The surface geology of NSW, including the type, location and age of rocks and deposits, and geological boundaries. The New South Wales 1:1 500 000 scale geology map represents an up-to-date synthesis of the surface geology of the state. The map has been compiled principally from 1:250 000 scale geological map data from the Geological Survey of New South Wales. This data has undergone substantial simplification and harmonisation both for display at 1:1 500 000 scale and to reconcile nomenclature and mapping mis-matches across the borders of its map tiles and jurisdictional boundaries. Due to the substantial simplification and generalisation which has occurred during editing, it is not recommended that the map or data be used at scales smaller than 1:1 500 000. For more detailed studies, the user is referred to the Geological Survey of New South Wales 1:250 000, 1:100 000 and 1:25 000 scale series geological maps.

This layer is deprecated.The generalised BGS geology data is now available in the ArcGIS Living Atlas hereGeneralised digital geological map data based on BGS's published poster maps of the UK (North and South). Bedrock related themes created by generalisation of 1:50 000 data to make the 2007 fifth edition Bedrock Geology map.

Superficial related themes digitised from 1977 first edition Quaternary map (North and South).

Many BGS geology maps are now available digitally. The Digital Geological Map of Great Britain project (DiGMapGB) has prepared 1:625 000, 1:250 000, 1:50 000 and 1:10 000 scale datasets for England, Wales and Scotland. Work continues to upgrade these.

The geological areas (or polygons) are labelled or attributed with a name (based on their lithostratographical, chronostratographical or lithodemic nomenclature) and their composition (rock type or lithology). This information is arranged in two themes: bedrock geology and superficial deposits. Faults and other linear features are available in a separate theme.

Geology maps are the foundation for many other types of earth science related maps and are of potential use to a wide range of customers.The original dataset can be found here.

For much of the Geological Survey's existence, the County Series of maps were the standard large-scale maps on which geological mapping was undertaken. These maps are based on the Ordnance Survey County (or six-inch to the mile) series of maps. These maps were cut up to be used in the field to record geological observations, and on return to the office, the geology was transferred to a complete County Series map, which after approval was known as a 'standard' (England / Wales) or 'clean copy' (Scotland). This dataset contains the 'standard' or 'clean copy' County Series maps held by BGS. Geological maps represent a geologist's compiled interpretation of the geology of an area. A geologist will consider the data available at the time, including measurements and observations collected during field campaigns, as well as their knowledge of geological processes and the geological context to create a model of the geology of an area. This model is then fitted to a topographic basemap and drawn up at the appropriate scale, with generalization if necessary, to create a geological map, which is a representation of the geological model. Explanatory notes and vertical and horizontal cross sections may be published with the map. Geological maps may be created to show various aspects of the geology, or themes. The most common map themes held by BGS are solid (later referred to as bedrock) and drift (later referred to as superficial). These maps are hard-copy paper records stored in the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) and are delivered as digital scans through the BGS website.

The Feature Layer made available to the Living Atlas has been adapted from the 625k Geology dataset freely available from the BGS website. The attribution and labels of the geological areas (or polygons) have been simplified to make the data more available to a wider audience. The dataset is aimed at students with an interest in Earth Sciences and amateur geologists who want to find out more. The LEX_RCS & LEX_ROCK codes have been preserved to allow users to reference the layers to to the 625k Geology Dataset.

About BGS Geology 625k:

BGS Geology 625k is a generalised digital geological map dataset based on BGS’s published poster maps of the UK (north and south). Bedrock-related themes were created by generalisation of 1:50 000 data to make the 2007 fifth edition bedrock geology map. Superficial geology-related themes were digitised from the 1977 first edition Quaternary map (north and south). Many BGS geology maps are now available digitally. The Digital Geological Map of Great Britain project (formerly known as DiGMapGB) has prepared 1:625 000, 1:250 000, 1:50 000 and 1:10 000-scale datasets for England, Wales, and Scotland. Work continues to upgrade these. Geological maps are often the foundation for many other earth science-related maps and are of potential use to a wide range of end users. This dataset uses the themes:

Bedrock Geology Superficial Geology Linear features (faults)

More information on the BGS 625k Geology Dataset can be found on the BGS website.  The 625k Geology data can also be viewed alongside other BGS datasets in the GeoIndex viewer. The currency of this data is August 2022, while there are no planned regular updates, BGS continuously reviews its data products and will release new versions of the BGS Geology 625k when available.

