The significance of the area as a geological study site dates back to the 1870s. The Hume Limestone, which caps the scarp above the river at Hattons Corner, is particularly rich in fossils, including tabulate and rugose corals. The site is the type section for Late Silurian sedimentary sequences.
The site also protects a remnant of Yass Plains grassland, a vegetation type that has been largely removed elsewhere by modern agricultural practices.
