Burpengary Creek
Encyclopedia
Burpengary Creek is located about 40 kilometres north of Brisbane
, in Queensland
, Australia
and has a total catchment
area of 7,960 hectares. Burpengary Creek is an area serviced by Moreton Bay Regional Council
.
The Burpengary Creek catchment forms part of the larger Deception Bay catchment and encompasses two distinctive creeks–Little Burpengary Creek (6,360ha) and Burpengary Creek (6, 360ha). These creeks flow into Deception Bay just south of the mouth of Caboolture River
, which is itself south of Bribie Island.
Burpengary Creek begins in the D’Aguilar Ranges
at a height of 340 metres above sea-level. The Creek continues to flow down the mountain slopes into Narangba
, through the pine forests adjoining Oakey Flat Road. It then flows into the residential areas of Morayfield
and Burpengary before spilling out into southern Deception Bay.
that lived along the creek area. They found it valuable for camping, fishing, making canoes from the trees and for access to the coastline. The last male of the local tribe, Menvil Wanmurarn, was buried alongside the Creek when he died in 1900.
In 1842 Robert Dixon
developed the first map of the area and marked Burpengary Creek on it as Cuthbertson Creek. By 1851 the area around Burpengary Creek was well settled and used for grazing cattle and growing sugar cane and bananas. The dairy industry had a quick demise and farmers were selling their land to Australian Paper Manufacturing (APM) Forests for the plantation of Pine Trees within the catchment. Within a short space of time, around 1958, APM eventually planted over 20,000 hectares of pine forests. Exotic conifers accounted for almost one-third of these forests. APM made a proposal to the Queensland State Government to build a large pulp mill nearby, but these were rejected and APM abandoned the land and sold it to a South Australian property developer. However, this land was marked by the former Caboolture Shire’s draft strategic plan to remain for basic rural activities and the development of urban and rural residential properties would not be permitted.
Childhood playground for Richard and Shane Holborn the creek was a source of both fun and potential danger.
This strategic plan did not withstand the widespread population growth within the Burpengary catchment area as it is now primarily used for suburban development. Continuously more bush land and plantations are being cleared for this progressive development. What this means for residential flora and fauna remains to be seen.
forests, with vine forests / shrubs and riverline forests running sparsely along the edge of the Creek. The largest undisturbed Tea Tree and Scribbly Gum
forest in south-east Queensland is located in Freshwater National Park, alongside Deception Bay Road. Other tree species found within this region are Smooth Barked Gums, Stringy Barks, Iron Barks, Brush Box, Hoop Pine, Cedar, Ash and Tulip Oak. Extreme care needs to be taken to preserve this vegetation to ensure that it is a safe haven for the numerous species of wildlife that lives within the Burpengary Creek catchment.
Burpengary Creek catchment is home to diverse range of native animals, despite the widespread clearing of native plants and trees to make way for suburban development. There are over 140 bird species, which have been observed along Burpengary Creek. Some of the more common birds that have been sighted include the Eastern Whipbird
, Noisy Friarbird
, Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
, Tawny Frogmouth
Laughing Kookaburra
, Kingfishers, Honeyeaters, Australian King Parrot
and Australian Magpie
.
Burpengary Creek catchment is also home to one of Australians endangered frog species the Giant Barred Frog
. This frog lives in the moist forests borrowing beneath fallen leaves and loose soil during the day and comes out at night to forage for food. Alongside this endangered Australian animal there are also other frog species, including the Ornate Burrowing Frog
, the Rocket frog
and the Whistling Tree Frog
.
The Brown Tree Snake
, Green Tree Snake, Carpet python
, Australian coral snake and rough-scaled snake also live within this catchment area and are generally seen between the months of October to January. Other reptiles that can be found within this region are Burton’s legless lizard, Eastern water dragon, Bearded Dragon and the Lace monitor
.
Native mammals within this area include: Northern Brown Bandicoot
, red-necked wallaby, platypus, Ringtail possums, brushtail possums and the grey-headed flying-fox. Furthermore, native bees can also be found within the Burpengary Creek catchment.
Grassy areas within the parks along the Creek line allow for family picnics, flying kites, and general outdoor activities such as Boules or a family game of cricket. Another option is bird-watching at the Caboolture Regional Environmental Education Centre (CREEC) on Rowley Road, Burpengary.
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...
, in 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...
and has a total catchment
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
area of 7,960 hectares. Burpengary Creek is an area serviced by Moreton Bay Regional Council
Moreton Bay Regional Council
The Moreton Bay Region is a Local Government Area located in South East Queensland, Australia, immediately to the north of Brisbane, the state capital...