This map was published by the Department of Mines, and shows the different types of rocks throughout New South Wales.

The scale is 1:3,000,000.

(Kingswood SR Map No.52709). 1 map.

Note:
This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.

This layer of the map based index (GeoIndex) shows the availability of 1:50000 series geological maps. For England and Wales (and Northern Ireland), map sheets normally cover an area 30 km east-west and 20 km north-south; in Scotland the coverage is 20 km east-west and 30 km north-south. The 1:50 000 geological map grids are based on an early Ordnance Survey 1:63 360 (one inch to one mile) scale map grid and are not related to the current Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 map sheets. Maps are normally available in both flat and folded formats.

The Blue Mountains Map from Glenbrook to Lithgow, the Jenolan Caves and Mount Wilson, showing their geological and topographical features.

Note: This resource was originally published on opengov.nsw.gov.au. The OpenGov website has been retired. If you have any questions, please contact the Agency Services team at transfer@mhnsw.au

Agency

• Destination NSW

South Wales is characterised by a rich variety of geologic formations and rocks of different ages and periods, and a large asymmetric syncline, as perhaps its most significant structural geological feature, extending from east to west over a length of approximately 96 km and 30 km from north to south, respectively. This oval-shaped syncline is part of the Variscan orogenic thrust and fold belt in Central Europe and covers some 2,700 km2, with coal-bearing rocks from the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian Stage) deposited in the central syncline and older rocks outcropping in a peripheral belt around it. The coal-bearing sequence begins with Namurian grits and shales, overlain by the more productive Lower, Middle and Upper Coal Measures. A 3D structural geological model has been implemented for the central part of the South Wales Syncline and its bedrock geology. The oldest rocks in the model domain date back to the Pridoli Series from the uppermost Silurian, the youngest to the Westphalian Stage of the Upper Carboniferous. For model implementation, mainly open access data from the British Geological Survey (BGS) has been used. The final 3D structural geological model covers the entire Central South Wales Syncline and is 32.8 km wide and 36.6 km long. In total, the 3D model includes 21 fault zones and the elevation depth of ten surfaces: (1) Top Upper Coal Measures Formation; (2) Top Middle Coal Measures Formation; (3) Top Lower Coal Measures Formation; (4) Top Millstone Grit Group; (5) Top Dinantian Rocks; (6) Top Upper Devonian Rocks; (7) Top Lower Devonian Rocks (sandstone dominated); (8) Top Lower Devonian Rocks (mudstone dominated); (9) Top Pridoli Rocks; (10) Top Ludlow Rocks (in parts).

The NSW Seamless Geology project is an initiative of the Geological Survey of New South Wales which commenced in late 2013 and aims to provide a statewide compilation of the best available digital geological mapping data in an internally consistent format. It is intended that the Seamless Geology dataset will be continually updated and refined as new digital geological mapping data becomes available.

Abstract

This dataset was supplied to the Bioregional Assessment Programme by a third party and is presented here as originally supplied. The metadata was not provided by the data supplier and has been compiled by the programme based on known details.

This is a scanned image of a geological map which is part of the publication by Wells and O'Brien (1994). It shows the geology of the Clarence-Moreton Basin.

Wells, AT and O'Brien, PE (compilers and editors) (1994a) Geology and petroleum potential of the Clarence-Moreton Basin, New South Wales and Queensland. Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Bulletin 241. Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra.

Dataset History

This is a scanned image of a geological map which is part of the publication by Wells and O'Brien (1994). It shows the geology of the Clarence-Moreton Basin.

It was geo-referenced using Global Mapper software.

