1. The Formation of Australia

2. In the beginning...
Between million years ago all the continents were joined as one supercontinents called PANGAEA.

3. About 120 million years ago pangaea split into two smaller sections called LAURASIA and GONDWANA.

4. From these two section, some 100 million years ago split the continents of America, Arabia, India, Antarctica and South East Asia.

5. Finally 45 million years ago Australia broke away from Antarctica to become it’s own continent.

7. Victoria over time
Like most places around the world, Victoria has gone through a variety of changes over geological time. These are obviously hard to track, but we can be pretty certain about a few things:
For much of the history of Australia, Victoria and the whole eastern part of Australia didn’t exist. They formed about 500 million years ago. Western Australia has been around almost 10 times longer.

8. Victoria over time
Also for much of its history Victoria has been a sea bed. The evidence of this can be found in surprising places – fossilised sea life has been found high in the Alps.
As Australia and Antarctica broke apart, the stretching and tearing of rock had some of its greatest effects in south eastern Australia. Rift valleys formed between the two continents, including two in southern Victoria. Steep mountain ranges formed at the edges of these valleys. The Grampians and Mount Arapiles are the remnants on one. The Alps are the remnants of another.

10. Climate changes 600 million years ago
Australia as part of Pangaea experienced tropical conditions
300 million years ago
As Australia moved towards the south pole tropical species were replaced with cold climate species
285 million years ago
Australia hit the great ice age .

11. Climate changes 135-65 million years ago
Australia was wet and warm and much of the continent was covered in forest
35 million years ago
- Grasslands and shrub lands replaced forests while true forests became rare

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