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Explanatory notes on the Paterson Range 4-mile geological Sheet

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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The Paterson Range 4-mile Sheet covers part of the south-western margin of the Canning Basin. The Sheet lies between latitudes 21 degrees and 22 degrees south, and longitudes 121 degrees 31 minutes and 123 degrees east. Its north-western corner is 195 miles on a true bearing of 102 degrees from Port Hedland on the coast.

The Canning Basin is defined for geological purposes as the sedimentary basin between the Kimberley and the Pilbara areas of Precambrian rocks ~ it extends north-westward on to the present continental shelf and contains Palaeozoic and younger sediments. The geographical name "Great Sandy Desert" was first used for the desert area of the Canning Basin by Colonel P. E. Warburton in 1872.

The Paterson Range Sheet area is uninhabited by white people and is not crossed by any road or vehicular track. Access to the area by 4-wheel drive vehicle was by way of Warrawagine Station on the adjoining Yarrie Sheet, but easier access is by way of Ragged Hills Lead Mine, which is west of the Paterson Range Sheet. The general conditions encountered and a description of the methods of investigation are given in Traves and Casey (1954, 1955 and 1956).

Most of the area is semi-desert and receives generally less than ten inches of rain annually; surface water is scarce and supplies can only be obtained from small springs or native soaks and rockholes which in most cases are not permanent. The area is inhabited by scattered groups of nomadic aborigines who depend for their existence on the scant fauna of lizards, snakes, kangaroos, rabbits and birds.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Explanatory notes on the Paterson Range 4-mile geological Sheet
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/bea13926-7458-4886-bd36-719a019260d6
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 15/10/2025
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        121.5,
        -22.0
      ],
      [
        123.0,
        -22.0
      ],
      [
        123.0,
        -21.0
      ],
      [
        121.5,
        -21.0
      ],
      [
        121.5,
        -22.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Explanatory notes on the Paterson Range 4-mile geological Sheet". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/explanatory-notes-on-the-paterson-range-4-mile-geological-sheet