Illawarra Escarpment

About Illawarra Escarpment

The Illawarra escarpment, or officially the Illawarra Range, is the fold-created cliffs and plateau-eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The range encloses the Illawarra region which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven River in the south. Bells Hill, west of Knights Hill, is the highest point in the range at on the range's plateau; with a number of other peaks on the escarpment ranging from to a maximum of at Mount Murray southwest of Dapto. HistoryThe escarpment or scarp was created between 225 to 280 million years ago and since eroded by creeks to its present height around 30 million years ago. Most of it is sandstone, with many Hawkesbury sandstone boulders and ledges visible in addition to the actual cliffs. Its maximum heights are reached in the south, west of Albion Park at Knights Hill, and Mount Murray, . This forms the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau, uplifted along with the Blue Mountains around 70 million years ago.

Illawarra Escarpment Description

The Illawarra escarpment, or officially the Illawarra Range, is the fold-created cliffs and plateau-eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The range encloses the Illawarra region which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven River in the south. Bells Hill, west of Knights Hill, is the highest point in the range at on the range's plateau; with a number of other peaks on the escarpment ranging from to a maximum of at Mount Murray southwest of Dapto. HistoryThe escarpment or scarp was created between 225 to 280 million years ago and since eroded by creeks to its present height around 30 million years ago. Most of it is sandstone, with many Hawkesbury sandstone boulders and ledges visible in addition to the actual cliffs. Its maximum heights are reached in the south, west of Albion Park at Knights Hill, and Mount Murray, . This forms the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau, uplifted along with the Blue Mountains around 70 million years ago.

More about Illawarra Escarpment

Illawarra Escarpment is located at Robertson, New South Wales