Wellington Caves

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The Wellington Caves are a group of limestone caves located 8 kilometers south of Wellington, Australia.

The first Europeans to explore the caves were probably associated with Lieutenant Percy Simpson's settlement (1823-1831), but the first written account was provided by explorer Hamilton Hume in 1828. Two years later George Rankin, a local magistrate, found fossil bones of both a diprotodon and a giant kangaroo in the caves. The diprotodon, which has been dated to the Pleistocene period was herbivorous and its teeth were well adapted to grazing.

Rankin returned later with Sir Thomas Mitchell and collected a huge variety of bones from the caves which appear to have acted as a natural trap for fauna. These remains became the subject of an address by Mitchell to the Geological Society of London in 1831. Since that time the cave has been a steady source of information about ancient geology and fauna, although collapses and other geological phenomena have splintered and scattered skeletons. Also, phosphate mining from 1913 to 1971 has rendered priceless palaeontological evidence into fertiliser for farmers. The Phosphate Mine has now been fully restored and is also open for visitors.

The caves were frequently vandalised during the nineteenth century until 1884, when they were declared a natural reserve. By 1888 over 1500 people a year were visiting them. As of 2005, over 50000 people visit the caves annually. Two of the caves are open for visitors by guided tour: Cathedral Cave and Garden Cave.

Cathedral Cave is famous for its huge stalagmite known as Altar Rock which is 32 metres in circumference at its base and over 15 metres high. The latter is noted for its unusual and beautiful cave coral. In recent times, members of the Sydney University Speleology Club have discovered other caverns in the area. There are now 26 in the reserve. The most important discoveries have been River Cave and Water Cave (both submerged) which contain valuable fossils.

[edit] References

• Joan Starr and Doug McMillan, The Wellington Caves. Treasure Trove of Fossils, Dubbo, Macquarie Publications, 1985.
• Kent Henderson, The Wellington Caves and Abercrombie