile, or 67 feet per 100 miles. The Queensland Hydraulic * E.F. Pittman, "Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Australia. Hid., p. 8. 1 '.' Problems of the Artesian Water Supplj' of Australia." Jbid., p. 7. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 25 Engineer's Map shows that between Wyandra and Thargomindah, a distance of 135 miles, the loss of head is 100 feet, or at the rate of -74 ft per mile. The mean rate of loss of head over the whole of Queensland, however, according to that map, is at the rate of about 2-54 ft. per mile, or 254 feet per 100 miles. [h] Irregularities in Potential Level, Professor Gregory is of opinion that "the fundamental difficulties in explaining the flowing wells of Central Aus'ralia by water-preasure are the irregularities in the level to which the water rises, and the irregular distribution of the flows." He points out, very correctly, that " the water-pressure theory is inconsistent with the water rising, either above the level of its intake, or above the level of the lowest outcrop of the intake-beds, unless, in the latter case, the frictional resistance to the passage of the water from its entrance to the low-lying outcrop, is greater than that from its entrance to the water-level in the wells." He then proceeds thus : — " The section issued with Mr. Pittman's Clarke Lecture, from Brisbane, through Toowoomba and Longreach to the Gulf uf Carpentaria, also sljows that the potential surface varies irregularly and exceeds the level of the eastern margin of the supposed intake." The Professor is under a singular misapprehension ; the section referred to does not show the potential surface at all, and therefore cannot show any irregularities in that surface. Moreover, there is nothing in the section to suggest that the potential surface, at any point, exceeds the level of the eastern margin of the intake ; on the contrary, the Trias-Jura sandstones at Toowoomba are shown to reach such an altitude that it would be impossible for the potential surface to exceed it. According to the Hydraulic Engineer's Map, the heights of the potential surface as mentioned by Professor Gregory * at Dalby, Cameby, Morven, Charleville, Long- reach, Darr River, Sesbania, and between there and the Gulf of Carpentaria, are about correct, but the writer has never suggested that the flow of the artesian water from Toowoomba follows the course indicated by the above mentioned localities. The course of the water absorbed by the Queensland intake-beds is very clearly shown by the Isopotential Map, the trustworthiness of which is vouched for by Professor Gregory .f The map also shows that there are two principal high-pressure centres, viz., one to the north-west of Roma, and the other to the east of Hughenden, at both of which the intake beds outcrop at high altitudes. This should serve to make it clear that all- the water does not come from Toowoomba, as Professor Gregory Appears to imagine the advocates of the hydraulic pressure theory claimed It may be added that the section issued with the Clarke Lecture is, as may be * " The Flowing Wells of Oentral Australia," , p. 160, t!ii>id 164. 26 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. seen by the footnote thereon, really Professor Gregory's section, as published in " The Dead Heart of Australia," with the addition, by the writer, of the eastern part between Charleville and Brisbane. lb has already been stated in this paper that the Trias-Jura sandstones (and not the Blythesdale Braystones) form the main intake beds to the north of Roma, and that with regard to the Hughenden area the age of the porous rocks will probably prove to be the same. Nothing that Professor Gregory has said, therefore, can be taken as proving that the heights of the potential surface, as quoted, are incorrect, the altitude of the Trias-Jura intake beds being much higher than he assumes. Gregory quotes Professor David and Mr. J. Baillie Henderson as having stated, in 1 S93, that the rise of the water in some of the wells could not be explained by hydrostatic pressure. He omits to mention, however, that Professor David was of opinion that it could be explained by hydrauUo pressure.* Moreover in the year 1893 both Professor David and Mr. Henderson were under the impression that the Cretaceous rocks formed the intake and storage beds of the artesian water, whereas it is now certain that in this (southern) portion of Queensland the Trias-Jura sandstones are the true intake beds, and that they out- crop much further to the north and east, and at much greater altitudes than the Cretaceous rocks. So far as Southern Queensland is concerned, therefore, the anomalies, which, Professor Gregory considers, exist in regard to the potential of the water of certain bores, completely disappear when it is recognised that the Trias-Jura sandstones and not the Blythesdale Braystone constitute the main intake beds. In the case of Northern Queensland Gregory refers to the Kynuna well (655 feet above sea level), the water from which has a potential of 722 feet, and because the altitude of the nearest outcrop of Blythesdale Braystone at Saxby Downs (120 miles distant) is given as only 496 feet, he asks why should not the water escape at Saxby Downs, which is considerably lower than Kynuna 1 The obvious reply is that even if the nearest outcrop of the Blythesdale Braystone be at Saxby Downs, the same formation is shown on the Geological Map to extend to the summit of the Main Dividing range (140 miles further east), where it reaches an altitude of 2,200 feet, and, as these rocks have a general westerly dip, the most easterly intake-beds would carry the water a considerable depth below Saxby Downs, and that is doubtless the reason why it does not escape there. As already stated in this paper, there is considerable doubt as to whether the areas (to the north and east of Hughendon), shown as Blythesdale Braystone and Desert Sandstone on the Geological Map, have been correctly named, but a recent hurried inspection of the district has convinced the writer that the intake-beds there are identical in age with the Trias-Jura sandstones of New South Wales and Southern Queensland, though this has not yet been proved by fossil evidence. * T. W. E. David, " Artesian wfttvr ii) N.S.W, ai)d Queenslana." Journ. Koy. Soc, N.S.W., XXVII. 1893, p. tHE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 27 Professor Gregory refers to the two " high potential " areas shown on the Queensland map (appended to this paper), viz., one to the north of Hughendon and zhe other to the north-east of Charleville, and he draws attention to the fact that they were both areas of wide-spread volcanic activity in geologically recent times. He says : — * ." One of the high-pressure areas is to the north-west of Hughenden, in a district where the geological surveys by W. H. Rands and A. Gibb-Maitland have shown the existence not only of wide-spread sheets of basalt, but of ten distinct volcanic foci. The second high pressure area lies to the south-west of the basalts from Mount Hutton through the end of Carnarvon Range, the Bnckland Tableland, and Mount Faraday to Mount Playfair. Some of the basaltic outliers to the south-west of this basalt table- land probably cover the vents of the old volcanoes. The high potential in these areas of former volcanic activity is a natural consequence of the higher temperature that may be expected in the subterranean waters." He goes on to state that the anomalies which, in his opinion, disprove the water- pressure theory are readily explained by the "alternative theory," viz., that the high potential is directly caused by the high temperatures due to tertiary volcanic activity. The writer ventures to hold a contrary opinion. The fact that the two areas of high" potential are marked by the occurrence of much basalt is con- siderably discounted when we note that a very large area of basalt also occurs in the neighbourhood of Toowoomba, although, according to Professor Gregory, this is near a centre of "low potential" ; it may be added that there is just as much, or as little, evidence that some of the " basalt outliers cover the vents of the old volcanoes " there, as in the second high-pressure area referred to. Moreover, the " alternative theory " does not explain why the hottest bore in Queensland (the Elderslie, 202° Pah.) is situated nearlyl60 miles (south-west) from the nearest volcanic focus of the Hughenden basaltic area, whereas very much lower temperatures prevail in all the bores situated nearer to the centres of volcanic activity ! Nor does it explain why the volcanic foci shown on the Geological Map as Mqunt Gregory and Mount Bolfe, are in the vicinity of an area oE " low potential " ; nor- why, in the neighbourhood of what is apparently the area of greatest volcanic activity of all- -viz., the Clermont district, where, according to the Geological Map, no less than 18 distinct volcanic foci are known to occur, there is not only no " high potential," but no artesian water at all ! Surely the mere coincidence that volcanic activity occurred during the Tertiary period at two localities near which water under high pressure is now found, is too flimsy a basis upon which to found an " alternative theory," when all the necessary conditions exist to account for the occurrence by the generally accepted hypothesis of hydraulic pressure. Referring once more to the largest area (13,840 square miles) of the Blythesdale Braystone as defined on Dr. Jack's geological map of Queensland, it may be • " The Flowing Wells of Central Australia " (August Paper), p. 164. ^8 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. mentioned that Professor Gregory, in arguing against the probability of this rock forming the intake and storage-beds of the Artesian supply, emphasises the fact that the surface level of the Blythesdale Braystone, at the northern end of this large outcrop, is only 100 feet above sea level.