Boodjamulla National Park
Encyclopedia
Boodjamulla National Park, formerly known as Lawn Hill National Park, is a national park
in the Gulf Country
region of northwestern Queensland
, Australia
. The park is 340 km (211.3 mi) northwest of Mount Isa or 1837 km (1,141.5 mi) northwest of Brisbane
.
The main attractions in the park are the sandstone ranges with deep gorges and a limestone plateau with significant fossil fields. Other attractions include crystal-clear green waters, lush vegetation and canoeing
. Surrounding the park are numerous resources reserves, set aside for future mineral exploration
and mining if deposits are found.
The park contains several permanent creeks, waterholes, gorges, and sandstone ranges. Boodjamulla's ancient sandstone
s and limestone
s have been gradually stripped away over millions of years leaving behind rugged escarpment
s, gorges, and rock outcrops. There are four main habitat
s contained with the park: riverine, alluvial flats
, rocky hills, and clay
plains.
Lawn Hill Gorge, the primary attraction in the park, cuts through the sandstone plateau of the Constance Range, on the eastern extremity of the Barkly Tableland. The gorge has been carved out by Lawn Hill Creek, which flows all year and is fed by numerous freshwater springs from the limestone plateau to the west. The gorge is a rich oasis with cabbage palms and other tropical vegetation.
Also located in the park are the Gregory River and O'Shanassy Rivers which flow all year round. The park contains 20 km of walking tracks.
, acacia
s, eucalypt
s and grevillea
s. Growing on the river plains are western bloodwood
s and mitchell grass
. Paperbarks, river red gums, figs, ferns, pandanus and cabbage palm
s are found along the creek and river banks. A diverse range of aquatic plants such as waterlilies, fern
s, moss
es, sedge
s and bulrush
es grow in the creeks.
s can be found in the gorge; however, they pose little threat because they prefer to stay away from humans. They may become aggressive if disturbed when mating or protecting their young.
The park is home to the most easterly distribution of the nocturnal Rock Ringtail Possum. Other animal species found in the park include the Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum
, Agile Wallaby
, Olive python, Catfish
, Wallaroo
, Dingo
, and Echidna
. In the creeks are Archerfish
, the endangered Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle
s, Northern Snapping Turtle
s as well as numerous fish species.
Fishing in the national park is not permitted with the exception of Gregory River in the Riversleigh section. Lawn Hill and the surrounding regions are also inhabited by feral pigs which cause extensive damage to the land close by the creek systems.
as an Important Bird Area
. It is home to more than 140 bird species, including the Great Bowerbird
, Red-collared Lorikeet
, Crimson Finch
, Zebra Finch
, Kestrel
, Spinifex Pigeon
, Barking Owl
, Brolga
, Budgerigar
s, and the Wedge-tailed Eagle
. It supports a large population of the Carpentarian Grasswren
and small numbers of the Painted Honeyeater
. The rare Purple-crowned Fairy-wren
is the park emblem.
Waanyi people have lived in the gorge area for at least 17,000 years and know this place as Boodjamulla, or Rainbow Serpent
country. Lawn Hill Gorge is sacred to the Waanyi people. Midden heaps, camp sites, grinding stones, and rock art
evidence the importance of this place. Today, the Waanyi people help manage the park.
The park has a rich pastoral history and until December 1984 was part of Lawn Hill Station, which was once one of Queensland's largest cattle properties. The cattle station was formed from several leases originally granted in the 1870s. Sebastiana Maia, who owned that station from 1976, returned 122 km² on the lease to the state in 1984, on the condition it be managed for the public's benefit. In 1992, another 1,350 km² was given to the crown to extend the park's boundaries.
The Riversleigh
and Musselbrook sections were amalgamated into the park in 1992. The Riversleigh Fossil Fields Section of the park is a World Heritage Site
and contains many fossil
remains. Animal bones dating back 25 million years are preserved in the lime-rich sediments.
