Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
| Online Publication Date: 05 Nov 2007
The Desert Sandstone of Australia A Late Nineteenth-Century Enigma of Deposition, Fossils, and Weathering
The Desert Sandstone of Australia A Late Nineteenth-Century Enigma of Deposition, Fossils, and Weathering
Page Range: 208 – 256
The term "Desert Sandstone" was featured on geological maps and in the literature of Australian geology for more than eighty years from 1872. The name was suggested by Richard Daintree (1832-1878) (1868) for what were later described as "a promiscuous lot of sediments that form a dissected tableland in some of the drier portions of the continent" (Howchin, 1918). The name became current, particularly in Queensland, but there were many problems in mapping the unit, which was at first thought to be of Tertiary age, but then became largely accepted as Late Cretaceous. While some geologists thought the unit was of marine origin, others believed it was aeolian, even partly made of volcanic dust, but most geologists thought it was largely lacustrine. In many areas the rock appeared to be highly silicified, and opinions differed as to the source of silicification—a former covering of basalt, or siliceous hot waters from below? Complications arose when Glossopteris, regarded as a Late Palaeozoic fossil, was found in the "Desert Sandstone," and arguments arose about the possibility of this plant having persisted in Australia until the late Mesozoic. The stratigraphic/palaeontological problems were eventually sorted out by detailed mapping, which showed that there were in fact a number of sandstones of similar appearance but quite different ages. It took longer to realise that the apparent uniformity of sedimentary rocks of different ages was largely the result of weathering, which produced the silicified "duricrust" in many parts of inland Australia. The "Desert Sandstone" played an important part in the unravelling of three important lines of earth history in Australia (and there were even repercussions abroad). These were: (a) sedimentation during the Mesozoic and Cainozoic; (b) the clarification of the temporal range (and lateral extent) of the Glossopteris flora; and (c) the weathering processes that produced some of the characteristic scenery of inland Australia.
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LIST OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE DESERT SANDSTONE STORY
Arber, E. A. Newell (1870-1918) English palaeobotanist and geomorphologist (Sarjeant, Vol. 3, 1786)
Austin, Robert (1825-1905) Surveyor Western Australia (Vallance database)
Ball, Lionel C. (1877-1955) Geologist, Geological Survey of Queensland 1900-1946 (Johns; Vallance database)
Brown, Henry Yorke Lyell (1844-1928) Geologist, mainly South Australia (ADB, Vol. 7, 439-440)
Browne, John Harris (1817-1904) Surgeon (Vallance database)
Cameron, Walter E. (1871-1947) Geological Survey of Queensland 1897-1921 & 1930 (ADB, Vol. 3, 338; Johns, 53)
Carnegie, David (1871-1900), Explorer (ADB, Vol. 7, 566-567)
Chambers, James (1811-1862) Horse dealer, pasloralist (ADB. Vol. 3, 377-378)
Chewings, Charles (1859-1937), Explorer, geologist (ADB, Vol. 7, 634-635)
Clarke, E. de Courey (1880-1956) Geologist (Gibbney & Smith, Vol. 1, p. 127, Vallance database)
Clarke, The Reverend William B. (1798-1878), Anglican clergyman and geologist (ADB, Vol. 3, 420-422)
Cotton, Leo A. (1883-1963) Professor of Geology, Sydney University (ADB, Vol. 8, 119-120)
Daintree, Richard (1832-1878), Government Geologist of North Queensland, photographer, Agent-General for Queensland in London (ADB, Vol. 4, 1-2)
David, T. W. Edgeworth (1858-1934), Geologist, professor, University of Sydney (ADB, Vol. 8, 218-221)
Dawson, John William (1820-1899) Canadian stratigrapher, Principal of McGill University, Montreal (Sarjeant, Vol. 2, 868-869)
Dunstan, Benjamin (1864-1933), Geologist, mainly Queensland Government Geologist (ADB, Vol. 8, 379-380)
East, Joseph James (1856-1922) Assistant Director Adelaide School of Mines (Dictionary of South Australians)
Etheridge, Robert, Jr. (1846-1920) Palaeontologist Australian Museum, Sydney (ADB, Vol. 8, 442-443)
Etheridge, Robert, Sr. (1819-1903) English palaeontologist (DNB; Sarjeant, Vol. 2, 969-970)
Finke, William (ca 1816-1864) Business partner of James Chambers, Adelaide
Flinders, Matthew (1774-1814) Mariner, navigator, hydrographer, explorer (ADB, Vol. 1, 389-391)
Forrest, John (1847-1918) Explorer, politician (ADB, Vol. 8, 544-451)
Gregory, Augustus Charles (1819-1905), surveyor, explorer (ADB, Vol. 4, 293-295)