Reference: Wells, AT and O'Brien, PE (compilers and editors) (1994a) Geology and petroleum potential of the Clarence-Moreton Basin, New South Wales and Queensland. Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Bulletin 241. Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra.

Dataset Citation

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (2015) CLM - Geology and Petroleum potential image. Bioregional Assessment Source Dataset. Viewed 28 September 2017, http://data.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/dataset/3b5b0b66-d0fb-4b79-a0c1-5cd3719b44fc.

This product represents a seamless GIS compilation of the best available vector geology data for New South Wales. The data has been organised into a series of layers, or time slices, representing the major lithotectonic units of NSW. All layers have a consistent data structure and attribute schema from the GSNSW's Statewide Geology Geodatabase (version 2). Base data (roads, railways, rivers, localities), outcrop location, and soil data are also provided. Data and Resources

This map presents an interpretation of the basement geology of the Forbes 1:250 000 sheet area, based on integration of airborne geophysics, gravity data and geological mapping 2000, Forbes Second Edition (1:250 000 geological map S155-7), Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra/Geological Survey of New South Wales, Orange.

Abstract

This dataset was supplied to the Bioregional Assessment Programme by a third party and is presented here as originally supplied. The metadata was not provided by the data supplier and has been compiled by the programme based on known details.

These shapefiles show the extent of bedrock geological units in the Clarence-Moreton Basin in NSW. This dataset shows the extent of the geological units in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion in NSW according to the revised stratigraphy as outlined by Doig and Stanmore (2012). As the stratigraphy was revised, the surface extent of some geological units has also changed in comparison to previous geological maps.

Reference for stratigraphic revision: Doig A and Stanmore P (2012) The Clarence Moreton Basin in New South Wales; geology, stratigraphy and coal seam characteristics. Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium IV.

Dataset History

These shapefiles were provided by the NSW Geological Survey for the development of the 3D geological model of the Clarence-Moreton bioregion. They were supplied as draft line work data sets, and may be updated by them in the future.

Dataset Citation

Geological Survey of NSW (2014) NSW Geological Survey - geological units DRAFT line work.. Bioregional Assessment Source Dataset. Viewed 28 September 2017, http://data.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/dataset/8fd05241-5f8c-4a02-9c16-9da9bc6b33c8.

Legacy product - no abstract available Legacy product - no abstract available

The 1:2 500 000 scale bedrock geology map of Queensland and northwest New South Wales was compiled at 1:500 000 scale, primarily based on the 1:2 000 000 surface geology map of Queensland Geology (2012) by removing unconsolidated Cenozoic sediments with interpretation of aeromagnetic data and reference to Geological Survey of New South Wales' interpretation of the Thomson Orogen region (Hegarty 2010). This work also referred to the geological province work by Stewart et al (2013).

Stratigraphic unit definition data is linked to the Australian Stratigraphic Names Database through the stratno, by which this bedrock geology map may also be linked to other geoscientific databases housed in Geoscience Australia.

The NSW Seamless Geology project is an initiative of the Geological Survey of New South Wales which commenced in late 2013 and aims to provide a statewide compilation of the best available digital geological mapping data in an internally consistent format. It is intended that the Seamless Geology dataset will be continually updated and refined as new digital geological mapping data becomes available.

The Geochemistry (Whole Rock) dataset contains information about the chemistry of rocks sampled in New South Wales and held by the Geological Survey of NSW (GSNSW). The data has been captured from analyses conducted by the GSNSW and from other work including academic research & collaborative projects, mineral exploration reports and geoscientific publications. The database contains geochemical analyses on nearly 27,000 rock samples which have been collected from field work and drilling activities which date back to the nineteenth century. There are also a small number of assay & hydro-geochemical results. It is an important dataset as the whole rock analysis of rocks for major and trace elements allows classification of the lithology of a rock and provides insight into the conditions in which the rocks formed as well as their economic potential.

