Cooper Creek
Encyclopedia
Cooper Creek (28°23′S 137°41′E) is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River
from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin
. The flow of the creek depends on monsoonal rains falling months earlier and many hundreds of kilometres away in eastern Queensland. At 1300 kilometres (807.8 mi) in length it is the second longest inland river system in Australia after the Murray-Darling system
.
named the river in 1845 after Charles Cooper
, the Chief Justice of South Australia. It was along Cooper Creek that the explorers Burke and Wills
met their deaths in 1861. John King survived the expedition with the assistance of friendly Aborigines. Only ten years after the explorers' deaths, homesteads were being established on the watercourse. A station at Innamincka
was the first permanent settlement in the area.
By 1880 the reliable water source had attracted more settlers to the point where the whole area was taken up and stocked with cattle. This led to the displacement of local Aborigines from their traditional lands. By 1900 the population had reduced to 30 survivors, just 10% of the original number, as influenza and measles took their toll.
on low ground as two central Queensland
rivers, the Thomson between Longreach and Charters Towers
, and the Barcoo
in the area around Barcaldine
, about 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) inland from Rockhampton
.
Cooper Creek spreads out into a vast area of anastomosing ephemeral
channels, making its way roughly south into the far south-west corner of Queensland before turning due west into South Australia
towards Lake Eyre
. In most years, it is absorbed into the earth, goes to fill channels and the many permanent waterhole
s and lakes such as Lake Yamma Yamma
, or simply evaporates without reaching Lake Eyre.
In very wet years, however, it manages to flood the entire Channel Country
and reaches Lake Eyre after flowing through the dry areas of Strzelecki Desert
, Sturt Stony Desert and the Tirari Desert
. Studies have clearly shown that, although with a mean annual flow of around 2.3 cubic kilometre (0.551799344789859 cu mi) (ranging at Barcoo from an estimated 0.02 cubic kilometre in 1902 to an estimated 12 km³ or 2.9 cu mi in 1950) the Cooper carries twice as much runoff as the Diamantina
and three times as much as the Georgina
, over the past ten thousand years it has reached Lake Eyre much less frequently than those rivers. This is because much more water is absorbed along its course than with the Diamantina or Georgina, but could possibly be also because centennial or multicentennial wet and dry cycles in those basins causing them to regularly reach the lake during wet periods (there is some evidence from terraces around Lake Eyre that this occurred during the Medieval Warm Period
). During a flooding event the river upstream of Windorah may be as wide as 40 kilometres (24.9 mi).
grazing on natural grassland
s: although the extreme east of the basin is relatively wet with averages of over 500 mm (20 inches) at Blackall
, the rainfall is much too erratic for cropping. The soil
s are mainly Vertisol
s or Vertic Torrifluvents and are quite fertile, though generally heavy in texture with a strong tendency to crack due to the erratic rainfall.
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
The Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
. The flow of the creek depends on monsoonal rains falling months earlier and many hundreds of kilometres away in eastern Queensland. At 1300 kilometres (807.8 mi) in length it is the second longest inland river system in Australia after the Murray-Darling system
Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
.
History
Charles SturtCharles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
named the river in 1845 after Charles Cooper
Charles Cooper (judge)
Sir Charles Cooper was a politician and the first Chief Justice of South Australia.Cooper was born in Henley-on-Thames, the third son of Thomas Cooper, under-sheriff of Oxfordshire. Charle entered the Inner Temple in 1822 and was called to the bar in February 1827. He practised on the Oxford...
, the Chief Justice of South Australia. It was along Cooper Creek that the explorers Burke and Wills
Burke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
met their deaths in 1861. John King survived the expedition with the assistance of friendly Aborigines. Only ten years after the explorers' deaths, homesteads were being established on the watercourse. A station at Innamincka
Innamincka, South Australia
Innamincka is a tiny settlement in north-east South Australia. It is 1065 km northeast of Adelaide and 459 km from Lyndhurst up the Strzelecki Track. It is situated on the banks of Cooper Creek in the state's Channel Country, and surrounded by the Strzelecki, Tirari and Sturt Stony...
was the first permanent settlement in the area.
By 1880 the reliable water source had attracted more settlers to the point where the whole area was taken up and stocked with cattle. This led to the displacement of local Aborigines from their traditional lands. By 1900 the population had reduced to 30 survivors, just 10% of the original number, as influenza and measles took their toll.