Gregory, John Walter (1864-1932) English geologist, explorer, Professor of Geology, Glasgow University (Sarjeant, Vol. 2, 1143; ADB, Vol. 9, 100-101)
Grey, George (1812-1898), Governor, explorer (ADB, Vol. 1, 476-480)
Hann, William (1837-1889) Explorer and pastoralist (ADB, Vol. 4, 335-336)
Hardman, Edward T. (1845-1887) Geologist, Western Australia (ADB, Vol. 4, 342)
Hodgkinson, W. O. (1835-1900) Explorer (ADB, Vol. 4, 404-405)
Howchin, Walter (1845-1937), Geologist, South Australia (ADB, Vol. 9, 377-378)
Jack, Robert Logan (1845-1921) Geologist, mainly Queensland (ADB, Vol. 4, 466)
Jackson, Clements F. V. (1873-1955), Mining engineer, public servant Queensland (ADB, Vol. 9, 454-455)
Jardine, Frank (1841-1919), Explorer, pastoralist (ADB, Vol. 4, 471)
Jensen, H. I. (1879-1966) Geologist, Queensland Geological Survey 1917-1922 (ADB, Vol. 9, 480-481)
Johnston, Richard (1843-1918), Statistician, geologist, Tasmania (ADB, Vol. 9, 501-503)
Jukes, Joseph B. (1811-1869), Geologist (ADB, Vol. 2, 29-30)
King, Phillip Parker (1791-1856), Mariner, explorer (ADB, Vol. 2, 61-64)
Leichhardt, Ludwig (1813-1847) Explorer, geologist (ADB, Vol. 2, 102-104)
McCoy, Frederick (1817-1899), Professor University of Melbourne and palaeontologist (ADB, Vol. 5, 134-136)
Maitland, A. Gibb (1864-1951) Geologist (mainly Western Australia) (ADB, Vol. 10, 386)
Marks, E. O. (1882-1971) Queensland geologist, opthalmologist (Vallance database)
Mitchell, Thomas L. (1792-1855), Surveyor, explorer (ADB, Vol. 2, 238-242)
Nicolay, The Reverend Charles G. (1815-1897), Clergyman, geographer, Western Australia (ADB, Vol. 5, 340-41)
Peppercorne, Frederick S. (ca 1814-1882), Civil engineer, mostly New South Wales (Vallance database)
Pittman, Edward F. (1849-1932), Geologist, mainly New South Wales (ADB, Vol. 11, 241)
Rands, W. H. (1861-1914) Geologist, Queensland Geological Survey 1883-1902 (Vallance database)
Rattray, Alexander (n.d.) Naval Surgeon (MD Edinburgh), HMS Salamanca (Vallance database)
Reid, John Hector (n.d.) Geologist, New South Wales Geological Survey 1911-1914; Queensland Geological Survey 1914-1947 (Johns; Vallance database)
Saint-Smith, Edgar C. (?1885-1930) Geologist, Queensland Geological Survey 1913-1926 (Vallance database)
Selwyn, Alfred (1824-1902) Government Geologist of Victoria, 1851-1869, then Canada (ADB, Vol. 6, 102-103)
Streich, Victor (1863-1905), Geologist Central and Western Australia (Gibbney & Smith, Vol. 2, 286)
Stuart, John McDouall (1815-1866), Explorer (ADB, Vol. 6, 214-215)
Sturt, Charles (1795-1869), Explorer (ADB, Vol. 2, 495-498)
Stutchbury, Samuel (1798-1856), Geologist New South Wales 1850-1855 (ADB, Vol. 6, 216-217)
Süssmilch, Carl A. (1875-1946) Geologist New South Wales (ADB, Vol. 12, 139)
Tate, Ralph (1840-1901). Professor Adelaide University, biologist, geologist (ADB, Vol. 6, 243-244)
Tate, Thomas (no details, confused by some authors with Ralph Tate)
Taylor, Norman (1834-1894) Geologist, mining consultant (Dunn & Mahoney, 23-25)
Tenison Woods, Julian E. (1832-1889), Catholic priest, geologist (ADB, Vol. 6, 254-55)
Ward, L. Keith (1879-1964) Geologist, public servant, South Australia (ADB, Vol. 16, 489-490)
Watt, John Alexander (1868-1958), Geologist, medico (Branagan, 1996)
Whitehouse, Frederick W. (1900-1973) Geologist, Queensland (ADB, Vol. 16, 538)
Wilkinson, Charles S. (1843-1891) Government Geologist of New South Wales (ADB, Vol. 6, 402-403)
Woolnough, Walter G. (1876-1958) Commonwealth Geologist (ADB, Vol. 12, 572-573)
ADB: Australian Dictionary of Biography (16 vols. to date) (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966-2002).
Branagan, D. F., John Alexander Watt: Geologist on the Horn Expedition in exploring Central Australia, Society, The Environment and the 1894 Horn Expedition, eds. S. R. Morton and D. J. Mulvaney (Chipping Norton: Surrey, Beatty & Sons, 1996), 48-58.
Dunn, E. J., and D. J. Mahoney, Biographical Sketch of the Founders of the Geological Survey of Victoria, Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Victoria, 1911, 23:23-25.
Gibbney, H. J., and Ann G. Smith, compilers and editors, A Biographical Register 1788-1939, 2 vols. (Canberra: Australian Dictionary of Biography [publisher], 1987).
Johns, R. K., ed., History and Role of Government Geological Surveys in Australia (Adelaide: Government Printer, 1976).
Sarjeant, W. A. S., Geologists and the History of Geology, 5 vols. (London & Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd., 1980).
Vallance database: Computer database, compiled by D. F & C. D. Branagan from a card index prepared by T. G. Vallance (pre-1993). The original cards are now held at the offices of the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University.