The presence of Beacon Group rocks in the tills of southern Victoria Land precludes an accurate identification of the parent material of soils developed on these tills. Simple statistical analysis of soil properties are interrelated and suggests a number of processes which have affected the soils. These include preferential weathering of mafic minerals and lithologies over felsic components; preferential weathering of plagioclase over potassium feldspar; release of iron, magnesium and potassium by chemical weathering; formation of illite and montmorillonite; control of soil moisture by clay-size particles and hygroscopic salts; changing soluble salt composition with time; and the production of soil profiles by differential weathering with depth.