35-749: The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in Central West Queensland , that also flows through a portion of the Northern Territory , in central Australia . Part of the Lake Eyre basin , the Georgina flows in extremely wet years into Lake Eyre . The river is named in honour of Georgina Mildred Kennedy, the daughter of Queensland governor Arthur Kennedy . The river
70-707: A confluence with Eyre Creek that, in times of peak flow, empties into the Warburton River and ultimately into Lake Eyre. The basin of the Georgina totals around 232,000 square kilometres (90,000 sq mi), or about the same size as the Australian state of Victoria . Because it is so arid, however, its mean annual flow is only about 0.7 km (570,000 acre⋅ft). There is such extreme variation that — although streamgauging records are too poor to prove it conclusively — meteorological records leave no doubt that there have been many years of zero runoff in
105-468: A mass of 38.5 kilograms (85 lb), has an irregular sub-triangular shape with convex and concave surfaces. The area was struck by drought in 1952. In 1955 the property was completely cut off by floodwaters. A Trans Australia Airlines aeroplane was chartered to do an airdrop of food to the property which had been without fresh food for a week. The North Australian Pastoral Company acquired Glenormiston in 1968. The adjoining property, Marion Downs,
140-494: A monsoonal low from ex- Cyclone Olga created a period of exceptional rainfall. The primary land use is cattle grazing which has replaced sheep grazing. It is estimated that in the Queensland section alone there are between half to one million head of cattle. The area's towns and cattle stations are serviced by a mail run that is operated by West Wing Aviation which delivers goods and passengers as well as mail. In 2013,
175-489: A series of ancient flood plains from rivers which only flow intermittently. The principal rivers are Georgina River , Cooper Creek and the Diamantina River . When there is sufficient rainfall in their catchment area these rivers flow into Lake Eyre , South Australia. In most years the flood waters are absorbed into the earth or evaporate, however. One of the most significant rainfall events occurred in 2010 when
210-577: A terrible drought and the station would be thought to be lucky to be able to muster 10,000 cattle, with carcasses laying all over the property. Drought struck again in 1897 but to a lesser extent. Tyson died in 1898, Glenormiston was stocked with about 10,048 cattle and 220 horses at this time. When the station was advertised for sale in 1899 it had an area of 2,600 square miles (6,734 km ) and as adjoining Herbert Downs and Roxborough Downs stations. The station sold later that year to Collins, White and Co. along with Carnarvon and Babiloora Stations in
245-581: Is 417 metres (1,368 ft) long and is accompanied by a 5.6-kilometre (3.5 mi) highway deviation west from Camooweal. The bridge uses an unusual arch design to avoid placing pylons into the river bed which is culturally significant to the local Dugalunji people, who call the new bridge Ilaga Thuwani meaning The Camping Ground of the Rainbow Serpent . 23°30′S 139°47′E / 23.500°S 139.783°E / -23.500; 139.783 Channel Country The Channel Country
280-518: Is a region of outback Australia mostly in the state of Queensland but also in parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales . The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, which cover 150,000 km². The Channel Country is over the Cooper and Eromanga geological basins and the Lake Eyre Basin drainage basin . Further to the east
315-605: Is an important breeding site for waterbirds. Climatically, the Georgina catchment tends to be somewhat drier than the Diamantina or Cooper, with average annual rainfall ranging from around 400 millimetres (16 in) north of Camooweal to around 225 millimetres (8.9 in) at Bedourie . Extremely dry years can give the entire basin less than 100 millimetres (3.9 in) whilst in 1974, 1977 and 2000 many areas had over 800 millimetres (31 in) and some as much as 1,000 millimetres (39 in). Almost all of this rain falls in
350-639: Is the less arid Maranoa district. Birdsville and Windorah are the most prominent towns in the area. Other settlements include Betoota and Bedourie . Haddon Corner is also located in the Channel Country. The Channel Country is the location for a majority of Min Min light sightings. It is also home to at least two important bird areas, Lake Yamma Yamma and the Lake Machattie Area . The Channel Country features an arid landscape with
385-540: The Georgina River into Wangka-yutyurru country and south along the Mulligan River to the Lake Eyre system. The creek near the homestead is named Pituri Creek and it flows into Lake Idamea. J.A. Coglan lived in the homestead in the 1890s. The station was established in 1877 along with several other well known properties in the Channel Country as pastoralists expanded westward from the grasslands at
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#1732771775867420-457: The Georgina is formed from several smaller streams over a wide area of north-western Queensland and the eastern Northern Territory. From source to mouth , the Georgina is joined by more than 35 tributaries including the Buckley, Templeton, Burke , Hamilton, Herbert, Ranken, and Sandover rivers; and flows through 26 billabongs . As the Georgina flows south into the Channel Country, it reaches
