<div>Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future Program (EFTF) is supporting regional and national-scale initiatives to address Australia’s hydrogeological challenges using an integrated geoscience systems approach. An important early step in the EFTF groundwater program focused on developing a national hydrogeological inventory of Australia’s major groundwater basins and fractured rock provinces. The inventory has its roots in the seminal 1987 Hydrogeology of Australia map, the first continental-scale map of groundwater systems and principal aquifers (Jacobson and Lau, 1987). Seeking to enhance and modernise the supporting information base for the national map, the inventory combines a curated selection of geospatial data attributes supported by focused narrative on the geology and hydrogeology of each basin and fractured rock province.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The national hydrogeological inventory has a broad range of benefits for Australian groundwater users, managers and policy makers. These include the provision of an updated knowledge base covering the hydrogeology and groundwater systems of the major hydrogeological provinces of the nation, as well as important contextual information. The extensive catalogue of knowledge contained in the inventory also enables an objective approach to identify and prioritise areas for further regional assessment.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Based on analysis of data compiled for the national inventory, the Lake Eyre Basin in arid central Australia was the first region prioritised for more detailed hydrogeological assessment during EFTF. The integration of a variety of basin- to national-scale geoscience datasets enabled significant advances in geological and hydrogeological understanding and the development of a new geological model for the three main basin depo-centres, namely the Tirari and Callabonna Sub-basins, and the Cooper Creek Palaeovalley. The geological modelling has further supported a range of hydrogeological applications, including substantial improvements in the number of bores with aquifer attribution, as well as the first regional watertable map across the basin. Abstract submitted and presented at the 2023 AGC NZHS Joint Conference Auckland, NZ (https://www.agcnzhs2023conference.co.nz/)

This Daly Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Daly Basin is a geological formation consisting of Cambrian to Ordovician carbonate and siliciclastic rocks, formed approximately 541 million to 470 million years ago. The basin stretches about 170 km in length and 30 km in width, shaped as a northwest elongated synform with gentle dips of less than 1 degree, likely due to prolonged sedimentary deposition in the shallow seas of the Centralian Superbasin, possibly along basin-scale faults. The primary groundwater reservoir within the Daly Basin is found in the Cambrian Daly River Group. This group comprises three units: the Tindall Limestone, Jinduckin Formation, and Oolloo Dolostone. The Tindall Limestone, which lies at the base, consists of grey, mottled limestone with some maroon-green siltstone or dark grey mudstone. The transition from the Tindall Limestone to the overlying Jinduckin Formation is marked by a shift from limestone to more siliciclastic rocks, indicating a change from open-shelf marine to peri-tidal environments. The Jinduckin Formation, situated above the Tindall Limestone, is composed of maroon-green dolomitic-siliciclastic siltstone with interbeds of dolomitic sandstone-siltstone, as well as dolostone and dolomitic quartz sandstone lenses. It gradually transitions into the carbonate-rich Oolloo Dolostone, with the highest finely laminated dolomitic sandstone-siltstone interbeds at the top of the Jinduckin Formation. The Oolloo Dolostone, the uppermost unit of the Daly River Group, comprises two members: the well-bedded lower Briggs Member, consisting of fine- to medium-grained crystalline dolostone and dolomitic quartz sandstone, and the massive upper King Member. Overlying the Daly River Group is the Ordovician Florina Formation, consisting of three carbonate intervals separated by two fine-grained, glauconite-bearing quartz sandstone units. The Florina Formation and the Daly River Group are covered unconformably by Cretaceous claystone and sandstone of the Carpentaria Basin, which extends over a significant portion of the Daly Basin.

