✨ Geology Report Continuation
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 181
in one portion of the valley not less than side of which the movement is downward,
eight terraces. The character of the ter- on the eastern side upwards. The same axis,
races shows, that the upheaving force has curving round parallel to the Australian
been decreasing towards the present time, coastline, crosses the Pacific between New
either in power or period. The extreme Caledonia and the Loyalty group, and can
height of these terraces, being not more than be traced through the Solomon Islands to
about 2000 feet up the valleys, shows the New Guinea.
whole amount of rise in these islands, since
the tertiary period, to be about 2000 feet.
Even at the present day there are facts
which prove that the land of these islands is
not stationary, but that the relative levels of
water, and dry land, are undergoing constant
modifications. The rise of land at Welling-
ton in 1855, to an average height of three
or four feet, over a great extent of coast is
familiar to every colonist. This rise of land,
however, is not general over New Zealand;
for there are many proofs that, while on the
eastern side of the islands the level of the
land is being raised, on the western side the
land is sinking. An axis of equilibrium
passes through the islands, on the western
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, - It now only
remains for me to express my thanks to you
for the attention with which you have fol-
lowed my geological explanations. Much
more still remains that I would wish to say,
but I must now conclude.
I feel well assured that the mineral wealth
of Nelson is not confined to what I have
to-day mentioned, but believe that in ad-
dition to gold, copper, and coal, future times
will develop other valuable substances among
your mountains and forests, which cannot
fail to prove a source of wealth and pros-
perity to the Province of Nelson.
Printed and Published by W. C. WILSON, for the New Zealand Government, at the Printing Office,
Shortland Crescent, Auckland.
Next Page →
NZ Gazette 1859, No 39
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🌾
Geological Survey: Volcanic Lines, Cook Strait Fault, and Land Elevation
(continued from previous page)
🌾 Primary Industries & Resources3 December 1859
Geology, Land uplift, Terraces, Wellington, Land sinking, Cook Strait, Volcanism