455-600: The Northern Territory), a longstanding problem was the flooding of the Georgina River immediately west of Camooweal in Queensland. As the water levels in the Georgina River vary enormously from being completely dry to flooding, the Barkly Highway bridge over the Georgina River was often unusable for many days due to flooding, with road trains and other heavy vehicles having to wait weeks before it
490-613: The Queensland Government placed caps on water extraction from the region's river to prevent the introduction of cotton growing . At the same time open-cut mining was banned but coal seam and underground mining have been permitted after changes were made to the Wild Rivers legislation. In 2021, 11 coal seam gas exploration licenses were granted to Origin Energy by the state government, covering 250,000 hectares of
525-464: The River rising over 23 feet (7 m), the highest level in over 36 years. The lower reaches flooded in 1950 and again in 1953 following heavy rain events further north. The 1953 flood was 6 inches (152 mm) higher at Glengyle Station compared to the 1950 event. The Diamantina River was also in flood and the waters were expected to make it to Lake Eyre . Moderate flooding was experienced along
560-612: The Warrego district. Rabbits were first seen at the station in the late 1890s with at least one permanent colony known to be located near Toco lake on the station which was the furthest north that the rabbit had ventured in 1899. A meteorite , known as the Glenormiston meteorite, was found on the station by the manager Mr F. H. Story, in 1925. Story sold the object to the University of Queensland in 1926. The meteorite had
595-414: The area for approximately 20,000 years, with over 25 tribal groups living in the Channel Country area. A vast trade network had been established running from north to south with goods such as ochre sent north with shells and pituri moved south. Birdsville was once a major meeting place for conducting ceremonies and trade. Originally known as Diamantina Crossing , it bore its current name by 1882, and
630-414: The basin has sandy soils that are too infertile to provide nutritious fodder for cattle or sheep and a large proportion is an Aboriginal reserve . The eastern part of the Georgina catchment near Boulia is very similar to the Diamantina and Cooper basins, being grassy plains with heavy cracking clay soils that are quite fertile and provide very good feed in wet years for livestock. The Lake Machattie Area
665-676: The basin – however even in June and July maxima are around 25 °C (77 °F). During severe floods the river can be as wide as 15 to 20 kilometres (9.3 to 12.4 mi) in the upper reaches and in the lower reaches from 25 to 30 kilometres (16 to 19 mi) wide. Inundation can last for months at a time, which can disrupt road and rail transport in the area. The highest recorded flood occurred in January 1974. Flooding occurred at Glenormiston Station in 1885 when somewhere between 12 inches (305 mm) and 17 inches (432 mm) of rain fell over
700-654: The course of a month. The Georgina River and the Diamatina Rivers both were flooded and the Sandringham station was submerged. The upper watershed in the Northern Territory were subjected to severe flooding in 1901 when Lake Nash Station experienced over 10 inches (254 mm) of rain in a single day, with the Georgina River running at almost record high levels. The surrounding areas received over 4 inches (102 mm) of rain in 1953 resulting in
735-453: The east. The land on the property is described as being composed of open and broken downs, with river and creek flats, low limestone ridges, inferior flats and rough hills. An assessing commissioner also noted that it is light carrying country, safe if not over-stocked and is excellent country for raising an fattening heavy cattle . The Wongkadjera were one of the tribes local to this area and aboriginals once traded Pituri north along
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#1732771775867770-552: The entire basin (1905, 1928 and 1961 would without doubt fit into this category), whilst in very wet years such as 1974, 1977 and 2000, runoff can be as high as 6.28 km (5,090,000 acre⋅ft) or more. Although a small part of the Macdonnell Ranges drains into the Georgina, most of the catchment is a flat as the Diamantina , though low ranges are very prominent in the north-west of the basin. This western part of
805-679: The headwaters of the Diamantina. Other properties established at the same time included Marion Downs Station , Headingly Station , Herbert Downs, Noranside and Roxburgh Downs. The station was put up for auction in 1881 by its owner, Walter Douglas. At this time the station was 1,100 square miles (2,849 km ) in area and was stocked with a herd of 3000 highly bred Durham cattle and Hereford cattle , some horses, all plant, stores and stock. The lands were described as "open rolling downs with saltbush and cotton bush , thickly grassed with Mitchell grass and other varieties. Interspersed with open patches of gidyah , mulga and other timbers." Later
