Draft:Mt Taylor

Mount Taylor is a mountain located in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It holds historical significance dating back to the mid-19th century gold rush era.

The area surrounding Mount Taylor was heavily impacted by the discovery of gold in local creeks and rivers in 1857, leading to extensive prospecting activities. This resulted in the establishment of the township of Bullumwaal, formerly known as Allanvale and later renamed in 1870. The name "Bullumwaal" is derived from an Aboriginal word believed to mean 'two spears,' symbolizing the nearby mountains of Mt Lookout and Mt Taylor.

According to Hal Porter's account found in Echoes of the Victorian culture-clash frontier, John Davidson Smith and his son John Dudley Smith engaged in a legal dispute with John Loughnan and Frederick Taylor, the latter being the namesake of Mount Taylor. Frederick Taylor's name holds significance for those intrigued by pre-Separation Victorian history, owing to his involvement in several racial conflicts during the late 1830s. His prominent role in the 1839 Murdering Gully massacre in Western Victoria, meticulously chronicled, firmly casts him as a symbol of the most egregious aspects of our state's frontier era.

Geology
Mount Taylor stands as a prominent geological feature in the Bairnsdale area and within the expansive Great Dividing Range. Over countless millennia, the geological formation of Mount Taylor and its surroundings has undergone a complex evolution, reflecting the dynamic forces that have shaped south-eastern Australia's geological history.

The area comprises Devonian granitic formations, indicating its ancient origins from significant geological processes. The geological narrative of eastern Victoria, where Mount Taylor resides, unfolds across an expanse of over 500 million years, tracing back to a primordial era when vast stretches of the region lay submerged beneath ancient oceanic waters.

A comprehensive geological survey of Victoria's Great Dividing Range reveals a distinct north-south alignment in its bedrock, a vestige of the bygone epochs of plate tectonics. This enduring geological framework, coupled with ongoing tectonic activity, contributes to the dynamic topography witnessed in the eastern Victorian landscape, including the majestic Australian Alps.

Soil and Vegetation
The soils in the Mount Taylor area are primarily red and brown gradational and duplex soils. These soils support diverse native vegetation, including species of Eucalyptus such as E. albens, E. polyanthemos, E. globoidea, E. muellerana, E. baxteri, and E. macrorhyncha. The vegetation types range from Dry Sclerophyll Forests to Wet Sclerophyll Forests in moister areas, reflecting the varied climatic conditions across the terrain.

Land Use and Deterioration
The primary land use around Mount Taylor includes conservation, forestry, recreation, and water supply. The area is managed for both its ecological value and its resources. However, the region is susceptible to various forms of land deterioration, including sheet, rill, and gully erosion, as well as mass movement, particularly in disturbed areas such as roads and cleared lands. The region around Mount Taylor experiences significant rainfall, ranging between 700-1200 mm per annum, influencing both the soil profiles and the types of vegetation that thrive in the area.