Heritage Places
Heritage Place Details
| LOCATION |
| Map |
Show Map
|
| Address |
near Whyalla WHYALLA |
| Locality |
|
| Accuracy |
L - low level confidence |
| Development Plan |
Whyalla Council |
| Polygon Type |
D - item has been digitised (generally because it doesn't exist in a DCDB parcel, eg. bridge |
| DESCRIPTION |
| Details (Known As) |
Fitzgerald Bay Stranded Shingle Ridge (designated place of geological significance) |
| Registered Name |
Fitzgerald Bay Stranded Shingle Ridge |
| Significance |
STATEMENT OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE:
The Fitzgerald Bay Stranded Shingle Ridge is an elevated shingle ridge deposited by 3m high sea levels during the mid-Holocene period (5,000 years ago) and then regionally uplifted by around 4m. The ridge consists of packed, sub-rounded pebbles and cobbles that now lie 5-8m above the adjacent landscape. It is located parallel to and slightly inward from the modern coastline of western Upper Spencer Gulf between Whyalla and Port Augusta, South Australia.
The Stranded Shingle Ridges were formed through the erosion of the adjacent plateau country when sea levels were up to three metres higher than today, removing material from the cliffs and extensively from the alluvial aprons at their base. The way in which the removed stones were deposited in ridges indicates an ancient sea-level variation associated with the Quaternary Ice-Ages and regional uplift processes in the Upper Spencer Gulf from the late Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene period. They are in largely undisturbed condition and of extreme rarity, with only two other comparable examples known in the world. The Stranded Shingle Ridge near Fitzgerald Bay has particularly high integrity.
STATEMENT OF GEOLOGICAL DESIGNATION:
The Stranded Shingle Ridge at Fitzgerald Bay is of geological significance to South Australia as it provides knowledge of coastal and marine development processes resulting from the Quaternary Ice Ages and ancient climatic events.
The Fitzgerald Bay Stranded Shingle Ridge is unusual in that it -
* consists entirely of sub-rounded pebbles and cobbles
* is slightly inland at an elevated level in relation to the modern shoreline
* is devoid of sand
* contains an abundance of the fossil mollusc, Anadara trapezia, enabling a method for estimating the age of the feature
* provides evidence of a 3m higher Holocene sea level in the upper Spencer Gulf
* provides evidence of 4m Holocene regional uplift across the upper Spencer Gulf area (`hydro-isostatic upwarping?)
* is the best representative of the Spencer Gulf shingle ridges, a feature unknown elsewhere on the Australian continent
* is the longest and most prominent of the three ridges on Spencer Gulf, as well as being least disturbed by human activity
* has a highly unusual double-ridge at its northern end which is yet to be explained by geologists
The combination of material and associated evidence explaining the formation of the Stranded Shingle ridges is not repeated in South Australia. Different elevated beaches and terraces are common around the world but this particular assembly of high-energy-deposited shingles is rare. Two other stranded accumulations of similar material, elevation and dimensions have been recorded along the southern Red Sea coast in Egypt (late Pleistocene) and at Munlochy in north-eastern Scotland (Holocene), but stranded Shingle ridges are unreported elsewhere on the Australian continent.
|
| Subject Index |
Landscape area - Geological Site |
| Class |
State |
|
|
| STATUS |
| Status Code |
REG - Confirmed as a State Heritage Place in the SA Heritage Register |
| Status Date |
17-MAY-2017 |
| REFERENCE |
| LGA |
Whyalla |
| State Heritage ID |
26443 |
| Heritage Number |
27685 |
|
|
|
| SECTION 16 INFORMATION |
| Section 16 |
c - it may yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the State's history, including its natural history
|
| PLAN PARCEL & TITLE |
| As listed in the SA Heritage Register |
| Plan Parcel & Title Information |
CR 5867/224 D55504 A124,CR 5800/763 D53874 A112 |
Disclaimer
While due care has been taken to ensure that the SA Heritage Places Database accurately reflects the South Australian Heritage Register and listings of Local Heritage Places in Development Plans, the State of South Australia does not accept liability for the use of the SA Heritage Database for any purpose. Users should consult the Department for Environment and Water - Heritage South Australia to confirm the listing of State Heritage Places and the relevant Development Plan for Local Heritage Places/Contributory Items.
In the majority of cases, the maps of State Heritage Places on this web site show the footprints of the most significant structures on a registered Place. However, sometimes they simply indicate the complete area of land comprising the Place. Work is proceeding to further refine the mapping of such places. It is also important to note that development control is not limited to the registered structures but extends to their setting and structures nearby (what is termed ‘development affecting’ a State Heritage Place). Hence it is vital that exact details of the listed place and implications for any proposed development be discussed with Heritage South Australia staff, as they cannot be deduced solely from the information on this web site. The inclusion of a place in the SA Heritage Register gives no right of public access. Permission to visit properties must be sought from the owners. The accuracy of the mapping of State Heritage Places is not guaranteed. Please contact Heritage SA ( https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/heritage/sa-heritage-register) if you believe there is an error.
GIS files
To access downloadable GIS files, go to Data.SA.