* An obvious reply to this objection is supplied by the map published by Gregory (in his August paper) of the volcanic foci in the region of "high potential" near Hughenden. This map, which includes part of the large Blythesdale Braystone area referred to, is here re- produced. ^MIbb. Nat-Scale 1-2.000.000 arlhwh - 3i-5e Stat AHlee Basalt. H9 Volcanic Foci O Desert Sandstone Rolling Downs Beds ^K * Blythesdale Beds iSJi».'] Granite or Felslte l^?J.?l Figure 4. — Map showing Blythesdale Braystone area near Hughenden. (After Dr. R. L. Jack.) It shows Blythesdale Braystone as forming the Main Dividing Range at an altitude of more than 2000 feet above sea level, and this rock is continuous to the north to near the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the low outcrop, referred to by Gregory, occurs. The basalts north of Hughenden have obviously protected the porous rock from denudation, hence its high altitude on the Dividing Range. It is shown as outcropping everywhere in the heads of the valleys which have been excavated through the basalts. This map therefore shows the occurrence of all the conditions ' The Flowing Wells of Central Australia." (July Paper, p. 48.) z LU LU a o CO Q o q: ^' 111 UJ I t- > CO D Z < CO < CO < ir I- co o cc o Q- THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASlN. 29 necessary for a supply of artesian water due to hydraulic pressure. Surely it is more reasonable to assume that the high pressure of the artesian water near Hughenden is due to the great altitude of the intake beds of porous rock rather than to residual plutonic agency near the Tertiary volcanic foci. Without having examined the sandstones of the Great Australian Artesian Basin, Professor Gregory assumes that they are much inferior, in regard to porosity, to those of Wisconsin and Kentucky, where the loss of head, resulting from friction, amounts to only -67 feet per mUe. Some of the Trias-Jura sand- stones, however, samples of which have been collected by the writer near Blythes- dale and Roma, are remarkably porous, and it is doubtless in these rocks that the loss of head, already referred to, amounting to only 74 feet per 100 miles, occurs between Wyandra and Thargomindah. Recent attempts to determine the porosity of these rocks by the ordinary process have failed because they are so incoherent that when immersed in water they rapidly disintegrated. A fine cliff section of this sandstone can be seen along the left bank of Blyth Creek opposite the Junction of Ferguson's Creek. The section shows a thickness of 61 feet of porous rock aboVe the bed of the creek, the depth to which it extends below that level being as yet unknown. A visit to this district could not fail to impress any observer with the enormous capacity for absorption possessed by the rocks and creek channels, and would form a much stronger argument in favour of the meteoric origin of the artesian supply than anything that could be written on the subject. (c) The Toowoomba Sandstones as a High-pressure Reservoir. Under this heading Professor Gregory* makes a number of statements many of which have already been dealt with in the course of this paper. He states that " two facts show that the Jurassic sandstones at Toowoomba do not act as a high- level pressure reservoir; (1) the well in these sandstones at Dalby, to the west of Toowoomba, which has been bored through these sandstones to the depth of 2,500 feet, yields a flow of only 25,675 gallons a day; (2) and instead of the area to the west and south-west of Toowoomba being a high-pressure area, it is occupied by the largest gulf of low-pressure in Queensland." Dealing first with (1) it is evident that Professor Gregory has made a very imperfect study of the Isopotential Map which he has referred to so often in his papers. That map indicates that Dalby is very close to the course of the 1,100-feet Isopotential line, and the altitude above sea-level of the Dalby well, according to the Hydraulic Engineer's map, is just 1,127 feet above sea-level. It is obvious, therefore, that no considerable flow could be expected from a bore in this locality, * " Th» Flowing Wells o£ Central Australia. " (August Paper), p. 167. 30 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. as the land surface is nearly as high (above sea-level) as the water wonld rise in a pipe. In short, the Dalby well affords very strong evidence indeed in favour of the hydraulic-pressure theory, although cited by Gregory as an argument against it. In regard to (2) it may be remarked that towards the west and south-west of Toowoomba there is a very gradual descent until a position is reached where the altitude of the surface is well below the " potential " of the water. In such localities, bores would be expected to yield artesian flows of considerable magnitude, and, as a matter of fact, they do ! For example, JSTindi Gully, which is about 190 miles west-south-west from Toowoomba, has an altitude of 608 feet, and, according to the Hydraulic Engineer's map, it is situated near the 850-feet Isopotential line. The Nindi Gully bore has a flow of 540,100 gallons per day. St. George, which is^ about 210 miles west-by-south from Toowoomba, has an altitude of 659 feet, and it is also about on the line of the 850-feet Isopotential. The St. George bore is 2,709 feet in depth, and it yields 576,100 gallons per day. Again, the North Callandoon bore, Goondiwindi, has a depth of 3,200 feet, and. a flow of 2,000,000 gallons per day. It is situated about 120 miles south-west-by- west from Toowoomba ; the altitude of the site is given as 670 feet (approximately), and it is close to the 900-feet Isopotential line. Other examples could be quoted, but they are scarcely necessary. All these facts are strongly confirmatory of the meteoric origin of the water, and it is doubtful whether Professor Gregory could have been more unfortunate in the choice of a district to illustrate his objections to the hydraulic pressure theory. Professor Gregory defines "potential" in the following words : — * " The water-level in a well, or the level to which the water in a flowing well would rise in a pipe placed over the mouth, is its potential." The accepted meaning of the word " potential " amongst hydraulic engineers is the height above sea-level to which the water will rise in a sub-artesian well, or the height above sea-level to which the water from a flowing well will rise in a vertical pipe placed over its mouth. The distinction is obvious. The Professor's definition probably accounts lor his failing to realise that the small discharge from the Dalby bore, and the extensive flows from the bores to the west and south-west of Toowoomba, are strictly in accordance with the hydraulic-pressure theory. It would appear, in short, that he has misconceived the problem. Gregory further states, "■ The small yield of the Dalby well, and the dryness of the Jurassic sandstones in the well at Albilbah, shows that the main supply to the prolific flowing wells further west does not come from the Jurassic sandstones of Toowoomba." There must surely be some mistake about the Albilbah well, and Professor Gregory has probably confused it with a well in some other locality. * " The Flowing Wells of Central Australia," page 160. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 31 According to the Hydraulic Engineer's list of bores, the Albilbah wells are situated about latitude 24^' south and longitude 144^° east; in other words, they are 70 miles west of Blackall, and over 500 miles west-north-west from Toowoomba. They cannot therefore individually have much bearing upon the question as to whether the main water-supply is, or is not, derived from the Trias-Jura sandstones of Toowoomba ; moreover, it is understood that Professor Gregory denies that these sandstones occir as far west as Albilbah. Gregory states that :— 'the continuity of the water-bearing layer is disproved by an overwhelming mass of evidence. Thus the water-bearing bed at Muokadilla, according to Mr. Pittman (Clarke Lecture, PI. viii), is Permo-Carboniferous and not Jurassic. The Kynuna wells show that the water from the flowing wells is not derived from beds which outcrop on the assumed eastern intake ; and this fact is also shown by wells which derive part of their supply from the old rooks which form the rim and floor of the artesian basin. Mr. Pittman confirms the fact that the water from the Oxton well is obtained from a fissure in the granite, but 'he suggests that it is derived from the overlying sandstone ; and the well at Glenormiston, to the west of the artesian basin, obtains a good supply with the water-level standing only 4 feet below the surface, although bored through the older Palseozoic rooks into granite. The significance of these cases is that the water— even if meteoric in origin — does not pass through one continuous water-bearing layer, as in a typical artesian basin, and the analogy with water under the steady pressure of a stream flowing between impermeable layers becomes inapplicable." As the statements just quoted are termed " overwhelming evidence " disproving the continuity of the water-bearing stratum, it may be as well to examine them critically, even at the risk of being tedious. In the first place there is no " Plate viii " with the Clarke Lecture,* but doubtless Professor Gregory intended to refer to Plate iii, a section from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Toowoomba. He has evidently misunderstood the section. It does not show the water-bearing bed of the Muckadilla bore as Permo-Carboniferous, but it shows that the bottom of the Roma bore, which is about 800 feet deeper than the Muckadilla bore, may possibly be in the Permo-Carboniferous rocks, but the words are written with a query mark after them, thus, " Permo-Carboniferous (?)." The reason for this suggestion is that the Permo-Carboniferous rocks are believed to underlie the Trias- Jura in a considerable area of Southern Queensland, and the evolution of large quantities of Marsh gas from the bottom of the Roma bore appeared to indicate that the older formation may have been reached. The reference to the Kynuna well has already been dealt with in an earlier part of this paper. In the opinion of the writer neither the altitude of the bore site nor the potential of the water is inconsistent with the assumption that the Kynuna well derives its supply from the rainfall on the eastern margin of the basin. With regard to " wells which derive part of their supply from the old rock% which form the rim and floor of the artesian basin," Professor Gregory mentions two, viz., the well at Glenormiston and the oft-quoted Oxton Downs bore. The first-named is altogether outside the boundaries of the artesian basin, and it is * E, F. Pittman, " Some Proljlems of the Artesian Wafer Supply of Australia." l^id, 32 THE GfeEAT AUS'I'RALIAN ARTUSIAN BASW. difficult to understand what relevancy it could have to the question under discussion. It was put down in an area of Palreozoic sediments, in which a subartesian supply of water was obtained at a depth of 1,360 feet ; the bore was continued to a total depth of 1,990 feet and was stopped in granite without any further addition to the flow. The subartesian supply is no doubt due to purely local conditions. The Oxton Downs bore was first cited by Professor Gregory* as an example of an artesian bore deriving its water supply from granite, and he regarded it as a certain proof that the water was plutonic. The writer dealt with this matter at some length in a previous paperf after making careful inquiries into the facts. It was ascertained that a small flow was met with in sandstone at a depth of 700 feet, a little more water was said to have been obtained in granite at a depth of 900 feet, and the main flow, about 120,000 gallons per day, issued from a fissure m the granite at a depth of 1,060 feet. The existence of the fissure was proved by the drill suddenly dropping 6 or 8 feet during boring operations. This is absolutely the only instance in which a flow of artesian water is claimed to have been obtained in granite, and the circumstances show that the usual water-bearing sandstone beds are in proximity to the bottom of the bore, and that the fissure serves as a channel of communication between them apd the well. The occurrence is illustrated in the accompanying sketches, weuL Surface _ (f*^-. Ffssure Section Elevation. 4. Gran/te Plan of 1,080 feet level. Figure 5.— Plan and Sectio*, of Oxton Downs Well, Queensland. •J t " W. OrcKorv. "The Dead Heart of Australia." Hid. y. 317. Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Australia," pp. 19-2Q, THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 33 It will bo seen that Professor Gregory's " overwhelming evidence " against the continuity of the water-bearing beds does not amount to very much a.fter all. On the other hand, it may le again mentioned that in New South Wales the continuity of the Trias-Jura water-bearing sandstones under an area measuring approximately 400 miles by 220 miles, has been actually proved by Palseobotanical evidence, and th- re is every reason to believe that it extends Under the whole of that portion of the artesian basin within that State. There is a provision in all the contracts for bores, in New South Wales, that the Government Geologist shall be the authority to decide when bed-rock has been reached, and, as a. result of this arrangement, the writer has had a fairly intimate knowledge of the conditions obtaining in most of the bores put down in this State during the last twenty-three yeaiv, and much of the evidence in regard to the continuity of the Trias-Jura sandstones has been obtained by the examination of samples of drillings thus obtained. Tn Queensland, unforturiately, no such arrangement has been in existence, and much valuable information has thus doubtless been missed. Nevertheless, there is every reason to believe that in Southern Queensland the Trias-Jura sandstones arc also continuous at the base of the artesian basin. In Northern Queensland the age of the porous intake-beds has not yet been absolutely proved ; the writer believes them to be Trias- Jura — on the other hand, they may prove to be newer. It is, of course, quite possible that the same porous stratum may not be continuous under the whole of the Great Australian Artesian Basin ; it would indeed be remarkable if it were, seeing that its length is abdut 1,500 miles, and its width 800 or 900, but it is probable that where the Trias-Jura sandstones thin-out there may be an overlapping of the porous rocks of the Cretaceous Series, thus connecting an upper with a lower water-beaiing horizon. (d) Oscillating Wells. The history of the Urisino oscillating well and the peculiarities which characterise it are referred to in the introduction to this paper. The writer has nothing further to add in reference to it, and can only frankly admit that he is unable to account for the phenomena. Unfortunately the well is situated in a very inaccessible locality, and there is no accommodation there, so that it is not an easy problem to investigate. VII. The Causes of the Ascent of the Water. (a) Gas-pressure. Tiie Roma Town Bore (Queensland) has a total depth of 3,715 feet, and yields a flow of 138,000 gallons of water per day, principally from a depth of 1,590 feet. There was a large evolution of coal-gas (which ultimately ceas-d) at a depth of about 3,700 feet, and eight seams of coal, varying from 3 inches up to 2 feet in .34 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. thickness, were intersected between 1,992 a^id 2,409 feet from the surface. The water in this bore is undoubtedly derived from the Trias-Jura sandstones, and the small seams of co^,] njay also belong to the Trias-Jura beds. So far as the writer is aware no considerable supply of coalgas has been obtained from any o.ther bore in the Trias-Jura rocks in Queensland, whereas evolutions of this gas from bores in the Permo-Carboniferous rocks are fairly common. In view, therefore, of the great depth «f the IJoma bore, and the fact that the gis was met with 2,1 ip feet below fcbe principal flow of water, and about 1,.300 feet below the small seams of coal, the writer cpnsiders it probable that in this instance the bore penetrated the Permo-Carboniferous rocks, which are known to underlie the Trias^Jura in a C<}nsiderable area of Southern Queensland. In New Sonth Wales it h^s been fpuncj that thg water from piany of tb^e artesian bores contains a certain proportion of gas which, on being analysed, was proved to consist principally of nitrogen, acconipanied occasionally by spiaU proportions of cp,rbon dioxide and oxygen. The first record of the occurrence of nitrogen gas in artesian water was made by Mr. Beadnell* in Egypt. Subsequently, Mr. Beadnell published a paper, entitled, "The Underground Waters of the Oasis of Kharga,"t' in which the following passage occurs : — "My. Hughes Ijfis independently analysed a number of samples of the same wjiteys and obtained figures very similar to those published by me. In order to obtaii} mojre light on the origin of the large excess of nitrogen found, Mr. Hughes submitted a sample of the gas to Sir William Ramsay, asking him to have it examined for the rarer constituents of the atmosphere in order to discover whether the nitrogen was of atmos- pheric or chemical origin. The sample of gas was examined at University College by Dr. Miller, the analysis showing that it contained a very appreciable quantity of argon, amounting to 0'38 per cent. Mr. Hughes poncludes that from tjie presepce of firgon we are justified jn assuming that at any yate a large proportion of the nitrogen found is certainly of atmospheric origin, though whether derived from the atmosphere direct or from enclosures of air in the pores of the sandstone appears open to question. " The occurrence of argon with the nitrogen in the water ^from the Egyptian welh is of great interest and must be regarded as strongly suggestive that these gases have been derived from atmospheric air, which entered the porous intake, beds with the water, and that the oxygen has been absorbed during chemical reactions in the pores. Unfortunately, there are at present no means in Sydney of detecting or estimating argon, but the occufrence of nitrogen in the Australian artesian waters js certainly confirmatory evidence in favour of the meteoric rather than of the plutonip origin of the water. * H. J. L. Beadnell, F.G.S., " An Egyptian Oasis," 1909. London : Jqhn Murray, p. 137. t' The Cairo Seientiflo Journal, No. 62, Vol. V'., January, 1911. THE GREAT AUSTEALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. ,35 Tbe report of the Interstate^ Conference on Artesian '^ater (Sydney, May .}31^), qgntfips the following remarks in referenci to the occurrence of gas in artesian wells : — " The only additional infqrinatipn which has been obtained in recent years in connection with this question is the fact that the artesian waters appear to contain considerable proportions of nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide, particularly the former, which must undoubtedly to some extent assist in bringing fche water to the surface. At the same time we feel convinced that these gases are only to a slight extent responsible for the rise of the water ; and it would appear that the amount of gas in the waters from new bores is larger than is the case in bores which have been flowing for some years: Further experiments, however, require to be made in older to definitely prove this statement, aqd, in the ineaBtime, we can only express the opinion that the rise of the water is primarily due to hydraulic pressure, but that the presence of the gases to some extent assists it. " (6) Boek-pressure. Tlie question of rock-pressure as affecting artesian flow was dealt with at some length by the writer in 1907.* In his latest paper Professor Gregory makes the following remarks : — " Mr. Pittman farther objects to the efficiency of rook-pressure by an analogy with bricks in a wall (without mortar). He remarfes that the space left by the removal of a brick from the bottom of a wall is not filled by the bricks above being pressed downward into the cavity. But a brick wall erected on a sheet of waterlogged sand or soft clay would squeeze the plastic material away from beneath it. Every miner knows how clay on" the floor of a tunpej rises slowly into it by the pressure of tlie walls." The pressure on the walls of a tunnel causes the clay on the floor to " creep " or rise slowly into it because the clay is soft or plastic, and there is a complete absence of resistance in the tunnel. A brick wall erected on a sheet of soft clay Ivould have the same eflfect for -the same reason ; but neither case is analogous to that of an artesian basin, unless it be assumed that the lower beds are in a molten or plastic condition, and we know they are not. As already stated by the writer in the paper just referred to, " the weight or overburden at any point (in an artesian basin) would not be completely felt until a depth had been reached where t bedrocks are in a plastic state." The only new argument advanced by Professor Gregory is that Mr, M. L. Fuller, the American Hydraulic Engineer (whom the writer had quoted as saying that rock-presaure, as a cause of artesian flow, has never been supported by any real evidence, and has never received official sanction), had recently published a paperf in which he accepts rock-pressure as one of the faptprs of Ar|;esian weUs. • E. F. Pittmaiij " Problems ol the Artesian Water Supply of Australia." Ibii. pp. 26-27. t " Summary of the Controlling Factors of Artesian Flows," U.S. Qeol, Sur. Bull^ No. 319, 1908, ■ 36 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. In the paper referred to, Mr. Fuller makes the following remarks ; — "By definition of the artesian principle ajl factors except hydrostatic pressure are excluded as determining causes of circulation. There are nevertheless a number of modifying agencies, whioh in some oases exert a powerful influence on the water- head or movement. The more important of the controlling and modifying factors may be summarised as follows ; — I. Primary factor. A. Gravity. II. Modifying factors. A. Factors mainly affecting pressure. 1. Barometric variations, 2. Temperature variations. 3. Dcnsitj' of waters. a. Variations due to temperature. b. Variations due to dissolved salts. c. Variations due to suspended solids. 4. Height of adjacent water-levels. a. Water-table. h. Neighbouring water bodies. c. Levels dependent on floods, d. Levels dependent on tides. e. Levels dependent on winds. 5. Rock-pressure. B. Factors mainly affecting movement. 1. Porosity. 2. Size of grain or opening. 