This Bowen Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Bowen Basin is part of the Sydney–Gunnedah–Bowen basin system and contains up to 10,000 m of continental and shallow marine sedimentary rocks, including substantial deposits of black coal. The basin's evolution has been influenced by tectonic processes initiated by the New England Orogen, commencing with a phase of mechanical extension, and later evolving to a back-arc setting associated with a convergent plate margin. Three main phases of basin development have been identified; 1) Early Permian: Characterized by mechanical extension, half-graben development, thick volcanic units and fluvio-lacustrine sediments and coal deposits. 2) Mid Permian: A thermal relaxation event led to the deposition of marine and fluvio-deltaic sediments, ending with a regional unconformity. 3) Late Permian and Triassic: Foreland loading created a foreland basin setting with various depositional environments and sediment types, including included fluvial, marginal marine, deltaic and marine sediments along with some coal deposits in the late Permian, and fluvial and lacustrine sediments in the Triassic. Late Permian peat swamps led to the formation of extensive coal seams dominating the Blackwater Group. In the Triassic, fluvial and lacustrine deposition associated with foreland loading formed the Rewan Formation, Clematis Sandstone Group, and Moolayember Formation. The basin is a significant coal-bearing region with over 100 hydrocarbon accumulations, of which about one third are producing fields. The Surat Basin overlies the southern Bowen Basin and contains varied sedimentary assemblages hosting regional-scale aquifer systems. Cenozoic cover to the Bowen Basin includes a variety of sedimentary and volcanic rock units. Palaeogene and Neogene sediments mainly form discontinuous units across the basin. Three of these units are associated with small eponymous Cenozoic basins (the Duaringa, Emerald and Biloela basins). Unnamed sedimentary cover includes Quaternary alluvium, colluvium, lacustrine and estuarine deposits; Palaeogene-Neogene alluvium, sand plains, and duricrusts. There are also various Cenozoic intraplate volcanics across the Bowen Basin, including central volcanic- and lava-field provinces.

This Bonaparte Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Bonaparte Basin is a large sedimentary basin off the north-west coast of Australia, encompassing both offshore and onshore areas. It has undergone multiple phases of extension, deposition, and tectonic inversion from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic periods. The Petrel Sub-basin, situated on the eastern margin, exhibits a north-west trending graben/syncline and exposes lower Paleozoic rocks onshore while transitioning to upper Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sediments offshore. Onshore, the basin's geological structures reflect two dominant regimes: north to north-north-east trending Proterozoic basement structures associated with the Halls Creek Mobile Zone, and north-north-west trending basin structures linked to the rifting and later compressional reactivation of the Petrel Sub-basin. The Petrel Sub-basin has experienced growth and tectonic inversion since the Paleozoic, marked by volcanic activity, deposition of clastics and carbonates, and extension events. During the Devonian, extension occurred along faults in the Ningbing Range, leading to the deposition of clastics and carbonates. The Carboniferous to Permian period witnessed offshore extension associated with the Westralian Superbasin initiation, while onshore deposition continued in shallow marine and transitional environments. Thermal subsidence diminished in the Early Permian, and subsequent compression in the mid-Triassic to Early Jurassic reactivated faults, resulting in inversion anticlines and monoclines. After the Early Jurassic, the sub-basin experienced slow sag with predominantly offshore deposition. Post-Cretaceous deformation caused subsidence, and an Early Cretaceous transgression led to shallow marine conditions and the deposition of chert, claystone, and mudstones. Mid-Miocene to Recent compression, related to continental collision, reactivated faults and caused localized flexure. The stratigraphy of the onshore Bonaparte Basin is divided into Cambro-Ordovician and Middle Devonian to Early Permian sections. Studies have provided insights into the basin's stratigraphy, with an update to the Permo-Carboniferous succession based on seismic interpretation, borehole data integration, field validation, and paleontological information. However, biostratigraphic subdivision of the Carboniferous section remains challenging due to poorly constrained species definitions, leading to discrepancies in the application of biozonations.

A compilation of thematic summaries of 42 Australian Groundwater Provinces. These consistently compiled 42 summaries comprise the National Hydrogeological Inventory. The layer provides the polygons for each groundwater province in the inventory and thematic information for each province, including location and administration information, demographics, physical geography, surface water, geology, hydrogeology, groundwater, groundwater management and use, environment, land use and industry types and scientific stimulus.