.
The Burpengary Creek catchment forms part of the larger Deception Bay catchment and encompasses two distinctive creeks–Little Burpengary Creek (6,360ha) and Burpengary Creek (6, 360ha). These creeks flow into Deception Bay just south of the mouth of Caboolture River
Caboolture River
The Caboolture River is a small river in South East Queensland. It rises in the D'Aguilar Range near Ocean View and flows through Caboolture and Morayfield before entering Deception Bay at Beachmere....
, which is itself south of Bribie Island.
Burpengary Creek begins in the D’Aguilar Ranges
D'Aguilar Range
The D'Aguilar Range is a mountain range near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The town of Dayboro is situated on the lower foothills midway along the range and Woodford lies at the northern most point of the range. Many residential areas line its eastern slopes including the town of Samford and the...
at a height of 340 metres above sea-level. The Creek continues to flow down the mountain slopes into Narangba
Narangba, Queensland
Narangba is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the Moreton Bay Region.This suburb has rural origins, but is being redeveloped as a residential suburb on the outskirts of the greater Brisbane metropolitan area.-History:...
, through the pine forests adjoining Oakey Flat Road. It then flows into the residential areas of Morayfield
Morayfield
Morayfield is a suburb of Caboolture, 44 km north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region....
and Burpengary before spilling out into southern Deception Bay.
History
Burpengary known as the ‘place of the wattle trees’ holds deep significance for the Aboriginal communitiesAustralian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
that lived along the creek area. They found it valuable for camping, fishing, making canoes from the trees and for access to the coastline. The last male of the local tribe, Menvil Wanmurarn, was buried alongside the Creek when he died in 1900.
In 1842 Robert Dixon
Robert Dixon (explorer)
Robert Dixon was an Australian surveyor and explorer, born in Darlington, England.-Arrival in Tasmania:Dixon arrived in Tasmania in May 1821 with his brother George...
developed the first map of the area and marked Burpengary Creek on it as Cuthbertson Creek. By 1851 the area around Burpengary Creek was well settled and used for grazing cattle and growing sugar cane and bananas. The dairy industry had a quick demise and farmers were selling their land to Australian Paper Manufacturing (APM) Forests for the plantation of Pine Trees within the catchment. Within a short space of time, around 1958, APM eventually planted over 20,000 hectares of pine forests. Exotic conifers accounted for almost one-third of these forests. APM made a proposal to the Queensland State Government to build a large pulp mill nearby, but these were rejected and APM abandoned the land and sold it to a South Australian property developer. However, this land was marked by the former Caboolture Shire’s draft strategic plan to remain for basic rural activities and the development of urban and rural residential properties would not be permitted.
Childhood playground for Richard and Shane Holborn the creek was a source of both fun and potential danger.
This strategic plan did not withstand the widespread population growth within the Burpengary catchment area as it is now primarily used for suburban development. Continuously more bush land and plantations are being cleared for this progressive development. What this means for residential flora and fauna remains to be seen.
Fauna and flora
It is estimated that less than 7.5% of the original vegetation within Burpengary Creek catchment remains. Along the Creek there are many important tree associations that need to be conserved as only remnants of them remain. Along the coast two types of forests are evident–mangroves along the shores of Deception Bay and the tea trees and paperbark forests in the freshwater wetlands. The bulk of the catchment area includes open eucalyptEucalypt
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...
forests, with vine forests / shrubs and riverline forests running sparsely along the edge of the Creek. The largest undisturbed Tea Tree and Scribbly Gum
Scribbly gum
Scribbly gum is an Australian eucalypt that is named after the 'scribbles' on its bark. These zigzag tracks are tunnels made by the larvae of the Scribbly Gum Moth and follow the insect's life cycle. Eggs are laid between layers of old and new bark...
forest in south-east Queensland is located in Freshwater National Park, alongside Deception Bay Road. Other tree species found within this region are Smooth Barked Gums, Stringy Barks, Iron Barks, Brush Box, Hoop Pine, Cedar, Ash and Tulip Oak. Extreme care needs to be taken to preserve this vegetation to ensure that it is a safe haven for the numerous species of wildlife that lives within the Burpengary Creek catchment.
Burpengary Creek catchment is home to diverse range of native animals, despite the widespread clearing of native plants and trees to make way for suburban development. There are over 140 bird species, which have been observed along Burpengary Creek. Some of the more common birds that have been sighted include the Eastern Whipbird
Eastern Whipbird
The Eastern Whipbird is an insectivorous passerine bird native to the east coast of Australia, its whip-crack call a familiar sound in forests of eastern Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Heard much more often than seen, it is a dark olive-green and black in colour with a distinctive white...
, Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
The Noisy Friarbird is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southern New Guinea and eastern Australia. It is one of several species known as friarbirds whose heads are bare of feathers. It is brown-grey in colour, with a prominent knob on its bare black-skinned head...
, Galah
Galah
The Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia and New Guinea. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests...
, Tawny Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth
The Tawny Frogmouth is an Australian species of frogmouth, a type of bird found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. The Tawny Frogmouth is often mistaken to be an owl...
Laughing Kookaburra
Laughing Kookaburra
The Laughing Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, is a carnivorous bird in the kingfisher family Halcyonidae. Native to eastern Australia, it has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia. Male and female adults are similar in plumage, which is predominantly brown and...
, Kingfishers, Honeyeaters, Australian King Parrot
Australian King Parrot
The Australian King Parrot is endemic to eastern Australia. It is found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest...
and Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
.
Burpengary Creek catchment is also home to one of Australians endangered frog species the Giant Barred Frog
Giant Barred Frog
The Giant Barred Frog, Mixophyes iteratus, is a species of barred frogs in Australia. It occurs from south-east Queensland to just south of the Newcastle region in New South Wales...
. This frog lives in the moist forests borrowing beneath fallen leaves and loose soil during the day and comes out at night to forage for food. Alongside this endangered Australian animal there are also other frog species, including the Ornate Burrowing Frog
Ornate Burrowing Frog
The Ornate Burrowing Frog formerly is a species of ground frog native to Australia. It was moved to the genus Opisthodon in 2006 following a major revision of amphibians .-Physical description:...
, the Rocket frog
Rocket frog
Rocket frog is a common name for many species of frog, it may refer to* Litoria dorsalis, Dwarf Rocket Frog* Litoria inermis, Bumpy Rocket Frog* Litoria freycineti, Wallum Rocket Frog* Litoria longirostris, Scrub Rocket Frog...
and the Whistling Tree Frog
Whistling Tree Frog
The Whistling or Verreaux's Tree Frog, , is a frog occurring in Australia.It has been divided into 2 sub-species, the Verreaux's Tree Frog and the Verreaux's Alpine Tree Frog . The Alpine Tree Frog is restricted to the southern alps of New South Wales and Victoria...
.
The Brown Tree Snake
Brown tree snake
The brown tree snake is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia....
, Green Tree Snake, Carpet python
Carpet python
Morelia spilota is a large snake of the Pythonidae family found in Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea. There are 6 subspecies listed by ITIS, commonly referred to as Carpet and Diamond pythons.-Description:...
, Australian coral snake and rough-scaled snake also live within this catchment area and are generally seen between the months of October to January. Other reptiles that can be found within this region are Burton’s legless lizard, Eastern water dragon, Bearded Dragon and the Lace monitor
Lace monitor
The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. It belongs to the subgenus Varanus....
.
Native mammals within this area include: Northern Brown Bandicoot
Northern Brown Bandicoot
The Northern Brown Bandicoot , a marsupial species, is a bandicoot found only on the northern and eastern coasts of Australia and nearby islands, mainly Papua New Guinea. It is not, however, found far inland....
, red-necked wallaby, platypus, Ringtail possums, brushtail possums and the grey-headed flying-fox. Furthermore, native bees can also be found within the Burpengary Creek catchment.
Environmental threats
People, plants and animals are the three main threats to Burpengary Creek. Along with widespread settlement along Burpengary Creek came clearing of native plants, pipes built underground, soil erosion, hardening of creek beds and homes built in the flood path, which in turn results in continuing of private and public costs. Early settlement days saw the introduction of horses, cattle and domestic pets, which has seen widespread degradation of natural vegetation which suppresses re-growth and fauna being killed. Introduced species of plants, such as camphor laurel, privet bush, Chinese elm and balloon vine have overrun and in some instances destroyed native vegetation.Recreational activities
Burpengary creek is a good fishing spot and it has nearby boat ramps that allow for easy access to the Creek. You can launch your boat from the O’Leary Avenue boat ramp in Burpengary or the Uhlmann Road boat ramp into Caboolture River with only a short trip around the bend into Burpengary Creek. It is also noted for having large quantities of mud crabs in the lower reaches of the Creek.Grassy areas within the parks along the Creek line allow for family picnics, flying kites, and general outdoor activities such as Boules or a family game of cricket. Another option is bird-watching at the Caboolture Regional Environmental Education Centre (CREEC) on Rowley Road, Burpengary.