This specimen was recovered from the Nigretta Falls (previously named the Upper Wannon Falls), Victoria. The falls are fed by the Wannon River that has its head waters in the Grampians mountains. Approx. 10km upstream of the Wannon Falls, Nigretta is a multi-channel segmented cascade of smaller drops and bounces guided by patterns of joints in a much older (Devonian) rhyolitic volcanic rock. Both the Wannon and Nigretta Falls are iconic landscape features, entrenched in the history and identity of the region. These falls are particularly rare as they are the product of volcanic activity, which is unique in the context of the Volcanic Plain of Victoria. Waterfalls of this capacity are generally associated with the Uplands areas of Victoria, rather than the edges of the Volcanic Plain. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study. A solid, dark grey mineral specimen with pale terracotta coloured inclusions. Rhyodacite is a volcanic rock intermediate in composition between dacite and rhyolite. Rhyodacites form from rapid cooling of lava relatively rich in silica and low in alkali metal oxides.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / R / S 55 FELSTONE PORPHYburke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, porphyritic rhyodacite, lava, nigretta falls, upper wannon falls, dacite, rhyolite, volcanic geology

A book of photographs of paintings of the waterfalls of Victoria painted by Dacre Smyth.A book of photographs of paintings of the waterfalls of Victoria painted by Dacre Smyth. Each painting has the name of the waterfall, the date the painting was painted and a short poem accompanying the photograph. Commodore Dacre Henry Deudraeth Smyth, AO was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy, an artist and a poet. He joined the RAN in 1940, and participated in the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Coral Sea before retiring as a commodore in 1978. He served as Deputy Chairman of the Trustees of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance and was a Life Governor of the Shrine. He became well known after his retirement for landscape and seascape painting, publishing fourteen books containing his paintings and poems. He married Jennifer Haggard in 1952, and had four daughters and a son. He died in 2008.Hardcover. Front dust cover has a photograph of a painting of Erskine Falls painted by the author. Back cover has 4 photographs of paintings of Wannon and Nigretta Falls in summer and winter. Inside cover of book, both back and front have a map of Victoria with various towns shown and the location of all the waterfalls in Victoria.Signature of the author and painter, Dacre Smyth. Artist's Acknowledgements / I am most grateful to all who helped in the production of this book:- / Alan Copeland / Allan Tuite and staff at Crystal Offset Printers for the production and printing of this book / Photography Ralph Petty / Colour Separations front & back cover Scanagraphix & Image Scan / Binding J.P. Bookbinderswaterfalls, victoria, melbourne, paintings, poem, poetry, photograph, dacre henry deudraeth smyth, royal australian navy, d-day landings, battle of the coral sea, shrine of remembrance, jennifer haggard