Interpretation of available isotopic ages and of published geologic maps of igneous rocks in eastern Australia indicates a north-south time transgressive pattern of cessation of igneous activity along a curvilinear trace, beginning about 35 Ma at 20 ¿S and extending to the present, near 37 ¿S. However, volcanic activity began 70--60 Ma over the length of the Highlands and persisted through the early Cenozoic until progressive cessation began. The latitudinal rate of termination is compatible with that predicted by plate reconstructions relative to the Hawaiian 'hotspot', but the trend of the trace is incompatible with that predicted unless the Hawaiian-Emperor bend is somewhat greater than 50 m.y. in age relative to the LaBrecque et al. <1977> time scale. The volcanic pattern appears to be incompatible with a hotspot or plume hypothesis. Paleostress and contemporary stress indicators as well as the volcanic pattern support a model in which the trace forms due to intraplate extension normal to the trend of the trace, resulting in pressure release and melting at the base of the lithosphere, beginning in the late Cretaceous. This stress field persisted until 35 Ma when progressive reorientation of the stress field occurred. Cessation of igneous activity reflected onset of compression normal to the trend of the trace. As a consequence, a migrating stress node is recorded in the progressive pattern of extinction of volcanic activity along the trace. Evidence from other 'hotspot' traces, suggests that they too represent intraplate stress controls. It is not necessary to postulate deep sources (mantle plumes) for the origin of hotspot traces; intraplate stress due to drag, plate margin forces, thermal contraction, and nonsphericity of the earth can also reflect 'absolute' motion.