Bedding and minor faulting in Camp Hill Sandstone, State Circle, Canberra - image courtesy Douglas Finlayson

Australian Capital Territory

Download November 2022 Capital Geologist

Talks & Events

Next event


21 March 2024 - GSA-ACT National Park Meeting
Details: Dr Brad Opdyke will be giving a talk at the ACT National Parks Meeting on the regional geology and its impact on the river systems in the ACT.
Light supper to follow the meeting. Free to attend.
Location: Weston Creek Uniting Church (16 Parkinson Street, Weston)
Time: 7.30pm
Registration: Sign in upon arrival

4 May 2024 - GSA-ACT Field Trip: Geological History of the Canberra Region
Details: Meeting at the top of Mount Ainslie, we will visit several sites in the Canberra region to explore the region’s geological history. Attendees will provide their own transport between sites. If you do not have your own transport, please contact a member of the GSA-ACT committee and arrangements can be made. More information and registration details will be sent to GSA-ACT members soon.
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Cost: GSA members – Free; Non-GSA members - $15
Registration: TBA


Previous Division Meetings and Activities

29 February 2024 - The ACT GSA Divisional Meeting
Details: Talks commence at 5:30pm, drinks and nibbles to follow ($2 contribution per drink)
Student Speaker: Sebastian Bland, recipient of the GSA W B Clarke Prize for outstanding academic achievement in 2nd year Earth and Marine Science courses at the ANU.
Keynote: Dr Mark Hoggard - Bang or bust? Methods for detecting underground nuclear tests.
Background on the history of nuclear weapons testing and introduce a new method for identifying explosions amongst the background noise of earthquakes
Location: Australian National University, Research School of Earth Sciences, J1 Seminar Room
Time: 5.30pm

3 November 2023 - GSA ACT AGM and End of Year Celebration
Details: AGM and BBQ
Location: Geoscience Australia
Time: 5pm


2 December 2022 – GSA ACT Division End of Year Picnic

Details: This event is family friendly, and the park is accessible to all. We invite you to bring your whole family along to share in the fun. The event is also open to friends of GSA Members. Please bring picnic rug or chairs and tables and food and drink. Remember, when you are attending GSA events, you are expected to adhere to the GSA Code of Conduct
Location: Weston Park, Weston Park Rd, Yarralumla, we will be walking distance from the Prescott Lane carpark across the road from the Weston Park Mini Railway. Look for the GSA pull-up banners


22 November 2022 – GSA ACT Division Meeting

Speaker: Patrick De Deckker (Australian National University)
Topic: Submarine canyons and slides in the central-west Otway Basin – their morphology, genesis, links to groundwater discharge and tsunamigenic potential

16 October 2022 – GSA ACT Division Earth Science Week 2022 Captain's Flat Field trip

Details: This self-drive field trip where attendees travelled convoy-style to stops around the Captains Flat region. The stop locations were road and rail cuttings, abandoned rail lines and abandoned mine sites. Attendees discussed the geology and the mineralisation of the region as well as the mining history. The trip was guided by Dr Richard Blewett PSM and Doug Finlayson. Captains Flat was developed as a result of the discovery and extraction of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and iron pyrites in the hills surrounding the upper reaches of the Molonglo River. Mining boomed from 1881 to 1899 then began to decline until 1939 when rail access revived mining activity for another 23 years. Since the 1970s Captain Flat has been a tourist destination and rural township. Participants received a field guide by email a few days before the trip
Time: 9:30am-4.00pm

14 September 2022 – Joint GSA ACT Division-ASEG ACT Branch Spring Networking Event

Details: The GSA ACT Division and ASEG ACT Branch invite you to the Spring Joint Networking Event. Come and meet members of both societies along with members of the Earth Science community. Whether you are looking to meet new people or want to catch up with friends and colleagues you haven’t seen for a while this is a friendly and relaxed event to do that. You never know, your next collaboration or job opportunity might grow from a chat you have at this event. Food platter will be provided, drinks and meals are available for purchase
Location: Magoo’s Café and Bar 27 Eastlake Parade Kingston, ACT

28 September 2022 – GSA ACT Division Meeting
Speaker: Christo Marais van Vuuren (Team Leader Geological Indexing, Geochronology & Stratigraphy, Geoscience Australia)
Topic: A 'How to Guide': Defining Stratigraphic Units


