Valley of Lagoons

The Valley of Lagoons is a locality in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia.[1] The northeastern slopes of Boulder Mountain are the origin of the Burdekin River. Downstream the river forms part of the eastern and southern boundary in four separate sections. Douglas Creek, a tributary of the Burdekin, also rises in the area.

Valley Of Lagoons
Queensland
Valley Of Lagoons
Coordinates18.7588°S 145.4130°E / -18.7588; 145.4130
Postcode(s)4850
Area4,778.6 km2 (1,845.0 sq mi)
LGA(s)Charters Towers Region
State electorate(s)Traeger
Federal Division(s)Kennedy
Suburbs around Valley Of Lagoons:
Minnamoolka Wairuna Garrawalt
Greenvale Valley Of Lagoons Wallaman
Mount Fox
Greenvale Basalt Paluma

History

Gugu Badhun (also known as Koko-Badun and Kokopatun) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Charters Towers Region, particularly the localities of Greenvale and the Valley of Lagoons, and in the Upper Burdekin River area and in Abergowrie.[2]

Ludwig Leichhardt and his team were the first Europeans to explore the area on 4 May 1845 on his expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington (now Darwin). Leichhardt was very impressed with the area saying:[3]

"About five miles north-west by west from our camp, we discovered an en extensive valley with large lagoons and lakes, and a most luxuriant vegetation, bounded by blue distant ranges, and forming the most picturesque landscape we had yet met with. A chain of lagoons connected by a reedy brook followed the outlines of the table land, along the foot of its steep slopes. ... Water, grass, hills, mountains, plains, forest land; all the elements of a fine pasturing country, were here united."

Leichhardt uses the term "valley of lagoons" several times in his book, presumably the origin of the name.

Based on Leichhardt's favourable reports, George Elphinstone Dalrymple explored the area in 1859.[4] Dalrymple was part of the company that established the Valley of Lagoons Station in 1862 after the area was opened up by the government. A partnership formed between Walter Jervoise Scott, his brother Arthur, Dalrymple and Robert Herbert (then Premier of Queensland) financed the acquisition of the leasehold. The partnership became Scott Bros, Dalrymple & Company with Dalrymple acting as manager.[5]

Wetlands

The 36.4 square kilometres (14 sq mi) area of wetlands[6] is on a basaltic plateau covered by an inland flood plain that hosts several large off-channel lakes that provide a permanent aquatic habitat. The area is DIWA listed and is a valuable habitat for fish and waterbirds.[7] The area contains a major basalt feature - the 7000 year old Kinrara lava flow[8] - with many springs emanating from a number of locations which in turn drives permanent water flow through the area, the condition of the wetland is good.[7]

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References
  1. "Valley of Lagoons (entry 44560)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  2. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Gugu Badhun". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  3. Leichhardt, Ludwig (1847), Journal of an overland expedition in Australia, from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845, T. & W. Boone, archived from the original on 24 March 2014, retrieved 24 March 2014
  4. "Cardwell". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  5. "Archives - Valley of Lagoons Station". Australian National University. 29 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  6. "Valley of Lagoons DIWA nationally important wetland". Queensland Government. 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  7. "Upper Burdekin River". NQ Dry Tropics. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  8. Cohen, Benjamin E.; Mark, Darren F.; Fallon, Stewart J.; Stephenson, P. Jon (April 2017). "Holocene-Neogene volcanism in northeastern Australia: Chronology and eruption history" (PDF). Quaternary Geochronology. 39: 79–91. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2017.01.003.
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