| LOCATION |
| Map |
Show Map
|
| Address |
Benbarber Road off Flinders Highway MORTANA |
| Locality |
|
| Accuracy |
H - high level confidence |
| Council Area |
Streaky Bay Council |
| Polygon Type |
B - Building footprint |
| DESCRIPTION |
| Details (Known As) |
Murphy's Haystacks Geological Site |
| Registered Name |
Murphys Haystacks |
| Significance |
This site contains two groups of large granite outcrops and boulders up to 10m high. Their interest is essentially geomorphological, in that they exhibit classic features of granite weathering. These include distinctly flared slopes, development of tafoni (cavernous weathering) and vertical grooves, known as rillen.
Like other similar exposed granite outcrops, Murphy's Haystacks demonstrate significant changes to the landscape caused by erosion over a period of time. Subsurface weathering of the joints in the granite followed by the removal of the weathered material and lowering of the ground level by erosion has revealed the 'sculptured' outcrops seen today. There is also evidence of a later spread of sand dunes over the region during the late Pleistocene which formed a calcrete crust over the land surface, remains of which are evident in some parts of these outcrops.
Many of the outcrops widen considerably from the base to the upper shoulder, thus resembling haystacks from a distance. (Adapted from Geological Monuments in South Australia, item E.29)
|
| Subject Index |
Landscape area - Geological Site; Landscape area - Natural Landscape |
| Class |
State |
|
|
| STATUS |
| Status Code |
REG - Confirmed as a State Heritage Place in the SA Heritage Register |
| Status Date |
04-MAR-1993 |
| REFERENCE |
| LGA |
Streaky Bay |
| State Heritage ID |
14230 |
| Heritage Number |
16394 |
|
|
|
| SECTION 16 INFORMATION |
| Section 16 |
|
| PLAN PARCEL & TITLE |
| As listed in the SA Heritage Register |
| Plan Parcel & Title Information |
CT 5375/905 H651600 S118 |