840-601: The late 1960s in rainfall over the Northern Territory and pastoral areas of South and Western Australia that have not been duplicated over Queensland do suggest an enhanced greenhouse effect in the Medieval Warm Period may have caused the Georgina to regularly fill Lake Eyre. However, far too little evidence exists for any certainty of this. Given the economic importance of transport on the Barkly Highway (the only sealed road between Queensland and
875-551: The lease. 25°59′47.04″S 140°59′57.52″E / 25.9964000°S 140.9993111°E / -25.9964000; 140.9993111 Glenormiston Station Glenormiston Station , commonly known as Glenormiston , is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Queensland , Australia. Glenormiston is located about 113 kilometres (70 mi) west of Boulia and 335 kilometres (208 mi) north of Birdsville in Central West Queensland . Located at
910-612: The name was formalised at the proclamation of the town in 1887. Innamincka Station was established in 1872 by Robert Bostock and grew until it covered over 15,000 square kilometres (5,792 sq mi) and in 1881 it supported a herd of 8,000 cattle. The first station and permanent settlement set up along the Cooper Creek . The tender was accepted for the run named Caryapundy by J. C. Myers in 1872. Myers has also had his tenders accepted for other runs such as Bollwarry, Mount Wood, Teriwinda and Torrens Creek. Annandale Station
945-466: The nearby Sandringham station was submerged. At some point prior to 1890 the station changed hands and the new owner was James Tyson who owned several other stations including Tupra, Mooroonowa, Juanbung and Bangate in New South Wales and Meteor Downs, Albinia, Mount Russell and Tinnenburra in Queensland. The property was stocked with 25,000 cattle in 1890. In 1893 the region was struck by
980-436: The region. Origin subsequently announced it is withdrawing from the region with a view to sell its exploration permits to another energy company or forfeit the sites. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia Channel Country Bioregion covers a larger area, extending into South Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales and includes the town of Innamincka . Indigenous Australians have inhabited
1015-619: The river, including Glenormiston Station, in 2010 following heavy rains locally and further north in the Georgina catchment. Although it is the driest of the three main rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin, there is evidence that the Georgina has, in the past, actually reached the lake more frequently than either the Diamantina or Cooper. Some wave built shingle terraces suggest that during the Medieval Warm Period Lake Eyre held permanent water. Large increases since
1050-432: The same year an unfortunate cook, who had only taken up the position a couple of days earlier, was killed by Aboriginals in the area. The station was successfully sold at auction to Mr William Kelman. Flooding occurred at the station in 1885 when somewhere between 12 inches (305 mm) and 17 inches (432 mm) of rain fell over the course of a month. The Georgina River and the Diamatina Rivers both were flooded and
1085-507: The summer, and it is quite normal for the period from May to September to not record any measurable falls at all. In extremely wet summer months such as January 1974 or March 1950, most of the catchment can receive as much as 350 millimetres (14 in) in a month or 150 millimetres (5.9 in) in a day or two. Temperatures are generally hot, with most areas having maxima of over 30 °C (86 °F) on over 225 days per year. Frosts are rare but have been reported on occasions in all areas of
Georgina River - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-458: The top of the Channel Country the property shares a boundary with Marion Downs Station . The Georgina River flows through the north eastern part of the property as it journeys southward further into the channel country. The station occupies an area of 6,920 square kilometres (2,672 sq mi) and encompasses a variety of country from the Toko Range to the west to the floodplains to
1155-540: Was established when Patrick Drinan took up the run in July 1876. Other properties were settled soon afterward including Kaliduwarry and Glengyle Stations . Pandie Pandie Station was established in the same year by Robert Frew as was Alton Downs and Planet Downs. Nearby Haddon Downs station was also taken up by Frew in 1877. Diamantina Lakes Station was also established in 1876 with a partnership between John Arthur Macartney and Hugh Louis Heber-Percy who initially took up
1190-596: Was originally called the Herbert River before being given its current name in 1890 to avoid confusion with the other river in Queensland that bears that name. With its headwaters rising in the Barkly Tableland , north of Camooweal in Queensland, and in the extreme east of the Northern Territory beyond Tennant Creek and to the south draining the northern slopes of the Macdonnell Ranges ,
1225-555: Was safe to cross. To alleviate these problems, the Georgina River Bridge was officially opened on 20 December 2002 by Senator Ron Boswell and Steve Breadhauer , Minister for Transport in the Queensland Government . It replaced the previous bridge which was approximately 50 metres (160 ft) south, and is both higher and longer so traffic on the highway can continue to cross during floods. The bridge
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