This Gunnedah Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Gunnedah Basin is an intracratonic, sedimentary basin in northern NSW. It forms the middle section of the greater Sydney-Gunnedah-Bowen Basin system and mainly consists of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks resting on Late Carboniferous to Early Permian volcanics. The Gunnedah Basin is overlain by the Surat Basin and the younger alluvial sediments associated with modern and ancient river systems. The Gunnedah Basin is not considered a single well-connected aquifer, rather a series of porous rock aquifers separated by several non-porous or poorly conductive layers. The Lachlan Fold Belt forms what is thought to be an effective basement although little information is known of its hydrogeological properties. All units of the Gunnedah Basin are of low permeability and significantly lower hydraulic conductivity than the overlying alluvial aquifers. Most of the groundwater resources in the area are extracted from either the overlying Surat Basin or younger alluvial aquifers. There is relatively little groundwater sourced from the aquifers of the Gunnedah Basin, except in areas where the overlying aquifers do not occur. The most viable groundwater source in the Gunnedah Basin are the more porous aquifers of the Triassic sequence.

This Wiso Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Wiso Basin, a large intra-cratonic basin in the central Northern Territory, covers about 140,000 square kilometres and is part of the Centralian Superbasin. It is bounded by the Tennant and Tanami regions to the east and west, while a thrust fault separates it from the Arunta Region to the south. The basin adjoins the Georgina Basin in the southeast and joins the Daly and Georgina basins beneath the Cretaceous strata of the Carpentaria Basin in the north. The basin contains a relatively flat, undeformed succession of strata that gently dip towards the main depo-centre, the Lander Trough. About 80% of the basin consists of shallow middle Cambrian strata, while the remaining portion is within the Lander Trough, containing a diverse succession of Cambrian, Ordovician, and Devonian units. The depositional history and stratigraphy reveal that early Cambrian saw widespread basaltic volcanism, with the Antrim Plateau Volcanics forming the base layer and aquitard of the Wiso Basin. The middle Cambrian deposits include the Montejinni Limestone, the oldest sedimentary unit, followed by the Hooker Creek Formation and the Lothari Hills Sandstone. The uppermost Cambrian unit is the Point Wakefield beds. The Ordovician deposits consist of the Hansen River beds, primarily composed of fossiliferous sandstone and siltstone deposited in shallow marine environments. The Devonian unit capping the basin is the Lake Surprise Sandstone, found in the Lander Trough area, formed in shallow marine, shoreline, and fluvial environments during the Alice Springs Orogeny. Three main hypotheses have been proposed for the formation of the Lander Trough: a large crustal downwarp before thrusting of Paleoproterozoic rocks, the formation of a half-graben by faulting along the southern boundary, or the formation of two en-echelon synclines by vertical block movement. While the majority of the Wiso Basin consists of shallow middle Cambrian rocks, the Lander Trough presents a more varied stratigraphic sequence, holding potential for Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian rocks. However, further drilling is needed to verify this. The presence of similar units in neighbouring basins provides valuable insight into the basin's geological history and development.

This Perth Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Perth Basin is a complex geological region extending along Australia's southwest margin for about 1,300 km. It comprises sub-basins, troughs, terraces, and shelves, hosting sedimentary rocks with coal, oil, gas, and significant groundwater resources. Off the coast of Western Australia, it reaches depths of up to 4,500 m, while its onshore part extends up to 90 km inland. The basin is bounded by the Yilgarn Craton to the east, and the Carnarvon and Bremer basins to the north and south. The basin's history involves two main rifting phases in the Permian and Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, creating 15 sub-basins with varying sedimentary thickness due to compartmentalization and fault reactivation. The sedimentary succession mainly comprises fluviatile Permian to Early Cretaceous rocks over Archean and Proterozoic basement blocks. Differences exist between northern and southern sequences, with the south being continental and the north featuring marine deposits. During the Permian, faulting and clastic sedimentation dominated, with marine transgressions in the north and continental rocks in the south. The Triassic saw a similar pattern, with the southern succession being continental and the northern succession showing marine deposits. The Kockatea Shale became a primary hydrocarbon source. The Jurassic period witnessed marine incursions in the central basin, while the Late Jurassic experienced sea level regression and deposition of the Yarragadee Formation. The Cretaceous saw the formation of the Early Cretaceous Parmelia Group due to heavy tectonic activity. The southern basin had a marine transgression leading to the Warnbro Group's deposition with valuable groundwater resources. Post-Cretaceous, Cenozoic deposits covered the basin with varying thicknesses. Overall, the Perth Basin's geological history reveals a diverse sedimentary record with economic and resource significance.