The FROME 1: 250 000 geological sheet is located between latitudes 30° S and 31° S and longitudes 139°30' E and 141° E and covers most of the area between the northern Flinders Ranges and the New South Wales border. Its southern and northern... The FROME 1: 250 000 geological sheet is located between latitudes 30° S and 31° S and longitudes 139°30' E and 141° E and covers most of the area between the northern Flinders Ranges and the New South Wales border. Its southern and northern limits approximate to the extremities of Lake Frome, which occupies most of the western portion of the sheet. A southern extension of the Strelecki Desert covers the eastern half of the area. Main access roads are the Barrier Highway, Port Augusta-Wilpena Pound road (which branches off through Oraparinna, thence to Wertaloona) and the Broken Hill-Tibooburra road. A track along the New South Wales side of the border fence gives access to the eastern portion of the sheet, but the fence is about 50 to 100m inside New South Wales, and hence is not shown on the maps. Brougham's Gate is one of the few places where one can pass through the fence into South Australia. Putnamutana Outstation, known locally as "Old Moolawatana", and "Quinyambie", are the only permanent habitations, being located in the northwestern and southeastern corners of the sheet respectively. "Frome Downs" is located immediately south of Lake Frome on CURNAMONA. "Balcanoona" and "Wertaloona" are situated along the foothills of the Flinders Ranges to the west of the sheet, on COPLEY. Part of the pastoral lease of "Wirrealpa" is on FROME sheet area. The climate is dry, hot in summer, with cold winds and occasional frost in winter. Winds are dominantly from the southern quarter with a strong westerly phase during May-August and north winds in summer. Rainfall is low and erratic falling mostly in brief storms with heavier rains of 350-625mm at 10-20 year intervals. Falls occur mainly during February, March, May, June and December, with April being the driest month. The central portion of the map area east of Lake Frome receives the lowest rainfall, while the highest and most reliable occurs near the Flinders Ranges and in the southeastern corner of the sheet. The vegetation is sparse. Plant species most useful for geological mapping are Eucalyptus gillii, which occurs on the Willawortina Formation (Late Cainozoic) dolomitic sediments adjacent to the Flinders Ranges, particularly where calcrete or carbonates are exposed. Callitris columellaris occurs east of Lake Frome and on one island in the lake, tending to prefer the Eurinilla Formation (Quaternary) as a substrate. The nomenclature used for basins follows Wopfner (1972) the term "Frome Embayment" (Ker 1966, Freeman 1966, Wopfner 1966) refers to the Mesozoic sedimentary basin. "Lake Frome Area" refers to the region bounded by the Flinders Ranges to the west, Barrier Ranges to the east and Olary Ranges to the south. The northern limit is taken at an approximate east-west line through the southern portion of Lake Blanche on CALLABONNA. Within the Frome Embayment, the blanketing Cainozoic sediments are unconformable on the Cretaceous and relate to discrete cycle of events, hence the basin of Cainozoic deposition is named the Tarkarooloo Basin (after Lake Tarkarooloo on CURNAMONA). The Poontana Subbasin (after Poontana Ck) occupies the deeper western portion of the Tarkarooloo Basin

This series comprises Memoirs of the Geological Survey of New South Wales – Geology.

The Pre-Cenozoic Geology of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria removes Cenozoic geology. It is largely based on (1) the 1:1,000,000 Surface Geology by Geoscience Australia (2012) for New South Wales; (2) the Victoria seamless geology (2014); and (3) solid geology layers of South Australia by the Geological Survey of South Australia (2016), plus interpretation in GA of potential filed geophysical datasets, particularly magnetic data.

The South Australia solid geology layers available on SARIG were used for Archaean to Ordovician geology of the state. Post-Ordovician geology of South Australia were interpreted in GA using magnetic data. The 1:1,000,000 surface geology map of the Mount Painter Region by S.B. Hore (2015) was also used. Solid geology was produced with the aid of interpretation of magnetic data for that region.

For the Murray Basin and surrounding areas drill hole data were used to determine the geology under cover. Because extents of drill hole intercepted geology are not know in most cases. Such geology are shown as tiny circular polygons.

The author thanks a number of state and GA geologists for their inputs at various stages of the project, particularly those who reviewed the data.