ABSTRACT
The Quaternary Age sediments of the Yarra Delta have been variously deposited by the Yarra River, the Maribyrnong River and other tributaries of the Yarra River. These sediments lie predominantly between the mouth of the Yarra River, at the head of Port Phillip Bay and the Central Business District of Melbourne, but extend locally east towards Punt Road, Richmond. Data has been obtained from a number of sites within the Yarra Delta, to provide information on engineering properties of the few main Quaternary Age sedimentary units within this area. As discussed by J. L. Neilson, the Coode Island Silt unit is widespread throughout the lower Yarra Delta region, being present beneath much of South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and Footscray. The Port Melbourne Sands are present throughout Fishermens Bend, Port Melbourne and parts of Middle Park. Investigation techniques used in the Port Melbourne Sands typically are conventional boreholes drilled with casing or mud support, supplemented by quasistatic friction cone penetrometer tests.