Course
It rises west of the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
on low ground as two central 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...
rivers, the Thomson between Longreach and Charters Towers
Charters Towers, Queensland
Charters Towers is a city in northern Queensland, Australia. It is located 137 kilometres inland from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. In 2006 the population was 7,979 people, some 450 fewer than in the 2001 census. During the last quarter of the 19th century the town boomed as the rich gold...
, and the Barcoo
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
in the area around Barcaldine
Barcaldine, Queensland
Barcaldine is a small town in Western Queensland, Australia, approximately by road west of the city of Rockhampton. The town is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River approximately five kilometres south of the Barcaldine. This is the administrative centre of the Barcaldine...
, about 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) inland from Rockhampton
Rockhampton
Rockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
.
Cooper Creek spreads out into a vast area of anastomosing ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
channels, making its way roughly south into the far south-west corner of Queensland before turning due west into South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
towards Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world...
. In most years, it is absorbed into the earth, goes to fill channels and the many permanent waterhole
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
s and lakes such as Lake Yamma Yamma
Lake Yamma Yamma
Lake Yamma Yamma is an ephemeral lake on the Cooper Creek system in the arid Channel Country of south-western Queensland, Australia. The lake, which is sometimes called Lake Mackillop, is the largest inland ephemeral lake in Queensland.-Description:...
, or simply evaporates without reaching Lake Eyre.
In very wet years, however, it manages to flood the entire Channel Country
Channel Country
The Channel Country is region of outback Australia located mostly in the state of Queensland but also in portions 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...
and reaches Lake Eyre after flowing through the dry areas of Strzelecki Desert
Strzelecki Desert
The Strzelecki Desert is located in the Far North Region of South Australia, southwest Queensland and western New South Wales. It is positioned in the northeast of the Lake Eyre Basin, and north of the Flinders Ranges. Two other deserts occupy the Lake Eyre Basin—the Tirari Desert and the...
, Sturt Stony Desert and the Tirari Desert
Tirari Desert
The Tirari Desert is a desert in the eastern part of the Far North region of South Australia.-Location and description:The Tirari Desert features salt lakes and large north-south running sand dunes....
. Studies have clearly shown that, although with a mean annual flow of around 2.3 cubic kilometre (0.551799344789859 cu mi) (ranging at Barcoo from an estimated 0.02 cubic kilometre in 1902 to an estimated 12 km³ or 2.9 cu mi in 1950) the Cooper carries twice as much runoff as the Diamantina
Diamantina River
The Diamantina River is a river in south west Queensland and the far north of South Australia. Rising north-west of Longreach in the Swords Range, it flows in a south-westerly direction through central Queensland and the Channel Country to form the Warburton River at its confluence with the...
and three times as much as the Georgina
Georgina River
The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in western Queensland that flow in extremely wet years into Lake Eyre.-Geography:...
, over the past ten thousand years it has reached Lake Eyre much less frequently than those rivers. This is because much more water is absorbed along its course than with the Diamantina or Georgina, but could possibly be also because centennial or multicentennial wet and dry cycles in those basins causing them to regularly reach the lake during wet periods (there is some evidence from terraces around Lake Eyre that this occurred during the Medieval Warm Period
Medieval Warm Period
The Medieval Warm Period , Medieval Climate Optimum, or Medieval Climatic Anomaly was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region, that may also have been related to other climate events around the world during that time, including in China, New Zealand, and other countries lasting from...
). During a flooding event the river upstream of Windorah may be as wide as 40 kilometres (24.9 mi).
Land use
Most of the basin of the Cooper is used for sheep and cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
grazing on natural grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s: although the extreme east of the basin is relatively wet with averages of over 500 mm (20 inches) at Blackall
Blackall, Queensland
-External links:*...
, the rainfall is much too erratic for cropping. The soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s are mainly Vertisol
Vertisol
In both the FAO and USA soil taxonomy, a vertisol is a soil in which there is a high content of expansive clay known as montmorillonite that forms deep cracks in drier seasons or years. Alternate shrinking and swelling causes self-mulching, where the soil material consistently mixes itself, causing...
s or Vertic Torrifluvents and are quite fertile, though generally heavy in texture with a strong tendency to crack due to the erratic rainfall.