Newer Volcanics Province
The Newer Volcanics Province is a geological area which is a volcanic field, formed by the East Australia hotspot across south-eastern Australia. It covers an area of, with over 400 small shield volcanoes and volcanic vents. The area contains the youngest volcanoes in Australia.
The volcanoes date from the Late-Pleistocene to Holocene ages. The area is characterised by flat lava flows, forming a plain above which rise numerous small scoria cones, tuff rings, and maars. The most recent eruptions in the region took place at Mount Schank and Mount Gambier, estimated about 5000 years BP, when several maars were formed and associated lava flows spread around the cones.
Volcanoes within the province include:
- Mount Schank
- Mount Napier
- Mount Gambier
- Tower Hill
- Mount Elephant
- Mount Eccles, with associated Tyrendarra lava flow
- Mount Leura
- Mount Noorat
- Mount Buninyong
- Lake Bullen Merri
- Lake Purrumbete
- Red Rock