3. Temperature. The hydrostatic pressure dependent on gravity is the sole recognised cause of aj-tcsian flow as tlie term is here used, although its action is modified in many ways by the qualifying factors considered below." From the above quotati6ns it will be gathered that Mr. Fuller'a view is that while hydrostatic pressure is the sole recognised cause of artesian flow, rock-pressure is a modifying factor to about the same extent that barometric variations and change'^ of temperature affect it. If Professor Gregory is satisfied with this estimate of the influence of rock-pressure the writer sees no reason to disagree "with it. Professor Gregory mentions the Kynuna well in Queensland as an instance in which rock-pressure is a direct cause of flow, and he considers that this is proved by the fact that successive supplies of water met with in the bore rose to corres- pondingly increased heights, and finally the water tapped at the greatest depth of all, viz., 2,179 feet, rose 67 feet above the mouth of the well. As a matter of fact, all the circumstances connected with this well point most strongly to the conclusion that hydraulic pressure is the cause of the flow. The altitude (above sea-level) of the site is 655 feet; the Hydraulic Engineer's map THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 37 shows that it is just on the 800-feet Isopotential line, and the same map also indicates that the flow of the water is from the area of high pressure to the north of Hughenden, where the porous intake-beda outcrop on the summit of the Dividing Range at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The fact that the supply from' each successive water-bearing bed rose to a greater height in the bore than the one previously met with is exactly what might be expected when the facts are considered. These porous beds outcrop on the summit of the range to the north- cast of Hughenden, and they dip westerly. The surface of the ground also slopes very gradually in a westerly direction towards the bore. The water-bearing bed which has the most easterly outcrop on the top of the range would therefore be the one intersected at the deepest level in the boro, and the water in it would have the greatest head and would rise well above the surface. Each successive outcrop of porous rock met with to the west of the one just referred to would be intersected in the bore at a shallower level, and the water in it would be under less pressure, and would consequently rise to a lower level in the bore. Arago's statement of the case against rock-pressure as a determining factor in artesian flow is so logical and complete that it is worth while to quote it once more. He says : " There are three cases of rook-preasure which may be considered. The rocks above and including the upper impermeable stratum either continue to yield until they come in contact with the lower impermeable stratum, or they stop in a position of equilibrium before that contact, or they experience an oscillatory movement. In the latter case the flow will be intermittent, and in the first two cases it will stop entirely, and thus in any case the theory is incompetent to account for the steady flow of artesian wells." In the writer's opinion this reasoniiig is unanswerable ; apparently Professor Gregory thinks so too. VIII. The Chemical Composition of the Well Waters. In his book, "The Dead Heart of Australia," Professor Gregory reviewed the chemical composition of the Australian artesian waters, and arrived at two conclusions, viz. (1) that " the chemical composition of the well 'waters does not afford any convincing evidence in favour of the arbesian theory," and (2) " the chemical composition of the Australian artesian water suggests that much of it is derived from a plu^onic source." The considerations which induced him to adopt the first conclusion were, briefly, the irregularity in the nature and in the amount of the dissolved constituents. In reply to this the writer showed* that the average salinity of the artesian water from the most westerly portion of the basin is very much higher than that from •E. F. Pittnian. " Some Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Australia." Ibxd. p. 14. 38 THfi; GKtlAT AuStBALiAN ARTESIAN BASlN. the eastern portions, which is what might be Expected on the supposition that the water was absotbed by the porous intfLke-beds in Eastern Australia and flowed towards the west. This does not satisfy Professor' Gregory, apparently for th^ reason that the irregularity in salinity is more pronounced in the Australian 'basin- than in that of Dakota, f He admits that in two particular instances in Da;kdfca there is an unusual salinity, which he quotes Mr. Darton, the State Geologist, assaying eati be eafeily ext)lained by some local variation in the rocks. "It dde'S riot, however, oociir to Professor Gregory that the irregularities in the salinity of the Australian waters can also be explained by local variations ip the rocks, though in a geological basin which has been subject td several elevations and depressions, and has been alternately a freshwater lake 1,500 miles in length and an inland sea, such variations would in most gbologists' dpinioiis, certainly occur. In regard to (2), Professor Gregory based his opinion, that the chemical comr position of the Australian artesian water suggests that much of it is derived from a plutonic source, upon the high percentage of soda and potash in the water from a well near Charleville, which in his opinion, agrees with recognised plutonic Waters in other regions of the world. As, howeVer, he does not give further particulars of these recognised plutonic waters, the writer is unable to say more than that the ^ presence of a high percentage of sbfla arid potash i^ not, per s% evidelice that the water is plutonic. The professor, however, mentioned several matters which, he said, afiforded clear evidence bl the plutonic origin of the water; These were — (1) The Helidon wells, because they were supposed to contain lithium carbonate; (?) the Toowoomba wells, because they werq. believed to centairi zinc ; (3) the Dillalah well,' because it was said to contain 21 grains of sodium and 1 9 of potash per gallon ; (4) the Oxton Downs well, because its water issued from a fissure in" the granite,; and ^ (5) the general fact that many of the wells were rich in carbonate of soda. In reviewing these statements the writer showed, J on thg authority of the Government Analyst of Queensland, that the Helidon wells do not contain a trace of lithium carbonate, and that in the only instance in which zinc had bteen detected in Too*oomha water it was taken from a well in which a galvanised-iron pipe had been lying for six weeks. In replyj Professor Gregory points out that the Queensland Government Still publishes the occurrence of 2;68 grains of lithium t J. W. Gi-egdrj; " Tte :^ioKing %ellB of CeBtral Aiistl-Siiia, " (Ati^ffilt paper), p. 177. J E, E. Pittm^ji, "Problems of tlie Arfcesiai^ "W^ater Supply of Ausfcralia." /6id, pp. 15-21. IHE GREAT AUSTEAUAN ASTBSIAN BASIN. 39 carbonate to the gallon of Helidon water. This is certainlj- to be deplored but it does not alter the facts, *hich can, of course, be easily confirmed. The question is not whether, in an old analysis of a fsample of Water said to have dohie from Helidon wells, lithium was or was not detected ! The real question is, does the water flowing from the Helidon wells contain lithium or does it not 1 The Queensland Government Analyst, Mr. J. B. Henderson, assures the writer that it does not contain the slightest trace. It was also shown by the writer that although the water at Oxton Downs issues from a fissure in the granite; it is not really derived from the granite, but from the ordinary water-bearing sandstone, which occurs in cohtact with it. The ioccurrence of carbonate of soda and some carbonate of potash in a majority of the weUs was shown by the writer to be the natural consequence of the fact that the Tiias-Jura sandstones contain soda and potash in appreciable quantities. With regard to the Dillalah well water, the Hydraulic Engineer's report for 1911 gives particulars of three analyses of it, but none of them shows it to contain more than " a trace " of potash. In any case, however, the presence of both potash and soda could be satisfactorily explained without ascribing it to a plutonic source. In the introduction to his latest paper,* Professor Gregory States that the complete absence of chlorine from the hot water discharged into tlie Simplon tunnel is now accepted as ptdof thdt such water came from a plutonic and cannot have come from a meteoric source. This does not help the Jirofessor much in his advocacy of li plutonic origin for the Aiistralian artesian water, as the latter invariably contains chlorine combined with sodium, and the analyses of water from New South Wales' wells show thcpresence of from 1 to 1,500 grains of that salt per. gallon. To summarise, therefore, the writer contends that the chemib&l composition of the watei* frbna the Australian artesian basin can in no sense be regarded as evidence 'in favour of a plutonic origin, but th4t it is qiiite consistent with ^the theory that the water has a meteoric sourbe, and this theory is supported by the strongest evidepce in other directions. IX. Summary of Conclusions. The unanimous opinion of those geologists who have had opportunities for a careful , study of the Oreat Australian Artesian Basin, is that the water which comes from the flowing wells is of meteoric origin, and that hydraulic pressure is the primary cause of its rising above the surface in bores.. Amongst those who hold th'ese views are the Government Geologists of Queensland, New South » "The Flowing Wejls of Central AMstWlia," P- 36. 4Q THE GRE4T AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Wiilj=-, South Australia, and West Australia, all of whom have made a carofid study of the subject in the field. The evidence in support of their opinions may be summarised as follows ; — (1) Water under sufficient pressure to rise above the surfac-e in bores is found nearly everywhere within the Tmits of what has been proved to be a true geological basin having a length, from north to south, of nearly 1,500 miles, and a maximum width from cast to west of nearly 1,000 miles. (2) The floor of tliis basin is composed of impervious rocks, such as granite and palaeozoic sediments. (3) Above these impermeable rooks, and resting unconformably upon them, are beds of considerable thickness of porous -Mesozoic sandstones, with intprbedded shales. (4) These porous sandstones are seen at the surface along the eastern mai-gin of the basin, that is to say, along the western flanks of the Main Dividing Range, where they reach an altitude of over 2,000 feet above sea-level. Their outcrop has a mean width of about 65 miles, and they dip in a westerly direction towards the cerl^re of the basin. '(5) The continuity of the same porous sandstone beds in a westerly direction, under the basin, for a distance of at least 400 miles has been proved in Now South Wales by fossil evidence. Moreover, wherever water under pressure occurrs within the limits of the basin it is found in a porous , . sandrock. • (6) The altitude of -the area where the porous beds outcrop is everywhere' considerably greater than that of the plains wliere the water rises in-the- artesian bores.- (7) In the. centre of the. basin the porous sandstones are overlain by slialen,. limestones, arid clays, forming an impervious covering, which has a maximum thickness of about 5,000 f-'et. (8) The exposed porous sands' ones form a considerable portion of the catchment area of the Darling Eiver, all the tributaries of which flow for a considerable distance over these rocks. (9) The "nin-off" of the Darling River is much lower, in pi-oporiion to the amount of rain which falls upon i's catchment area, than that of the Murray or Hume River, the watershed of which is all composed of impervious rocks. (10) The mean annual temperature of the two watersheds is about the same, and therefore there can be little difference in the loss by evaporation to ^vhich each river is liable, THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 4:1 (11) Ihe areas where the porous sandstones outcrop, on the western flanks of - the Main Dividing Range, have a mean annual rainfall of about 25 inches. (ll.) Water under sufficient pressure to rise above the surface in bores is found nowhere outside the limits of the porous sandstones. (13) In every case where a flow of water is obtained, the potential of the water, or the height above sea-level to which it will rise, is less than the' altitude of the intake-beds on the eastern margin of the basin. On the other hand, with regard to the theory that the artesian water is of plutonic origin, we have Professor Gregory's personal opinion, but it is unsupported' by anything in the shape of definite evidence wliich will bear investigation.. It is true that the professor has made a number of statements in support of his view, but, in the writer's opinion, these statements cannot be substantiated. Eor