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How are Geological Monuments Documented?

Since 1966, geological monuments in South Australia have been selected by the Geological Heritage Subcommittee of the South Australian Division of the Geological Society of Australia Incorporated (external site, opens in new window), in consultation with other experts. Nominations are also received from professional and amateur geoscientists. Until recently, the voluntary Subcommittee has been assisted in this task by consultants funded by the National Estate Grants Programme, Australian Heritage Commission (external site, opens in new window).

In selecting geological monuments in South Australia, each nominated site is assessed by the Subcommittee. The geology displayed may be representative or it may be rare. It is intended that the designated geological monuments of this State, when taken together, should adequately represent the geological history and physiography of the region.

Geological monuments are not ranked in any order of importance but their level of significance is assessed as local, State, Australian or International.

At the outset of this process, it was thought that protection should precede any publicity as this would inevitably increase visitation which would likely lead to damage. Attitudes throughout the community have changed since that time and it is now accepted that, except for rare and vulnerable features, the location of sites needs to be publicly known if they are to be effectively protected.

Results for over 400 sites have been collated since 1977 into eight volumes of Geological Monuments in South Australia, with the ninth now available in the Geological Monuments in South Australia DVD. Be aware that the earlier volumes were prepared many years ago; although the geological descriptions therein are probably sound, the geological interpretations are likely to have improved since then.

Copies of these reports are lodged with the Commonwealth and State Heritage Departments (external site, opens in new window), and with State Departments dealing with planning, coastal management and mining, and with the South Australian Museum (external site, opens in new window). A copy lodged with the Mortlock Library of the State Library (external site, opens in new window) is available to the public.


Cretaceous wave-smoothed surface on Palaeoproterozoic granite, Lagoon Hill.

Information on these geological monuments is also stored in databases at PIRSA and at the Museum. The information can be viewed by the public upon application.

A user-friendly DVD Dataset which includes pdf versions of the nine Geological Monuments in South Australia volumes, enhanced by the addition of a State index map and individual site maps, is now available from PIRSA.