14 August 2022 - GSA ACT Division National Science Week Stall
Topic: Science in the Centres
Location: Canberra Centre. Bunda Street, Canberra City ACT

25 May 2022 - ACT Division Annual General Meeting

Speaker & Topic: ACT Comittee Early Career Representatives Caleb Bishop and Michael Anenburg will be showcasing their research

29 April 2022 - Joint Societies Careers Night (Including GSA ACT Division)
Topic: Join us for a night of networking and learning where a job in the earth sciences industry can take you. There’s free food and drink too!
Speakers: Confirmed GSA speakers: Chris Lewis (Project Manager) and Joe Fayle (Education Centre Coordinator) both from Geoscience Australia as well as Rachel Przeslawski (Marine Ecosystems Research leader, NSW government)

23 March 2022 - ACT Division Meeting (Online and In-person)
Speaker: Greg Yaxley, Australian National University
Topic: Carbonatites and critical metals research at RSES
Location: 
Harold Raggatt Theatre at Geoscience Australia, Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Drive, Symonston and Zoom

Canberra Landscapes
Download information (free PDF files) about geoheritage sites around Canberra.

Black Mountain
Mount Ainslie
Acton Peninsula
Red Hill
Mount Stromlo
Tidbinbilla
Dairy Road
Gossan Hill
State Circle
Woolshed Creek


Publications
ACT Geological Guidebook and Map
The 1:100,000 scale "Geology of the Australian Capital Territory" geological map and ACT geological guidebook

"A Geological Guide to Canberra region and Namagi National Park" are now available.
Please click on the link below to download an order form or contact ACT Division Secretary for more information.

Download order form
(Adobe PDF File)
Republished: 'Images in Stone – A guide to the building stones of Parliament House'
The publication provides details on every aspect of the stonework in all parts of the Parliament House building,
including areas not open to the public. Please click on the link below to download an order form
or contact ACT Division Secretary, details below.

Student Prizes

Ken Campbell First Year Prize (for ANU students)
Presented annually to the student with the best results in ANU First Year subjects 'ENVS1004 - Australia's Environment and 'EMSC1006 - The Blue Planet' (or equivalent) and who intends to proceed further in courses offered by the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences.

David Blake Second Year Earth Sciences Prize (for University of Canberra students)
Awarded to the highest achieving second year student with a GPA of 5 or more for the first year Earth System Science and Earth Surface Processes and second year Australian Regolith, Landscape and Soils, and Geographic Information Systems subjects.

Mike Rickard Third Year Prize (for ANU students)
Presented annually to the student who was enrolled in a program leading to a degree of Bachelor in the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences; who has completed three or more of the following EMSC3000 series courses:
EMSC3001; EMSC3002; EMSC3007; EMSC3019; EMSC3022; EMSC3023; EMSC3024; EMSC3025; EMSC3027; EMSC3028; and achieved the best result as shown by the award of the highest average mark in the three EMSC3000 series courses in which the student obtained the best results.

Student prizes are awarded annually. The winner receives a cash sum and one-year GSA membership. For information about the prizes, contact the ACT Division Secretary.

Committee

Chair:

Tiah Penny

E: [email protected]

 

Secretary:

Jessica Walsh

E: [email protected]

 

Treasurer:

Doug Finlayson

E: [email protected]

 

Past-Chair:

Verity Normington

E: [email protected]

 

The Capital Geologist (Newsletter) Editor:

Patricia Erfurt

E: [email protected]

 

General Committee Members:

Eloise Beyer
E: [email protected]

 

Brad Opdyke

E: [email protected]

 

Caleb Bishop

E: [email protected]

 

Sarah Nolan (Early Career Representative)

E: [email protected]

 

Hayley Hunter (Early Career Representative)

E: [email protected]

 

ACT Stratigraphy Sub-committee

Convenor: Christo Marais-van Vuuren

E: Christo Marais-van Vuuren [email protected]

 

Cathy Brown

E: [email protected]

 

Eloise Beyer
E: [email protected]

 

Geotourism and Geoheritage Sub-Committee

Convenor: Doug Finlayson

E: [email protected]

 

Publications Officer

Doug Finlayson

E: [email protected]