example, he states — (1) That in the Oxton Downs bore the flow was obtained in granite, and that this ia certain proof that the water is plutonic. In reply to this statement, it has been shown that the water comes up through a fissure in the granite, and there is no reasonable doubt that the fissure is in com-' munication with the usual water-bearing sandstone from which all the other- artesian bores derive their supply. (2) Tiiat near two high-pressure areas of the artesian basin there is evidence' (in the shape of extensive lava flows, and in one instance numerous craters of eruption) of considerable volcanic activity during the Tertiary period. Unfortunately for this argument considerable evidence of volcanic activity in Tertiary times is to be found in other localities where there is not a supply of water under high pressure, and at the locality where there are more volcanic foci than in any other part of Queensland there is no artesian water at all. (3) That the chemical composition of the water is evidence of its plutonic origin, particularly the occurrence of lithium carbonate in the Helidon wells ; of zinc in a Toowoomba well ; and of carbonate of soda and potash in many of the artesian wells. In reply to this, it can be shown that there is no lithium carbonate in tlie Helidon wells, and no zinc in the Toowoomba wells, except the zinc derived from the galvanised-iron pipes of the pumps. > Moreover, the soda and potash are without doubt derived from the Trias-Jura sandstones, in which they have been proved to occur, and in any case their presence or the presence of even lithium or zinc in the water would be no proof of its plutonic origin. -^2 THE 6EEAT AUSTfiALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. (4) Tiiat the irregularities in the temperature of the water from different wells are evidence against the hydraulic-pressure theory, and therefore in favour of the alternative (plutonic) theory. It is admitted that the temperatures of all the artesian waters are not exactly in accordance with what might be expected, in view of the depth of the bores from which they have been obtained, and it is just possible that the abnormal heat of some of them may be derived from centres of expiring volcanic activity. Increases of temperature thus derived would doubtless aid the ascent of the water in bores within the artesian basin, but they do not advance the arguments in favour of the plutonic origin of the water. (5) That the oscillations in the water pf the Urisino bore are due to geyser action. In reply to this it is contended that none of the phenomena of the TJiisino bore is really suggestive of geyser action, and that the rise of the water is so gentle, and continuous as to be practically imperceptible. In conclusion, the writer regrets the extremely controversial character of this. paper, which will probably deprive it of all interest for ordinary readers. I^• is however, intended as a reply to the distinguished author of " The Flowing Wells of Central Australia." That paper contains a number of emphatic statements which, in the present writer's opinion, are based upon insufficient or unreliable data — hence the contentious style of writing could not be avoided. THE GREAT AyS,TEAJ.IA^ ■ Ai^TBglAN BASIN, 43' X.— Bibliography of Australian Artesian Waters, Abbott (W. E,). On Wells in the Liverpool Plains. Journ. R. Soc , -N. S.- Wales for 1880, XIV, pp. 281-293, map. ALf,AN (P.). The Drought Antidote for the North- West, or the XJtiligation of the Artesian Resources of. New South Wales. Proc, Sydney Univ.Enff. Soc, 1906, XI, pp. 1-95. ■ .- J ^ J ■ Anderson (W.). Geological Sketch Map showing boundary of the Oretaceo- Tertiavy in the County of Cowper, New South Wales. 2 sheets, Sydney, Report on Boring for Artesian Water at Nyngan. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines N, S. Wales for 1890 (1891), p. 261. Report on Water Supply for Broken Hill. Ibid, for 1891 (1892), pp. - 2.54-259, map. Notes on the Occurrence of Opal in New South Walea. Roc- Geol. Survey N, S. Wales, 1892, III, pt. I, pp, 29-32, Barton (C. H.). Outlines -of Australian Physiography. (8vo. Maryborough, Bennet (F.). Probable Outcrop of Blythesdale Braystone south of its" supposed boundary neav Mount Elliott. Troc. R. Soc, Q'land, 1898, XIII, pp. 23-25. - • - ' . J - BLATCHroBD (T.). The Geolpgy of the Coolgardie Gold-fields. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. No. .3, 1899, pp. 38, 42, 44, 45. (8vo. Perth, 1899: By Authority.) — ^ The Possibility of obtaining Artesian Water in the vicinity of Moora. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. No. 4,8. (8vo, Perth, 1912. By Authority). BouLTBEE (J. W.). Report on Artesian Boring. N. S- Wales Pari. Papers, 4,57a, pp. 17, map and sections. (Folio. Sydney, 1892. By Authority.) Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N. S. Wales, for 1891 (1892), pp. 284 322, map and sections. Artesian Water in New South Wales. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales for 1898, XXXII, pp. .88-103. Report on the Position and Progress of Artesian Boring in New South Wales. Pp. 62, plans and maps. (Fol. Sydney, 1901. By Authority.) An Economic Aspect of Arte.sian Boring in New South Wales. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1903, XXXVII, pp. cliv-clxxviii. Bqqwn (H., Y. L.). On a Geological Exploration to the N.E. of Champion Bay, Western Australia. Pp. 10-11. (Fol. Perth, 1871. By Authority.) -rr Heport by Government Geologist on the Lakes of the Mount Gambier district. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 256, 1884. Memorandum in relation to the Further Geological Examinabion of country in the Leigh's Creek and Hergott Districts, and the alleged discovery of Coal at Mulligan Springs. Pp. 14, maps, &o. S. Austr,. Pari. Papers, 1892. (Fol. Adelaide, 1892. By Authority.) a THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. BiiowN (H. Y. L ). Rsporfc on the Geology of the Country along the Route from Straagways Springs to Wilgena, and on the Gold Discovery near Wilgena. Ann. Rept. Govt. Geol. S. Austr. for 1893-4, pp. 10-12, map. S. Au&tr. Pari. Papers, 1894, No. 25. Report on the Peake and Dennison Ranges and adjoining country, itc. Jbi-I., pp, 13-15, maps. — Report on Northern Territory Explorations. Pp. 34, maps. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1885, No. 82. (Fol. Adelaide, 1895. By Authority.) Reports on Arltunga Gold Field and Hart's Range Mica Field, and Explorations North east of Hart's Range, North-west of Alice Springs, and of the Frew River Country, Ac. Pp. 16, mips. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1897, No. 126. (Fol. Adelaide, 1897. By Authority.) Report on Explorations in Western Part of South Australia. Pp. 7, maps, &c. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1898. (Fol. Adelaide, 1898. By Authority.) ' Geological Map of South Australia. 4 sheets. Scale 16 miles to 1 inch. (Ad©laide,-1899.) - - . Report on Journey from Warrina to Musgrave Ranges. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 45, 1 890. Annual Report of the Government Geologist for year ending 30th June, 1894. (Fol. - Adelaide, 1895.) Boring for Water in the Hundred of Walloway. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 81, 1904. — ' Report on Geological Explorations in the West and Nortli-west of South Australia. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 71, 1905. Report on the Geology of the Country South and East of the Murray River, with Special Reference to the Subterranean Water Supply in Wells and Bores along the Pinnaroo and IJordertown Railways. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1910. Cambridge (H.). Report on the Road from Wilcannia to the Queensland Border, vid Mounts Browne and Poole. N. S.' Wales Leg. Ass. Papers, 1881, 427-A., pp. 7-9 ; Ann. Rept. Occupation of Crown Lands, &c , N. S. Wales, for 1880 (1881), II, pp. 74-75. Cameron (W. E.). Geological Observations in North-western Queensland. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Survey Q'land for 1900 (1901), pp. 10-15, map and sections. Campbell (W. D.). Cookernup Water Supply. Ann. Rept. Geol. Survey, W. Austr., for 1908, p. 15. (Fol. Perth, 1909. By Authority.) Capel Water Supply. Ibid., p. 1 5. — ■ Proposed Boring for Artesian Water and Coal at Serpentine. Ibid.) p, 15. Carne (J. E.). Geology aind Mineral Resources of the Western Coalfield.- (Oorrelation (?) of Hawkesbury^, Clarence, and Artesian Series.) Memoirs, Geol. Survey, N. S. Wales, Geol. No. 6, 1908, pp. 24-40. Castilla (H. C). Transcontinental Boring. General Descriptive Report of Operations from August, 1902, to December, 1903. (Perth, 1904. By Authority.) THE GREAT XUSTHALIAN ARTESIAN BAS'xN. 45 Castilla (H. C). Artesian Boring ; Its inception and progress in Western Australia. Proc. W. Austr. In8t.,.Eng., 1911, II, No. 1, pp. 26-29. Clarke (W. B.)..- Remarks on the Sedimentary Formations of New South Wfiles. Illustrated by references to other Provinces of Australasia. 4th Ed. (8vo. Sydney, 1878.) (Cretaceous, pp. 86-89.) Recent Geological Discoveries in Australasia. (8vo. Sydney, 1861). ' ■ On the Occurrence of Mesozoic and Permian Faunse in Eastern Australia. Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1862, XVIIL, pp. 244-247 / PhiK Mag., XXTir, (4), p. 558 ; Geologist, v, p, 184. * ; On the Carboniferous and Other Geological Relations of the Maranoa District in Queensland, in reference to a discovery of Zoological Fpssils at Wollumbilla Creek and Stony Creek, West Maitland. Tran?. R. Soc. Vict., 1865, VI, pp. 32-42, sections. - - On Marine Fossiliferous Secondary Formations in Australia. Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1867, XXIII, pp. 7-12. Corrosion. Corrosion of Artesian, Well Casing in New South Wales. Engi- neering, 18th May, 1912; Aus. Soc. Civ. Eng., XXXVIIT, pt. 6, August, 1912. Cox (J. C.). President's Address (Artesian Water in Australia). Proc. Linn. Soc. KS. Wales, 1882; VI, pp. 847-872. Cox (W. G.). Artesian Wells as a Means of Water Supply, &c., pp. viii, 146, plates. (8vo. Brisbane, 1895.) Artesian Water Supply. Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. Aust^-., (Q'land Br.) for 1895-6 (1896), XI, pp. 106-117. . — The Artesian Water Supply of Queensland from a Geographical ■ Standpoint. Geogr. Journ, 1902, XIX, No. 5, pp. 560-576. The Artesian Waters of Australia. Empire Review, March, 1-902, III, No. 14, pp. 224-232. Artesian Water. W. Austr. Mining J]., 1900. Artesian Wells for Country Districts. -rLeader, 1878. '- Artesian Wells. Brisbane Courier, 1882. Paper on Artesian Water. Conference on Water Supply, and -Irrigation, New South Wales; 1905. 'Numerous articles on the , qjiestion of Artesian Water, published in the press, e.g., Leader, 1878; Australasian, 1880; Wilcannia Times, 1882; Brisbane Courier; Sydney Morning Herald; Pastoraliat's-Beview; Dalgety's Review; Town and Country Journal; Sydney Mail; Sunday Times ; Review of Reviews: CuRRAN (J. M.). Notes on the Geology and Water Supply of the Interior of New South Wales. Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., 1885, X, pp. 232-236, pi. 25. — The Geology of Sydney and the Blue Mountains, (8vo. Sydney, 1898.) (Cretaceou,s, pp.x83, 90, 163.) Geology of Sydney and Blue Mountains. 2nd Ed. (8vo. Sydney, 1899.) (Cretaceous, pp. 83, 90, 91, 163.) Daintreb . (R.). Notes on the Geology of the Colony of , Queensland, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1872, XXVIII, pp, 27^-31 f. Revised in Geol, Mag-, 1872, IX, pp. 286-288. 