Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Geology Tour

Dr David Branagan, Russell Rigby and Greg McNally

After receiving a strong response from the first notice of the AGS Newcastle-Lake Macquarie Geology Tour, the Newcastle Chapter Committee is pleased to announce that the excursion will go ahead as planned. Based on expenses and expected turnout, the costs to participants are as follows: $50 for AGS members, $100 for non-members, and $25 for students and retirees.

To guarantee a place in the tour, please submit the attached registration form and accompanying payment to [email protected], by Friday, 25 October 2013. Email is the preferred method of registration due to the short notice, but mailed forms are also accepted. At the time of registration, please also confirm your attendance with Peter Fennell, Newcastle Chapter Chair.

A total of 40 seats are available on the tour bus, and these will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event that the tour must be rescheduled or cancelled due to weather conditions, registration costs will be fully refundable. The fee is otherwise non-refundable, however it can be transferred to an alternate attendee. Participants should arrive at the University of Newcastle Engineering School car park (see map overpage) no later than 8:00am in order to ensure an on-time start.

Further information regarding the tour will be sent to participants closer to the day. For any enquiries, contact Peter Fennell, Anastasia Suchowerska, or Dr Stephen Fityus.

Tour Description

The theme of the anticipated tour this year will be the influence of the geology of the Newcastle Coal Measures on landform in the western parts of the metropolitan area and the upper Lake Macquarie district. The morning component of the tour (approximately 8:30am-12:30pm) will commence with attendees meeting at the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle at 8:00am, and features a bus tour with stops to reflect on various relic landslips influenced by the geology of the lower Newcastle Coal Measures around Waratah, Wallsend and Kotara.

The afternoon component (approximately 1:30-4:30pm) will involve a bus trip around the upper Lake Macquarie district, stopping for inspections of coal measures exposures in road cuttings and in former quarries. In the course of the tour, participants will be exposed to aspects of the stratigraphy of the Newcastle Coal Measures, engineering geology and structural features of the geology and its influence on local landform.

Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.