Report - by Dr Susan White, Oct 15, 2014

Selwyn Symposium, Lecture and Medal 2014
The Nullarbor Plain: Recent Advances

A successful Selwyn Symposium was held on Friday October 3, 2014 at the University of Melbourne.  The Symposium is held every two years, although the medal and lecture are annual.

Although this theme is not often associated with Victoria, several Victorian karst workers and speleologists have been involved over the past 15 years with new discoveries and their associated science. As the international meeting, The Karst Record 7, was being held earlier that week in Melbourne, it seemed an excellent opportunity to link the recent work on the Nullarbor with karst workers from overseas and interstate. Karst science has changed and progressed immensely in this time, especially the improvements in dating, the discovery of the megafauna ‘Thylacoleo’ caves in 2002, and the use of ultra light aircraft for documenting new caves and karst features. A wide range of ideas were presented by the speakers with lively discussion and questions. Copies of the abstracts will be available from the GSA Sydney Office.

Just over 45 years ago, John Dunkley and Tom Wigley edited for the Sydney University Speleological Society (SUSS) and the Cave Exploration Group (South Australia) (CEGSA), the first review of the speleological work of the Nullarbor Plain, The Caves of the Nullarbor. Although work has continued for the past 47 years, no replacement has ever been produced. John and Tom were both present (see photo). It was a great opportunity for people who have not met for many years to catch up again and for speleologists and researchers to meet and discuss aspects of the fascinating geology. As the Plenary Lecturer (John Webb) stated, the Nullarbor might be flat but it is far from boring.

The Selwyn Lecture was delivered by Professor Paul Williams (University of Auckland), Downstream Reflections of an Upstream Environment, a really thoughtful discussion on the role of water and climate, important in the development of karst, in what is now an arid environment.

Dr Ian Duddy, (Geotrack International) is the 2014 Selwyn Medal recipient for his extensive work developing and using apatite fission-track thermochronology in thermal history assessment in hydrocarbon exploration, especially the thermal effects of fluid flow in sedimentary basins.

The Division thanks all those who helped make this a very successful Selwyn. A really great day, finishing a great week of karst science.

Program