This Carnarvon Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Carnarvon Basin is a large sedimentary basin covering the western and north-western coast of Western Australia, stretching over 1,000 km from Geraldton to Karratha. It is predominantly offshore, with over 80% of the basin located in water depths of up to 4,500 m. The basin is elongated north to south and connects to the Perth Basin in the south and the offshore Canning Basin in the north-east. It is underlain by Precambrian crystalline basement rocks. The Carnarvon Basin consists of two distinct parts. The southern portion comprises onshore sub-basins with mainly Paleozoic sedimentary rocks extending up to 300 km inland, while the northern section consists of offshore sub-basins containing Mesozoic, Cenozoic, and Paleozoic sequences. The geological evolution of the Southern Carnarvon Basin was shaped by multiple extensional episodes related to the breakup of Gondwana and reactivation of Archean and Proterozoic structures. The collision between Australia and Eurasia in the Mid-Miocene caused significant fault reactivation and inversion. The onshore region experienced arid conditions, leading to the formation of calcrete, followed by alluvial and eolian deposition and continued calcareous deposition offshore. The Northern Carnarvon Basin contains up to 15,000 m of sedimentary infill, primarily composed of siliciclastic deltaic to marine sediments from the Triassic to Early Cretaceous and shelf carbonates from the Mid-Cretaceous to Cenozoic. The basin is a significant hydrocarbon province, with most of the resources found within Upper Triassic, Jurassic, and Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The basin's development occurred during four successive periods of extension and thermal subsidence, resulting in the formation of various sub-basins and structural highs. Overall, the Carnarvon Basin is a geologically complex region with a rich sedimentary history and significant hydrocarbon resources. Exploration drilling has been ongoing since 1953, with numerous wells drilled to unlock its hydrocarbon potential.

This Maryborough-Nambour Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Maryborough Basin is a half-graben intracratonic sag basin mainly filled with Early Cretaceous rocks, overlain by up to 100 m of Cenozoic sediments. It adjoins the older Nambour Basin to the south, comprising Triassic to Jurassic rocks. The boundary between the basins has shifted due to changes in sedimentary unit classifications, with the Cretaceous units now restricted to the Maryborough Basin and Jurassic and older units assigned to the Nambour Basin. Both basins are bounded to the west and unconformably overlies older Permian and Triassic rocks in the Gympie Province and Wandilla Province of the New England Orogen. In the south of the Nambour Basin, it partly overlaps with the Triassic Ipswich Basin. The Nambour Basin in the south is primarily composed of the Nambour Formation, with interbedded conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale, and minor coal. Overlying this is the Landsborough Sandstone, a unit with continental, fluviatile sediments and a thickness of up to 450 m. In the north, the Duckinwilla Group contains the Myrtle Creek Sandstone and the Tiaro Coal Measures, which were formerly considered part of the Maryborough Basin but are now associated with the northern Nambour Basin. In contrast, the Maryborough Basin consists of three main Cretaceous units and an upper Cenozoic unit. The Grahams Creek Formation is the deepest, featuring terrestrial volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, and minor pyroclastic rocks. The overlying Maryborough Formation was deposited in a continental environment with subsequent marine incursion and includes mudstone, siltstone, minor sandstone, limestone, conglomerate, and tuff. The upper Cretaceous unit is the Burrum Coal Measures, comprising interbedded sedimentary rocks deposited in fluvial to deltaic environments. The uppermost unit, the Eocene to Miocene Elliott Formation, includes sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate, and shale deposited in fluvial to deltaic environments. Cenozoic sediments overlying the Elliott Formation consist of Quaternary alluvium, coastal deposits, and sand islands like Fraser Island, influenced by eustatic sea level variations. Volcanic deposits and freshwater sediments also occur in some areas. Adjacent basins, such as the Clarence-Moreton Basin and Capricorn Basin, have stratigraphic correlations with the Maryborough Basin. The Oxley Basin lies to the south, overlying the Ipswich Basin. In summary, the Maryborough Basin and the older Nambour Basin exhibit distinct geological characteristics, with varying rock formations, ages, and sedimentary features, contributing to the diverse landscape of the region.