Australian continental crust has accreted and consolidated by thirds: 1/3 during Archean time, 1/3 during Early to mid- Proterozoic time, and 1/3 during latest Precambrian to mostly Paleozoic time. The progression of orogenic systems and the
crustal consolidations they represent seem not fundamentally different in basic orogenic processes from better known
Mesozoic-Cenozoic examples in that accretionary, continental margin, collisional, and intraplate intracratonic inverted
and/or reactivated systems are all recognizable in the tectonic evolution of Australia.