Under Pressure: Victoria’s Metamorphic Rocks
Some rocks are born again. When existing rocks are pushed deep underground or squeezed by tectonic forces, they change — their minerals recrystallise, their textures shift, and they emerge tougher, shinier, or layered. These are metamorphic rocks: Earth’s recyclers.
Clear Examples of Metamorphic Rocks
Slate – once mudstone or shale, now fine-grained and durable. Used for roofing tiles, billiard tables, and flooring.
Marble – once limestone, now recrystallised and polishable. Famous for sculptures and decorative stone.
Quartzite – once sandstone, now extremely hard and resistant. Used in construction and for decorative stone.
Schist and Gneiss – more complex metamorphic rocks, with visible bands or layers.
Each of these tells a story of transformation under heat and pressure, showing how Earth recycles its crust.
Victorian Context
In Victoria, metamorphic rocks are widespread, especially in the eastern highlands.
The Victorian Alps are underpinned by schists and gneisses formed during mountain-building.
Around the Melbourne Zone, slates and sandstones metamorphosed into rocks that record ancient tectonic collisions.
These rocks are not just geological curiosities — they shaped landscapes and provided building materials in the 19th century.
Everyday Uses
Slate tiles
Marble sculptures and benchtops
Quartzite for durable, weather-resistant construction
Why It Matters for Students
Studying metamorphic rocks shows students:
How pressure and heat transform ordinary rocks into something stronger and new.
Why marble and slate are used for specific purposes in buildings and art.
How mountain-building events shaped Victoria’s geology.
✅ Curriculum Link: Earth Science – Rock Cycle (VC2S8U11)
Students explain how sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks form, and how their properties influence human uses, including mining methods.