46 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Daintber (R.). Report on the Cape River Diggings, and the latest Mineral Discoveries in North Queensland. (Ful. Briabane, 1868. By Authority.) General Report upon the Northern District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1870i By Authority.) Darley (C. W.). Western Drilling and Boring Artesian Wells as practised in the N.E. of America. (8vo. Sydney, 188-t.) David (T. W. E.). Notes on the Prospects of obtaining Underground Water between Byipck and Bourke. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N.S. Wales, for 1885 (188C), pp. 136-139. Report oh samples forwarded for Examination from the Bourke Bore. Ibid, for 1890 (1891), pp. 241-244. Artesian Water in New South Wales. Preliminary Notes. Journ. R. Soc, N.S. Wales, 1891, XXV, pp. 286-296. ; Notes on Artesian Water in New South Wales and Queensland. Ihid. for 1893, XXVIT, pp. 408-443. David (T. W. E.) and Pittman (E. P.). Irrigation Geologically considered with Special Reference to the Artesian Area of New Sou'h Wales. Journ. R. Soc, N.S. Wales, 1903, XXXVII, pp. ciii-cliii. Dixon (S.). On a Subterranean Water Supply for the Broken Hill Mines Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1891, XIV, pt. 2, pp. 200-209, pi. 10. Dixon (W. A.^. On Artesian Well Water in connection with Irrigation. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1893, XXVil, pp. 466-468. Dunn (E. J.). Artesian Bores at Sale. Records Geol. Surv. Victoria, 1907 IT, p. 99. Dun. (W. S.). A Tabular List of the B.res and Well Augers put down by Department of Mines and Agriculture, New South Wales, and mentioned in the Reports of the Department. Rec. Geol. Surveyj N.S. Wales, 1894, IV, pt. 2, pp. 100-106. Bibliography of Australian Cretaceous Geology and Palseontology, Mem. Geol. Sutvey, N.S. Wales, Pal. No. ll, pp. 8.5-98. (4to. Sydney. 1902.) DuNSTAN^ " (B.\ Stanwell Artfesiart Basin. Aiin; Rept Dept. Mines, Q'land for 1902 (1903), p. 171. East (S.3.). On the Geological Structvire and Physical Features of Central Australia. Trans. R, Soc. S. Austn, 1888-9(1889), XIIj pp. 31-53, pi. 3. ETHERiDGte (R. Junr.) and DUN (W; S.). Catalogue of the Cretaceous Fo.ssiis of Au.stralia. Mem. Geol. Survey, N.S. Wales; Pal. S'o. ll, App. 1, pp. 51-84. (4to. Sydney, 1902.) Francis (G.). Analysis of Waters at Ilergott Springs. S. Ausjtr. ParL Papers, 108, 1882. Gibson (C. G.). The Geological Features of the Country lying along the route of the proposed Transcontinental Railway in Western Australia. , Bidl. Geol. Survr. W. Austr. 37, 1909,.pp. 24-27. Gipps (F. B.). The Source of Artesian Water. Journ. R. Geogr. Soc, Austr. (N.S. Wales Br.) 1896, VI, pt. 1, pp. S-7. Gippg (F. De v.). Some Nolos on the White ClifTs Opa,l FieWf, Wilcannia." Trans. Austr, trist. Mir)irig Engineers, 1894, It, pp. 70-80, pi. THE GREAT AUSTRALIAff ABTESIAN BASIN. 47 GoYDiSR, (G. W.). Number of Wells Sunk by Government. 8. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 138, 1882. Information relative to Wells, Springs, Reservoir,?, etc. S. Aus'r. Pari. Paper-o, No. 171, 1882. Analysis of Mineral Waters in the Far North. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 68, 1893. GiiEGOEY (A. G). The Alleged Leakages of Artesian Water. Proc. II. Geogr. Soc. Austr. (Q'land Br.), fot- 1895-G (1896), XI, p. U. Report on the Search for Coal between Dalby and Roma. (Fol. Brisbane, 1879. By Authority.) — The Geographical History cf the Australian Continent during its successive Phases of Geological Development. Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci., VI, 1895, pp. 1-2. Gregouy (A. C.) and GnEGonY (E. F.). Journals of Australian Exploration. (Fol. Brisbane, 1884. By Authority.) Gregory (J. W.). Artesian Wa'er iu Victoria,- the prospect of tapping it. Arguf, 8th January, 1903. ■ The Dead Heart of Australia. (8vo. Londoii, 1906.) 2nd Edition. (8vo. London.) Variation of Ores in Depth. Austr. Mining Standard, 1901, XX, pp. 1002-3. ^ The Flowing Wells of Central Australia. Geogi-. Journal, 1911, XXXVIII, No. 1 (July), pp. 26-59 ; No. 2 (August), pp. 157-181. GuRiCH (G.). Jura und Devorl — Fossilien vou White Cliffs, Australien. N. Jahrb. f. Min., 1901, Beil. Bd. XIV, pp. 484 518, pis. 18, 19. Guthrie (F. B.). The Chemical Nature of the Soils of New Sotith Wales with Special Reference to Irrigation. JoUrn. R. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1903, XXX VI r, pp. li-lxv. Hasn (W.). Nstrrative of ah Exploring Expedition in Northern Queensland, Australia. (GpoI. Notes lay N. Taylor.) Proc. R. Geogr. Soc, 1874, XVIir, pp. 87-107. .! ^ Diary of the Northern Expedition. (Fol. Brisbane, 1873. By Authority. With Geol. Notes by N. Taylor,)' Hardman (E. T.). On the probability of obtaining a Water Supply for the City of Perth from Artesian Wells, with remarks on their possible sources , '- — Appendix, . Report Commission , to enquire into and report upon the Sanitary Conditions of the City of Perthj kc, pp. 10-11. (Fol. Perth, 1885. By Authority.) Harwell (W. A.). The Question of the Occurrence of Living Organisms in the Artesian Watfers. Journ. R. Soo. N.S. Wales, 1903^ XXXVII, pp. xlvii-li. Hector (J.). On the Geological Formations of New Zealand, compared with those of Australia. Journ. R. Soo. N.S. Wales for 1879 (1880),* XIII, pp. 65-80. + , Henderson (J. B.). Annual Report of the Hydraulic Engineer on Water Supply. Pari. Papers, QUaiid. (Fol. Brisbane. By Authority, 1884- 1911.) (These l-6ports contain much information on the subjects of Artesiaii Water and the Cretafceijtls System in Queensland. Sfee more ^rticukrly those for 1894 arid 1001— Reports X-XVll— which have Geological Maps appended.) '48 THE GEEAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Henderson (J. B.). Map of Queensland, showing sites of Artesian Bores and Tanks, and supposed area of water-beaiing (Lower Cretaceous) strata. Scale forty miles to 1 inch. (Brisbane, 1900). HoDGKiNSON (W. 0.). Diary of the'^ North-Westcrn Expedition, 1876. (Fol. Brisbane,-1879. By Authority). HowcHiN (W.). On the Fossil Foraminifera from the Government Boring at Hergott township, with general remarks on tlie Section, and on other forms of Microzoa observed therein. Trans, R. Soc. S. Austr., 1884-5, VIII, pp. 79-93. The Foraminifera of the Older Tertiary. No. 2 Kent Town Bcre, Adelaide). Trans. R. Soc. S. Australia, 1890-91, XIV, pp. 350-354. Notes on the Government Borings at Tarkaninna and Mirrabuckinna, with Special Reference to the Foraminifera observed therein. Trans. R. Soc. S. Australia, 1892-3, XVII, pp. 346-349. . Notes on a Bore at Enfield, near Adelaide. Trans. R. Soc. S. Australia, 1895-6, XX, pp. 260-262. HfJLLETT (H. W.). Statement of Strata traversed by the Boring made for obtaining Water at Waterworks Yard, Stirling North, near Port Augusta. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1881-2, V, pp. 99-100. Jack (R. L.). On some Salient Points in the Geology of Queensland. Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1887, I, pp. 196-206. Report on Proposed Boring for Artesian Water on the Etheridge and Croydon Goldfields. (Fol. Brisbane, 1890. By Authority). Artesian Water in the Western Interior. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Survey Q'land for 1894 (1895), pp. 3-10, 1.5-24, map. Artesian Water in the Western Interior of Queensland. Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1895 a896), VI, pp. 330-344 ; Bull. Geol. Survey Q'land, No. 1, 1895. (8vo. Brisbane, 1895. By Authority.) Report on Prospecting for Gold on the " Conglomerate " Range. (With map showing Desert Sandstone Areas.) Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Survey Q'land for 1895 (1896), pp. 6-11, map. — ■- On the Proposed Deep Bore for Artesian Water in the Western Interior. Leg. Ass. Paper. (Fol. Brisbane, 1885. By Authority.) Stratigraphical Notes on the Georgina Basin, with Reference to the Question Artesian Water. Proc. R. Soc. Q'land, 1896, XI, pt. 2, pp. 70-74. The Submarine Leakage of Artesian Water. Proc. R. Soc. Q'land for 1896 (1897), XII, pp. 59-71. Report on the Bowen River Coal-field. (Fol. Brisbane, 1879. By Authority.) Report on the Explorations in Cape York Peninsula, 1879-80. (Fol. Brisbane, 1880. By Authority.) Report on the Little River Coal-field near Cooktown. (Fol. Bri.sbane, 1882. By Authority.) Second Report on the Progress of the Search for Coal in the Cook District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1879. By Authority.) Report on the Geological Features of Part of the District to be traversed by the Proposed Transcontinental Railway. (Fol. Brisbane, 1885. By Authority.) 2nd Ed. Bull. Q'land Geol. Survey, No. 10. ( 8 vo. Brisbane, 1898. By Authority.) THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN, 49 Jack (K L.) Handbook of Queensland Geology. Colonial and Indian Exhibition Handbook. (8vo. Brisbane, 1886). '- Report on the Geological Features of the Mackay District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1887. By Authority.) - — Geological Observations in the North of Queensland, 1886-7. (Fol. Brisbane, 1887. By Authority.) Coal Discoveries on the Flindtrs. (Fol. Brisbane, 1888. By Authority. ) Report on the Sellheim Silver Mines and Surrounding District. (Fol. . Brisbane, 1889. By Authority.) Proiosal to Bore for Arlesian Water at Dalby, Ann. Prog. Kept. Q'land Geol. Survey, 1898, p. 19. Artesian Water in the Kimberley Distric^ Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., No. 25,' 1906. .- Vide Maitland (A. G.). Jack (R. L.) and Ethridge (R. Junr.). The Geology and Palseontology of Queensland and New Guinea. (8vo. Brisbane, 1892.) (Cretaceous Svstem, pp. 390-574, 686, 690, 696-7.) ' Jack (R L.) and Maiti.and (A. G.). Report on Proposal to Bore for Artesian Water at Normanton. Map. &c. (Fol. Brisbane, 1890. By Authority.) Jack (R. L.) and Otheks. Geological Map of Queensland. Scale, 50 miles to 1 in. (Brisbane, 1899). Jack (R.L ) Stirling (J.) and Checchi (E.). Boring for Artesian Water in the Mallee. Fol. Melbourne, 1897. By Authority). Jack (R. Lockhart). The Gealogy of Portions of the Counties of Le Hunte, Robinson, and Dufferin, with special reference to Underground Water Supplies. Bull. Geol. Surv. 'S. Austr., I, 191 L\ (8vo. Adelaide, 1912.) Jacksox (C. F. v.) and Maitland (A. G). Mineral Production of Western Australia up to 1903. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. I, 1904, pp. 88-90. Jaq-jet (J. B.). Report on the White Cliffs Opal-bearing. Deposits. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N. S. Wales, for 1892 (1893), pp. 140-142. Geology of the Broken Hill Lode and Barrier Ranges Mineral Field, New South Wales. Mem. Geol. Survey, N. S. Wales Geol. 2. 1894, (Cretaceous, p.p. 37-38, map 1.) Jones (J. W.). Cjst, &c., of Sinking Tarkaninna Well. S. Austr. Pari. Pajx-rs, No. 85, 1884. Kenyon (A. S.). Report of the Engineer for Agriculture. Rept, Dept. Agric. Vict., 1907-10, p. 271. KiTsON (A. E.). The Artesian Well and the Dutson Spring, Sale. Records Geol. Sorv. Vict., 1907, ir,p. 94. Knibbs (G. H.). The Hvdraulic Aspect of tlie Artesian Problem. Journ. R, Soc, N.S. Wales, 1903, XXXVII, pp. sxiv-xlvii. KosaMAT (F.). On the Importance of the Cretaceous Rocks of the Southern India ' in Estimating the Geographical Conditions during later Cretaceous Time.