. From Mount Isa visitors travel along the Barkly Highway
north. The easiest way to get to the park is via the Burke & Wills Roadhouse. The road is unsealed and may be impassable after rain. The wet season is from October to March. Because the park is so remote it is advised that visitors bring excess fuel, food and water.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Gulf Country
Gulf Country
The Gulf Country is the name given to the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia...
region of northwestern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The park is 340 km (211.3 mi) northwest of Mount Isa or 1837 km (1,141.5 mi) northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
The main attractions in the park are the sandstone ranges with deep gorges and a limestone plateau with significant fossil fields. Other attractions include crystal-clear green waters, lush vegetation and canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
. Surrounding the park are numerous resources reserves, set aside for future mineral exploration
Mineral exploration
Mineral exploration is the process of finding ore to mine. Mineral exploration is a much more intensive, organized and professional form of mineral prospecting and, though it frequently uses the services of prospecting, the process of mineral exploration on the whole is much more involved.-Stages...
and mining if deposits are found.
Features
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s have been gradually stripped away over millions of years leaving behind rugged escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s, gorges, and rock outcrops. There are four main habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s contained with the park: riverine, alluvial flats
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
, rocky hills, and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
plains.
Lawn Hill Gorge, the primary attraction in the park, cuts through the sandstone plateau of the Constance Range, on the eastern extremity of the Barkly Tableland. The gorge has been carved out by Lawn Hill Creek, which flows all year and is fed by numerous freshwater springs from the limestone plateau to the west. The gorge is a rich oasis with cabbage palms and other tropical vegetation.
Also located in the park are the Gregory River and O'Shanassy Rivers which flow all year round. The park contains 20 km of walking tracks.
Flora
On the sandstone hills are spinifexSpinifex (genus)
Spinifex is a genus of perennial coastal grasses. They are one of the most common plants that grow in sand dunes along the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.. As they help stabilise the sand, these grasses are an important part of the entire sand dune ecosystem. Of the four species...
, acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
s, eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
s and grevillea
Grevillea
Grevillea is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees...
s. Growing on the river plains are western bloodwood
Bloodwood
Bloodwood has several meanings. It is the name of a dark red wood, from South America. It is also a common name for several unrelated groups of trees, for instance:* Brosimum paraense, a tree found in Central and South America...
s and mitchell grass
Astrebla
Astrebla is a small genus of xerophytic grasses endemic to Australia. They are commonly known as Mitchell Grass.Species in this genera are:*Astrebla elymoides; Hoop Mitchell Grass*Astrebla lappacea; Curly Mitchell Grass...
. Paperbarks, river red gums, figs, ferns, pandanus and cabbage palm
Livistona australis
The Cabbage-tree Palm is in the Arecaceae family. It is a tall, slender palm growing up to about 25 m in height and 0.35 m diameter. It is crowned with dark, glossy green leaves on petioles 2 m long. It has leaves plaited like a fan; the cabbage of these is small but sweet...
s are found along the creek and river banks. A diverse range of aquatic plants such as waterlilies, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es, sedge
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
s and bulrush
Typha
Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
es grow in the creeks.
Fauna
Freshwater crocodileCrocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s can be found in the gorge; however, they pose little threat because they prefer to stay away from humans. They may become aggressive if disturbed when mating or protecting their young.
The park is home to the most easterly distribution of the nocturnal Rock Ringtail Possum. Other animal species found in the park include the Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum
Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum
The Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum , also known as the Rock Ringtail Possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Australia and Northern Territory and just passing the Queensland border. It is also...
, Agile Wallaby
Agile Wallaby
The Agile Wallaby , also known as the Sandy Wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in Australia's north....
, Olive python, Catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, Wallaroo
Wallaroo
A Wallaroo is any of three closely related species of moderately large macropod, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies. The name "wallaroo" is a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo. The term is not generally used by Australians...
, Dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
, and Echidna
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
. In the creeks are Archerfish
Archerfish
The archerfish are a family of fish known for their habit of preying on land based insects and other small animals by literally shooting them down with water droplets from their specialized mouths...
, the endangered Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle
Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle
The Red-bellied short-necked turtle or Jardine River turtle is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family....
s, Northern Snapping Turtle
Elseya dentata
The Northern Snapping Turtle is a large aquatic species found throughout many rivers in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory....
s as well as numerous fish species.
Fishing in the national park is not permitted with the exception of Gregory River in the Riversleigh section. Lawn Hill and the surrounding regions are also inhabited by feral pigs which cause extensive damage to the land close by the creek systems.
