Hawkesbury Sandstone

Hawkesbury Sandstone, Sydney is a large stretch of sandstone in the New South Wales region of Australia. This is made of sedimentary quartzose sandstone type, which dates back to the Traissic period. The Bouddi peninsular harbor is lined with these sandstones. This part geographic feature of Sydney was formed by the solidification of sands, which were carried down from the Antarctic regions some two hundred million years ago. Evidence of the once existent marine life is still visible from the fossil remains in these sandstone beds. The same kind of rock formation is found in the Hawkesbury riverbed and hence the name has been given to these rocks as well.

The chemical composition of the Hawkesbury Sandstone shows minor portions of clay, feldspar and siderite. The stone is somewhat cream and yellow in color and at places shows gray tints. The continuous deposition of the sand has now led to the formation of this vast stretch of rock, which is about fifty meters in thickness. At places, iron containing water seeps into these sandstones, causing brown marks on them. The soil, which is formed by the disintegration of the Hawkesbury Sandstone, is low in quality and is definitely not suitable for cultivation purposes.