The Edmund Gill Collection, to be launched at Warrnambool’s Deakin University on Thursday, features the internationally-acclaimed scientist’s research.

Dr Gill was interested in geology, especially as it related to western and coastal Victoria.  He was also a palaeontologist, geomorphologist and museum administrator.

Deakin library officer Chris Clifford said the impressive collection covered significant research dating back to the late 1930s. 

Dr Gill died in 1986 and left his research about the region with the university library.  It includes field notebooks, photos, colour slides, aerial photos, maps, manuscripts, and reprints of the 388 scientific papers. An additional 38 boxes of material are located in  the State Library of Victoria’s La Trobe Collection.

Topics include sea level change; palaeontology, including marine fossils and vertebrate fossils; evolution of Australia’s mega fauna and flora; volcanoes and dating volcanic deposits.

They also detail ancient temperature calculations; coastal geomorphology including marine processes; sedimentology; weathering and erosion; and, Aboriginal prehistory and archaeology including dating significant sites.

Ms Clifford said the photos gave an interesting insight into how coastal areas have changed since the 1940s.

Not long before his death, Dr Gill demonstrated the nature of shell middens at Hopkins River, Warrnambool, among the earliest evidence of human activity in Australia.

The launch is at 2.30pm. Guest speakers include Dr Gill’s son Dr Malcolm Gill, former colleague Dr John Sherwood, Deakin librarian Craig Anderson, and geologist Derek Walters.

For more details, or to attend the free event visit eventbrite.com.au/e/the-edmund-gill-collection-tickets-36673945759?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing>>