The Alum Cliffs are a section of

cliffed coast A cliffed coast, also called an abrasion coast, is a form of coast where the action of marine waves has formed steep cliffs that may or may not be precipitous. It contrasts with a flat or alluvial coast. Formation In coastal areas in whic ...

facing the Derwent Estuary and Storm Bay along the suburbs of

Taroona Taroona is a major residential suburb approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Hobart, Tasmania on the scenic route between Hobart and Kingston. Although on the edges of the City of Hobart, Taroona is actually part of the municipality ...

, Bonnet Hill, and

Kingston Beach Kingston Beach is a residential locality in the local government area (LGA) of Kingborough in the Hobart LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-east of the town of Kingston. The 2016 census recorded a population of 1990 for the ...

Tasmania, Australia ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. Composed of

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last ...

mudstone, the cliff formation stretches for between Hinsby Beach and Tyndall Beach at Kingston Beach. The cliff face reaches heights of up to above sea level and has vistas of the Derwent Estuary, Storm Bay, South Arm and

Bruny Island Bruny Island ( Nuenonne: Lunawanna-alonnah) is a island located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The island is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, and its east coast lies within the Tasman ...

History

The first reference of the ''Alum Cliffs'' namesake was documented in 1847.

Geology

The Alum Cliffs are made of Permian mudstone, containing

pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...

. Once oxidised, the pyrite produces the chemical compound alum.

Recreation

The Alum Cliffs track is a popular (2.5 hour) return walking track frequented by locals and tourists. A small track was initially developed in the 1970s and formally developed as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations in 1988. In 2018, a council proposal was put forward to upgrade the track to facilitate mountain biking.

Access

The Alum Cliffs track is accessible via Tyndall Beach at Kingston Beach and the Channel Highway.

References

{{tasmania-geo-stub Cliffs of Australia Coastline of Tasmania