<). Rec. Geol. Survey Iridia, 1895, XXVIIT, pt. 2, pp. 39-55. Leichiiaedt (L.). Notes on the Geology of parts of New South Waif s and Queensland made in 1842-3, translated by G. H. F. Ulrich, F.G.S., and edited by Rev. W. B. Clarke, M.A.,"^ F.G.S., &c. Pt. 1, Waugh's Almanac for 1867, pp. 29-55. Pt. 2, Ibid, for 1868, pp. 29-52. 50 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Maclahen (M.j. Source of Australian Artesian Waters. Geo!. Mag., 1907 VII (5), pp. 477-479. Madden (P.). (Speech advocating further boring for Artesian Watfr). "Vict. Hansard, 1898, p. 3569. Undeveloped Victoria, and why it has remained undeveloped. (8vo. Melbourne, 1900.) MaitlanD (A. G.). Report on the Geological Features and Mineral Resources of the Mackay District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1889. By Authority.) Report on the Lane's Creek Diggings. (Fol. Brisbane, 1890. By Authority. ) Geological Observations in British Now Guinea in 1891, maps and plates. (Fol. Brisbane, 1892. By Authority.) The Water Supply of the Gold-fields. (Perth. By Authority, 1897.) Artesian Water, Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Menzies, and Northampton. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. for 1896, in Repfc. Dept. Mines W. Au.str.for 1896, pp. 26-28. (Fol. Perth, 1897. By Authority.) Artesian Water (on Gold-fields, &c.). Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv* W. Austr. for 1897, pp. 29-40. (Fol. Perth, 1898. By Authority.) Proposed Boring for Artesian Water in the Eastern Agricultural Districts. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1898, pp. 22-29. Arte.sian Water Prospects of the Vicinity of Moora. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1898, pp. 34-35, The Mineral Wealth of Western Australia. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., IV, 1900, pp. 129-243. — Extension of Artesian. Water-carrying Strata from S. Australia. Ann. Prog. Repfc. Geol. Surv. W. Aust. for 1900, pp. 28-31. — ^- GasGoyne District. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1900, pp. 26-28. — Yardarnia Bore. Ihid. for 1901, pp. 13-14. Water Supply, Wyndham, Metiropolitan and Suburban Water Supply, Winning Pool, GasC'oyne River, Carnarvon, Freemantle, Hampton Road Bore. Ibid, for 1902, pp. 20-25. -■ Water Supply, Artesian Water, Eucla Division; Pelican JSill Bore; Carnarvon. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1903, pp. 33-34. Possibility of the Occurrence of Artesian Water in the Northampton and Geraldine Districts. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., XXVI, 1907, pp. 7-9. — ^^— — Artesian Boring in the Murchison, Gascoyne, and Kimbei-ley Districts. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1907, pp. 5-6. Geological Investigations in the Gascoyne, Ashburton, and Wfest Pilbarra Gold-fields. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., XXX, 1909, pp. 12-28. — ■ Results of Boring for Artesian Water on the Eucla Plateau. Ann. Pfog. Kept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1910, pp. 13, 14. — : — Some Geological considerations aflfecting the Water Supply of Western Australia. PrOc. W. Austr. Inst. Ehg., 1911, II, No. 1, pp. 11-^25. Artesian Water. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1911, pp. 7-10, THE GREAT AUSTBALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 51 Maitland (A. G.) and Jack (R. L.). .Report on the DelimitEition of the Artesian Water Area l^orth of Hughenden, -with No'.e by R. L. Jack, map and sections. (Fol. Brisbane, 1898. . By Authority.) Maitland (A. G.) and Jackson (C. F. V.). Mineral Production of Western Australia up to 1903. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., XXVt, 1907^ pp. 7-9. Maitland (A. G.) and Montgomery (A.). The Geology and Mineral Industry of Western Australia Bull, Geol. Surv. W. Austr., I, 1912, pp. 36-38. McKay (R. T.). The Murray Waters. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1903, XXXVlI, pp. cxcv-cxcviii. The Murray River : Irrigation and Navigation. Proc. Sydney UaiV. Eng. Soc, 1903, VIIF, pp. 101-168, map and plates. The available water derivable from gathering grounds, the. loss, the reason for such loss, and tlie relation between rainfall and discharge of the Murray River and its tributaries. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1906, XL, pp. XLVI-LXXXII. MiNGAYE (J. 0. H.). Analyses of some of the Well, Spring, Mineral, and Artesian Waters of New South Wales, and their probable value for Irri- gation and other purposes. Journ. R. Soc, N.S. Wales, for 1892 (1893), XXVI, pp. 73-132, pi. 3. Analyses of the Artesian Waters of N.S. Wales, and their value for Irrigation and other purposes. No. 2, Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Bei.,1895, yi, pp. 265-277. (See Boultbee, J. W.) MoNCEiEFP (A. B.). Particulars re Water Bores. S. Austr, Pari. Papersi No. Ill, 1897. Murray (R. A. F.). Artesian Water in the Mallee. Argus, 15th January, 1903. Murray (S.). Artesian Water in Victoria. Criticism of Professoi' Gregory's views. Argus, 14th January, 1903. New South Wales. Royal Commission, Conservation of Water. First Report of the Commissioners, with Minutes of Evidence, &c., N.S. Wales Leg. Ass. Papers, 1885, 118-A., pp. 138, xiii, 330, 38 plates and maps. (Evidence by C. S. Wilkinson, pp. 42-50; W. E. Abbott, pp. 77^80 j W. B, Henderson, pp. 85-88, 104-108 ; J. M. Curren, pp. 263-264 ; and others. ^ Interstate Conference on Artesian Water. Report of Proceedings, 1912. (Fol. Sydney, 1912. By Authority.) NldOLAY (Q. G.). Report of a Geological Section of the Eastern Railway. (Fol. Perth, 1888. By Authority.) Niemann (J. A.). Section of strata traversed by Boring at Wirrialpa Station Frome Downs, about 12 miles south-east of Lake Frome. Trans. B^ Soc g, Austr., 1881-2, V, p. 99. Palmer (E.). Hot Springs and Mud Eruptions on the Lower Flinders River. Proc. R. Soc. Q'land, 1884, I, pt. 1, pp. 19-23. Panton (J. A.). Australia Deserta. Trans. R. Gcog. Soc. Austr. (Vict. Br.), 1896, XII and XIII, pp. 105-116. Parker (T.), The Underground Waters of South Australia, and Suggestions as to mode of their Utilisation. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1886-7, X, pp. 84-90. 52 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. Pitman (E. F.). Report on North Coast District— reference to prospect of Artesian Water. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N;S. Wales, for 1880, p. 244. Site for Artesian Bore at Nyngan. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N. S, Wales, for 1892 (1893), p. 117, map. Report on the Country between Byrock and Brewarrina. Ibid, for 1893 (1894), pp. 108-111, map. Report on the Cretaceous Formation in the North-western portion of New South Walps. Ibid, for 1894 (1895), pp. 110-112. ^ Report on the Country between Narrabri and Moree. Ibid, for 1895 (1896), pp. 120-123, map. Report on the probable occurrence of Artesian Water in the Clarence Coal Measures. Ibid, for 1895 (1896), p. 123. See also ibid, for 1880 (1881), p. 244. Report on Artesian Water, Town of Warialda. Ibid for 1896 (1897), pp. 99-100., Report on the Country between Gunnedah and Mullaly. Ibid for 1897 (1898), pp. 134-135. On the Occurrence of Artesian Water in Rooks other than Cretaceous. Rec, Geol. Survey N. S. Wales, 1896, V, pt. 1, pp. 1-6 ; Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales for 1895, XXIX. pp, 408-415. Note on the Cretaceous Rocks in the North-western Portion of New South Wales. Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1896, VI, pp. 344-348. -• Problems of the Artesian Water Supply of Australia, with Special Reference to Professor Gregory's Theory. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1907, XLI, pp. 100-139, t. 8; Geol. Survey N.S. Wales. 1908, p. 30, pis. (4to. Sydney, 1908.) Mineral Resources of New South Wales. (8vo. Sydney, 1906.) (Cre- taceous Formation, pp. 452-478.) Prefatory Note (on the Cretaceous Formation in New South Wales), in Mem. Geol. Survey, N.S. Wales, Pal. No. 11, pp. 7-12. (4to. Sydney, 1902.) PiTTMAN (E. F.) AND David (T. W. E.). Irrigation Geologically Considered, with Special Reference to the Artesian Area of New South Wales. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1903, XXXVII, pp. ciii-cliii. Privat Deschanel (P.). La Question de I'Eau dans le Bassin du Murray. Ann. Geogr., XVII, 1908. Queensland. List of Artesian Bores, Bore Records, and Table of Analyses. Q'land Geol. Survey Publication, No. 241, 1913, pp. 21-77. Queensland. Notes on Artei>ian Bores. Ibid., pp. 78-95. Rands (W. H.). Report on the Gold-fields of Raglan, Calliope, Milton (Norton), and Cania, in the Port Curtis District, and on the Mineral Deposits in the Burnett District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1886. By Authority.) Report on the Burrum Coal-field. (Fol. Brisbane, 1886. By Authority.) Report on the Albert and Logan District. (Fol. Brisbane, 1889. By Authority.) Report on the Cape Gold-field. (Fol. Brisbane, 1891. By Authority;) Report on the Croydon Gold-field. (Pol. Brisbane, 1896. By Authority. ) THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 63 Rands (W. H.), Probability of finding Artesian Water on Natal Downs Queens- land. Ann, Prog. Kept., Geo]. Surv., Q'land, 1898, p. 22. Russell (H. C). The Source of the Underground Water in the Western Districts. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales for 1889, XXIII, pp. 57-63. The River Darling— the waters which should pass through it. Ihid. for 1879, Xlir, pp. 169-170. Rawlinson (T. E.). Subterranean Drainage in the Interior. Trans. Phil. Soc, Adelaide, S. Austr., 1877-8, I, pp. 124-126. Robertson (— ). Motion in favour of boring for Artesian Water. Vict. Hansard, 19Q5,p. 1021. Rdtt (W.). Notes upon a Boring at Port Wakefield. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1880-81, IV, pp. iUii. ScouLAR (G). Sketch of the Geology of the Southern and Western parts of the Lake Eyre Basin. (With list of Fossil Mollusca by R. Tate, and of Fossil Microzoa by W. Howchin). Trans. R. Soc. S. Aus. for 1885-6 (1887), IX., pp. 39-54, pi. 3. The Geology of the Neighbourhood of Gawler. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aus., 1881-2, V, pp. 57-72. Notes Relating to the Geology between the Burra and Farnia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aus., 1881-2, V, pp. 72-74. Selwyn (A. R C). Report upon Artesian Wells for Victoria. Vict. Pari. Papers, C. 41, 1856-7. Simpson (E. S.). Notes from the Departmental Laboratory, Perth Artesian Water Supply. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Aust., VI, 1902, p. 49. Smail (H. S. I.). The Measurement of the Flow of Streams and Artesian Bores, as carried out bv the Public Works Department of New South Wales. Journ. R. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1903, XXXVII, pp. elxxxi-cxcv. Smith (R. N). The Probability of obtaining Artesian Water between Pilbarra Gold-fields and the Great Desert. Bull. Geol. Survey W. Ausfc., II, 1898, pp. 24, 26, 27. South Australia. Plant-bearing Beds between Lake Frome and the Barrier Ranges. With note by R. Tate. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1881, 2, p. 98. Artesian Water Supply^Number of Boreholes put down, &c. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 186, 1883. Report by the Engineer -in-Chief on Water Conservation Schemes, S. Aust. Pari. Papers, No. 58, 1897. Statistical Register of the State of South Australia for the year 1912, part III — Production. (Artesian Bores and Water Supply, pp. 80-86.) (Fol. Adelaide, 1913. By Authority) Stephens (W. J.). Notes and Queries about Artesian Prospects in New South Wales, Sydney University Review, July, 1882. Stonier (G. A.). Report on Country between Moree and Warialda. Ann. Rept. Dept. Mine.s, N.S.W., for 1895-1896, pp. 171-172. Strawbridge (W.). Particulars re Wells, Bores, &c., in the Western Districts. