Plans are well underway for a busy Melbourne-Stellenbosch Strathbogie Granite Project in coming months. Field work is continuing after a somewhat haphazard winter due to the good rains but some restricted access; Professor John Clemens is visiting again from University of Stellenbosch in South Africa; Ms Caitlin Jay is continuing her postgraduate project near Kerrisdale; and we are planning for a symposium in 2017. My own field work has focused around the Tallarook plateau this year.
Community feedback throughout the Project has taken various forms. This year there has been an evening session in the Tallarook Hall, geology talks at the Seymour Show, and information sharing on properties. Previous reporting has included Creighton Creek, Gooram, Seymour, Yea and Swanpool, with more planned.
The Strathbogie Granite Project has been made possible by several hundred landholders being generous enough to grant access to private properties from Tallarook to Mt Samaria.
Benalla is the base for an international granite symposium from 24-30 September 2017. A number of distinguished speakers from overseas and Australia have confirmed their attendance.
Community lectures: Monday 25th 2017 is a day of community and scientific lectures with seven leading speakers who have been given the brief: “For this (introductory) part of the symposium, the audience may include students, interested members of the local community and granite experts. We ask each speaker to address their talk at two levels with about equal time spent at each level: 1/2 basic introduction, 1/2 at geology graduate and postgraduate level.” It is necessary to register to attend the conference but attendance just for Monday is an option.
www.benallageology17.com.au. Wednesday lectures will be more technical and a showcase of leading granite research worldwide. Field trips are planned for Tuesday and Thursday, and lectures go beyond granite on Friday-Saturday.
In late 2016 we will be starting to make decisions about the field trip itineraries for the Benalla Granite Symposium.
Neil Phillips (University of Melbourne)
Further details from Neil Phillips, PO Box 3 Central Park 3145 Victoria, [email protected]