George J. Binns

“ These form a ridge of hills which run out to the sea-coast at Brighton, and soon after leaving the heavy cutting, we are on the borders of the coal measures, which lie unconformably on the schists, and deserve more than a passing notice. The rocks here consist of sandstones, shales and clays, with seams of coal; these dip in an easterly direction at one in ten under the Caversham sandstone, which is a tertiary marine formation, and is again overlaid by the volcanic rocks of the Dunedin basin. ”

“ The seam worked in the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company's mine, which is at present the only important undertaking on the field, varies in thickness up to over 30 feet. It is, however, somewhat dislocated, and the dip varies from a moderate inclination up to 45 degrees. The coal is a lustrous, black, compact fuel, with a conchoidal fracture. It ignites readily, and forms a first-class household and locomotive coal ”

“ As settlement progresses, and the prosperity of the inhabitants increases, more substantial building materials are required than the timber which succeeded the wattle-and-dab order of architecture of the early settlers. ”

“ The structure of the east end of the Peninsula is very complicated, basalts and trachytes being mixed in the most confusing manner, while apparently underlying both, there is, at Portobello, an extensive development of a rather coarse-textured propylite, composed of greyish-green felspar with crystals of hornblende, etc. Underlying the volcanic series in the locality of Broad Bay, are, as has been already mentioned, sandstones and limestones, belonging to the coal series. ”

“ The formation consists of conglomerates, sandstones, clays and shales, with coal seams, forming hills 700 feet high in the neighbourhood of Kaitangata, and of less altitude to the north, where they rise against the flanks of Mount Misery, which is upper schist rock. ”

“ Eruptive Rocks.—The eruptive rocks may justly claim a large share of attention in the consideration of the geological structure of the district we are discussing, as, but for their presence, the features of the country would have been entirely different. It is of the greatest importance, especially in a new country, to have materials for the construction of roads, and for this purpose, the compact basalts are eminently fitted. ”

“ In the coal measures are first-class clays and fire-clays; indeed in the matter of materials for making bricks, the locality is thoroughly well supplied.
An excellent sand for building exists in large quantities in the neighbourhood.
The soil of Dunedin and the environs may be said to be generally of an excellent quality ”

“ It burns freely, with a slightly unpleasant smell, and leaves a bulky incandescent ash; as a fuel for locomotion it does moderately well; and the slack and small coal are largely used for stationary engines. When left below ground the slack is very liable to spontaneous combustion, and many mines have been lost from this cause. ”

“ E. at 9 deg. It was stated that in a short distance the thickness increased to 4ft. 6ins. Further down the hill the seam dips at 35 deg. to the south-west, and is much faulted and broken; it was here only 2 or 3 inches thick. Shortly after leaving the last tunnel, we creep along the Purakanui cliffs, looking down from a giddy height upon the green waters of the Pacific Ocean, lazily lapping the base of the rocks below, or surging and boiling with the fury of the storm. ”

“ Cainozoic.—Caversham sandstone, volcanic series. Cretaceo-tertiary.—Coal-beds. Palæozoic.—Schists. I. Recent.—The recent deposits in the neighbourhood of Dunedin comprise the river-beds, harbour deposits, and the extensive Æolian deposits on the coast. The last-mentioned are of considerable area and importance. They commence beyond Green Island, at Brighton, near the belt of schist, which here reaches to the sea, and forms the picturesque headland upon which the township is situated. ”

“ This deposit, which is supposed to be of glacial origin, extends from Waihola in a north-easterly direction to Brighton, a distance of about twelve miles, and is in its upper part, composed of exceedingly angular material, the blocks in places being from five to ten and even twelve feet in diameter, loosely compacted together, the fragments being often surrounded with fine material. ”