Two sets of beach ridges are known from the western side of Cape York Peninsula. The older set are thought to be late Pleistocene. They rest on a basement of older fan deposits and are regarded as a regressive sequence of barrier islands. The younger ridges represent a progradational sequence post-dating the Holocene transgression. The earliest formed ridge, which is poorly developed, formed as a chenier. It was followed by a barrier island complex whose development lasted until about 3000 years B.P. Subsequently, there was rapid progradation and the development of two sets of chenier-type beach ridges, the younger of which is locally discordant to the ridges of the barrier island complex. These ridges rest on a marine sand and mud unit which appears continuous with a similar unit mapped offshore. The Pleistocene ridges consist of quartzose sand, with negligible carbonate, while the Holocene ridges consist of quartzose sand, shell sand and shells. They show a progressive leaching with age.