St Michaels Cave (Avalon Beach)

St Michaels Cave is situated in the Sydney suburb of Avalon Beach. This sea-side cave is around 110 metres long, 15 metres high and 10 metres wide. The original colonial owner was a Reverend John Therry, who planned to deliver lectures within the cave and build a church above it. The cave was formed by the erosion of a jurassic dyke through triassic sedimentary rocks. The cave is known to be a breeding site for Common bent-wing bats and Large-eared pied bats.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

St Michaels Cave
Location	Avalon Beach, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°37′44.83″S 151°20′21.23″E
Depth	15 metres
Length	110 metres
Geology	Dolerite & Narrabeen Group
Hazards	falling rocks
Access	not allowed

Coordinates	33.62912°S 151.33923°E / -33.62912; 151.33923
Managing authorities	Pittwater Council

See also

• Sydney Basin
• Newport Formation (NSW)
• Bald Hill Claystone
• Narrabeen group

References

1. "Calcite : Journal of the Highland Caving Group" (PDF). Hcg.org.au. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
2. "Pittwater Council-Avalon Headland". nsw.gov.au.
3. "01 Sep 1937 - ST. MICHAEL'S CAVE Avalon's Map of Australia". nla.gov.au.
4. NSW Government Geological Series Sheet 9130 Edition 1, 1983
5. Gregory Retallack. "Triassic Paleosols in the Upper Narrabeen Group of New South Wales. Part II: Classification and Reconstruction" (PDF). Blogs.uoregon.edu. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
6. Retallack, Greg (1977). "Paleosols in the upper Narrabeen Group of New South Wales as evidence of Early Triassic paleoenvironments without modern analogues" (PDF). blogs.uoregon.edu. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. Retrieved 21 October 2015.