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 99, 1904. Streich (V.). Geology of the Elder Expedition, (Mound Springs, p. 75). Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1892-6, XVI^ pp. 74-110, 51 THE GEEAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN, SuESs (E.) La Face de la Terre (Das Antlifcz der Erde). French translation, 2 vols., 8vo., Paris, 1897, 1900. (Austialian Cretaceous, referentes to, on pp. 240-261.) SYMMoyDs (R. S.). Our Artesian Waters, Observations ia the Laboratory and in the Field. (8vo. Sydney, 1912.) Talbot (H. W. B.), Geological Observations in the Country between Wiluna, Hall's Creek, and Tanami. Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., XXXIX, 1910, pp. 82, 83, Tate (R.). The Geology about Port Wakefield. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1880-1, IV, pp. 45-46, pi. 4. Notes on the Tertiary Strata beneath Adelaide. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr., 1881-2, V, pp. 40-43, pi. 1. Presidential Address (Leading Physical Features of South Australia). Trans. Phil. Soc. S. Austr., J 878-1879, pp. 39-75. (Mesozoic Geologv, pp. 48-51.) Rookformalions and Minerals in the vicinity of Peake, C.A., &c. Trans. K Soc, S. Austr., 1880, III, pp. 179-180. Presidential Address. Geology ia its relation to Mining and Subterranean Water Supply in South Australia. Ibid, for 1880-1 (1882), IV, pp. 113-134. Bibliographical Notices, Recent Papers relating to the Palaeontology of South Australia. 7&ic?. for 1883-4 (1885), VII, pp. 7-5-76. Report on Minerological, iSrc, Features of the Northern Territory. P. 6. Map. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1882, No. 63. On the Age of the Mesozoic Rocks of the Lake Eyre Basin. Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1888 (1889), I, pp. 221-230. Century of Geological Progress (in Australia). Inaugural Address. Ibid, for 1893 (1894), V, pp. 1-69. (Cretaceous Geology, pp. 63-65.) On the Discovery of Marine Deposits of Pliocene Age in Australia (Dry Creek Bore). Trans. R. Soc, S. Austr., 1889-90, XIII, pp. 172-180. The Stratigraphical Relations of the Tertiary Formations about Adelaide; with special referencs to the Croydon Bore. Trans. R. Soc. S. Austr.i 1889-90, XIIT, pp. 180-184. Section of a Well-bore at Mulgundawa, near Wellington, South Australia- Trans. R. Soc, S. Austr., 1900, XXIV., pp. 109-111. Tate (R.) and Watt (J. A.). Physical Geography (of Central Australia). Rept. Horn Scient. Exped. Centr. Austr., 1896, III, pp. 1-25. -TTTTz — T^ General Geology (Cretaceous, pp. 62-68). Ibid. pp. 26-74. Thompson (J. P.). The Alleged Leaking of Artesian Water. Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. Austr. (Queensland Br.), for 189-5-6 (1896), pp. 62-73. The Climate and Artesian Water."? of Australia. Queensland Geogr. Journ., 1902, XVII, No! 3, pp. 1-32, Victoria. Royal Commission on Water Supply. Further Progress Report. (Artesian Wells — Sale, p. xxxvii ; Boring, Wy.cheproof, p. 5 ,' Nhill, p. 154; Sale, p. 242). (Foh Melbourne, 1885. By Authority.) Diamond Drills in Victoria. Report by the Acting Secretary for Mines and Water Supply (p. 49 — Boring by Water Augers). (Foi MelbouPB©, 1885. By Authority.) THE GEEAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. |:5 Victoria. Diamond Drilb and Water Augers in Victoria— Second Report. (Fol. Melbourne, 1886). Ibid. Third Report, (Fol. Melbourne, 1887.) First Annual General Report by the Secretary for Mines and Water Supply. (Boring at Nhill, Boyeo, andCofack). (Fol. Melbourne, 1887.) Second General Report, Ac. (Boring at Mordialloc, Ballyrogen, Narrewillock, Nhill, Wirinbirohip, and Cofack). (Fol. Melbourne, 1888.)' • Diamond Drills and other Boring Machinery in Victoria. Fourth Report of Secretary for Mines. (Boring at Nhill, Netherby, Wirinbirohip, Marlbed, Narrewillock, and Mordialloc), (Fol. Melbourne, 1889.) Third Annual General Report by the Secretary for Water Supply. (Boring at Mordialloc, Yarrawonga, Lg,ra, Ballyrogen, Narrewillock, Nhill, Netherby, Tullyvea Dam, Corack, Wirinbirohip, Marlbed, Five-mile Tank). (Fol. Melbourne, 1889.) : Annual Repoit of the Secretary for Mines and Water Supply. (Future operations, p. 21). (Fol. Melbourne, 1906.) Do for 190.5. (Boring at Sale.) (Fol. Melbourne, 1906.) Do for 1906. (Boring at Overnewtou, p. 169.) (Fol. Melbourne, 1907.) — Do for 1907. (Boring at Overnewton and Wonwondah.) (Fol. Mel- bourne, 1908.) Do for 1909. (Boring at Exfovd, p. 170.) (Fol. Melbourne, 1907.) Fourth Annual General Report by the Secretary for Water Supply. (Boring at Narrewillock, Ballyrogan, Mordialloc, Netherby, Chinaman's Flat, Milmcd, Lily Swamp, Five-mile Tank, Banyan Swamp.) (Fol. Mel- bourne, 1890). Fifth Annual Report by the Minister for Water Supply. (Boring at Ballyrogan, Lily Swamp, Milmed, Banyan, North-east Tank, Barmer, and Tyrell Downs.) (Fol. Melbourne, 1891.) -^^T Artesian Wa'er. Advance Australia, 1910, XIV, No. 7, page 145. Wade (L. A. B.), A Review of Water Conservation in New South Wales. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1903, XXXVI f, pp. Ixw-lxxxv. Watehhouse, (F. G.). Report on the Fauna and Flora, Natural History and Physical Features of Australia, on tbe line of J. McD. Stuart's Route across the Continent from the South -to the North Coast. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1863, II, No. 125, pp. 2, 3, and 4, Wells (L. A.) and George (F. R.). I^eport on Prospecting Operations in the Musgrave, Mann and Tomkinson Ranges, 8. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 54, 1004. Williams (C. J. R.). The Artesian System of Western Queensland. Min. Proc. Inst, Civ. Eng., 1905, CLIX, pp. 319-321. West Australia. Report of Royal Commission on Collie Coal-field, pp. 8, 173. (Fol. Perth, 1905. By Authority.) WrsT- Australia — Public Works. Report of the Department of Public Worksfor 1895-6, pp. 43-44. (Perth, 1896. By Authority.) Ibid, for 1896-7, pp. 38, 41, 42 . — : Ibid, to 1897-8, pp. 5, 9, 24, 43, 44, 46, 52, 53, 118, 143. Ihid. for 1898-9, pp. 12, 24, 42, 43, 53, 53. 56 THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. West Australia. Ihid. for 1899-1900, pp. 43, 52, 53. Ibid, for 1900, pp. 18, 26, 27. Ibid, for 1901, pp. 28, 36, 39. Ibid, for 1902, pp. 37, 46-49. Ibid, for 1903, pp, 60-63. Ibid, for 1904, pp. 60-63. Ibid, for 1905, pp. 40, 42-45. • /6id for 1906, pp. 34-37. 76id for J 906-7, pp. 38-39. Ibid, for 1907-8, pp. 48-54. Ibid, for 1908-9, pp. 56-62. Ibid, for 1909-10, pp. 19, 22, 27. Ibid, for 1910-11, pp. 24-29. Description and Diagrams of Bores for Water and Coal to 30tli June, 1900. Engineer-in-Chief's Office, Pub. Works Dept. (Fol. Perth, 1900. By Authority.) Weisbach (A ) Ueber eino Pseudomorphose von Opal Australien. N, Jahrb. fur iMin. 1898, II, pp. 150-151. Wilkinson (C. S.). Notes on the Occurrence of Artesian Wells in the Albert District, New South Wales. Proc. Linn. Soo., N. S. Wales, 1881, VI, pp. 155-157. ■ Albert Gold-field — Artesian Water. Further Papers. N. S. Wales Leg. Ass. Papers, 1881, No. 448. (Fol. Sydney, 1881. By Authority.) • Report of Progress of the Geological Survey. (Artesian Water at Wee Wattah and Mullyeo.) Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N. S. Wales for 1880 (1881), p. 242. Progress Report of the Geological Survey. (Artesian Water at Dunlop.) Ibid, for 1881 (1882), p. 133. Progress Report of the Geological Survey (Artesian Water-bearing BedsV Ibid for 1887 (1888), pp. 137-139. Lower Cretaceous Artesian Water-bearing Beds in New South. Wales. Min. Product", N. S. Wales, 1882, p. 55 ; Ibid. 2nd Ed., 1887, pp. 78-80.' The Prospects of obtaining Fresh Water below the surface in the Districts between the Rivers Lachlan and Darling, and beyond the River Darling. N. S. Wales Rept. State Public Lands, cfec. Leg. Council Papers, 1883, c 66-A, pp. 133-136, with map ; Royal Conim. Conserv. Water, First Report, 1885, pp. 46-48. Memoire sur la Geologie de la Nouvelle Galles' du Sud. C. R. Congr. Geol. Univ., 1882, II, pp. 236-239. Notes on the Geology of New South Wales. Min. Prod. N. S. Wales, 1882 Ed., pp. 35-36 ; 1887 Ed., pp., 78-80. Anniversary Address. Journ. R. Soo. N. S. Wales for 1888 (1889), pp. pp. 1-43. (Australian Cretaceous, pp. 38-39.) Vide Woods ( .J. E. T.). Wilkinson (C. S.), B.-^uce (A.), and Gilliatt (H.). Report on the most suitable and advantageous sites wherein to Bore for Artesian Water for the Supply of Travelling Stock. Ann. Rept. Chief Insp. Stock for 1880 (1881), pp. 19, 20. Wilson (J.). Artesian Wells on Dunlop Station. N. S. Wales Leg. Ass. Papers, 1881-448. {Vide Wilkinson, C. S.) THE GREAT AUSTBALIAN ARTESIAN BASIN. 57 Woods (J. E. T ). On the absence of the Gault in Australia. Papers and Proc. R. Soc. Tas. for 1876 (1877), p. 66. History of Australian Tertiary Geology. Ibid., pp. 76-78. On a new Cretaceous Deposit in Queensland. S. Science Record, 1881, I, No. 12, p. 185. The Hodgkinson Gold-field, Northern Queensland. Trans. R. Soc. Vict., 1881, XVII, pp. 1-14, sections. Lecture on the Burrum Coal-field. Pp. 7-12, maps. (8vo, Maryborough, n.d., 1881.) (Reprint from Wide Bay Ifews). The Geology of Northern Queensland. Queenslander, July 2,1881, Ji-X., No 307, pi 13. ■ (Paper read before Q'land Phjll. Soc, 20th December, 1880.) The Hawkesbury Sandstone. Journ. R. Soc. N. S. Wales for 1882 (1883), XVI, pp. 53-116. (Discussion by C. S. Wilkinson and Stephens, W. J.). Physical Structure and Geology of Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc N. S. Wales, 1882, VII, pp. 371-389. ' — Report on Geology and Mineralogy of Northern Territory, S. Austr. Pari. Papers, 1886, No. 122, p. 16, maps. (Fol. Adelaide, 1886. By Authority.) ■ The Geology of Arnhem's Land, N. A. Vict. Nat., 1889, V, No. 11, pp» 155-158; No. 12, pp. 170-174. North Australia : Its Physical Geography and Natural History, p. 46. (Svo, Adelaide, 1864.) Woodward (H. P.). Absence of Artesian Water on the Eastern Gold-field. Report from the Government Geologist, giving the scientific data for the opinion expressed by him in his last Report^that no Artesian Water can be found on the Eastern Gold-field. (Fol. Perth, 1889. By Authority.) Reports on Geology of Country East of Farina and Northward of Lat. 23° 10'. S. Austr. Pari. Papers, No. 4, 1884. Report on the Gold-Helds of the Kimberley District, pp. 6, 9, 10. (8vo, Perth, 1891. By Authority.) Artesian Areas, Mining Handbook to the Colony of Western Australia, pp. 27-29. (Svo, Perth, 1894. By Authority.) Ibid., 2()d Edition^ pp. 39-42. (Svo, Perth, 1895. By Authority.) Report of the Dejiartment of Mines for the year 1894, p. 5; (Svo, ■ Perth, 1895. By Authority.) . On the Country between the Ashburton and Minilya Rivers, with a view of determining the N'trthward Extension of the Gascoyne Artesian Area. , Bull. Geol. Surv. W. Austr., XXVI, pp. lO-L"^. Boring for Artesian Water, West Kimberley. Ann. Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv. W. Ausfcr. for 1907. pp. 9, 10. — The Prospects of obtaining a Water Supply for Geraldton, eithei Artesian, Sub-artesian, Wells, or Catchment Areas. Ann. Prog. Rept Geol. Surv. W. Austr. for 1910, pp. 15-17. 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