Birds
The park is classiified by BirdLife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
. It is home to more than 140 bird species, including the Great Bowerbird
Great Bowerbird
The Great Bowerbird, Chlamydera nuchalis is a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa...
, Red-collared Lorikeet
Red-collared Lorikeet
The Red-collared Lorikeet is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia . It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Rainbow Lorikeet, but today most major authorities consider them as separate species...
, Crimson Finch
Crimson Finch
The Crimson Finch, Neochmia phaeton, is a common species of estrildid finch found in Australia, West Papua, Indonesia & Papua New Guinea. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000- 1,000,000 km²....
, Zebra Finch
Zebra Finch
The Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata, is the most common and familiar estrildid finch of Central Australia and ranges over most of the continent, avoiding only the cool moist south and the tropical far north. It also can be found natively in Indonesia and East Timor...
, Kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
, Spinifex Pigeon
Spinifex Pigeon
The Spinifex Pigeon, Geophaps plumifera, is a bird found in Australia.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest: the Spinifex Pigeon and the Crested Pigeon. The Spinifex Pigeon is the smaller of the two, measuring from 20 to 24 centimetres...
, Barking Owl
Barking Owl
The Barking Owl , also known as the Barking Boobook or Winking Owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea. They are a medium-sized brown owl and have an extremely characteristic voice that can range from a barking dog noise to a shrill woman-like...
, Brolga
Brolga
The Brolga , formerly known as the "Native Companion", is a bird in the crane family. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.The Brolga is a common gregarious wetland bird species in...
, Budgerigar
Budgerigar
The Budgerigar , also known as Common Pet Parakeet or Shell Parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus...
s, and the Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
. It supports a large population of the Carpentarian Grasswren
Carpentarian Grasswren
The Carpentarian Grasswren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
and small numbers of the Painted Honeyeater
Painted Honeyeater
The Painted Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Grantiella.It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests...
. The rare Purple-crowned Fairy-wren
Purple-crowned Fairy-wren
The Purple-crowned Fairywren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to northern Australia; two subspecies are recognized....
is the park emblem.
History
The AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
Waanyi people have lived in the gorge area for at least 17,000 years and know this place as Boodjamulla, or Rainbow Serpent
Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is a common motif in the art and mythology of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the snake-like meandering of water across a landscape and the colour spectrum caused when sunlight strikes water at an appropriate angle relative to the observer.The Rainbow Serpent is seen as...
country. Lawn Hill Gorge is sacred to the Waanyi people. Midden heaps, camp sites, grinding stones, and rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
evidence the importance of this place. Today, the Waanyi people help manage the park.
The park has a rich pastoral history and until December 1984 was part of Lawn Hill Station, which was once one of Queensland's largest cattle properties. The cattle station was formed from several leases originally granted in the 1870s. Sebastiana Maia, who owned that station from 1976, returned 122 km² on the lease to the state in 1984, on the condition it be managed for the public's benefit. In 1992, another 1,350 km² was given to the crown to extend the park's boundaries.
The Riversleigh
Riversleigh
Riversleigh, in North West Queensland, is Australia's most famous fossil site. The 100 km² area has fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of Oligocene and Miocene age...
and Musselbrook sections were amalgamated into the park in 1992. The Riversleigh Fossil Fields Section of the park is a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and contains many fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
remains. Animal bones dating back 25 million years are preserved in the lime-rich sediments.
Access
The park is 100 km west of Gregory DownsGregory Downs, Queensland
Gregory Downs is a small town located near the Gregory River in the Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia. The town had a population of 40 people in 2008. and is situated on the banks of the perennial Gregory River....
. From Mount Isa visitors travel along the Barkly Highway
Barkly Highway
The Barkly Highway is a national highway of both Queensland and the Northern Territory.-Description:It runs westward from Cloncurry and the junctions of the Flinders and Landsborough highways to the junction with the Stuart Highway north of Tennant Creek...
north. The easiest way to get to the park is via the Burke & Wills Roadhouse. The road is unsealed and may be impassable after rain. The wet season is from October to March. Because the park is so remote it is advised that visitors bring excess fuel, food and water.