Gulf Country
Encyclopedia
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
in north western 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...
and eastern Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
on the north coast of 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 region is also called the Gulf Savannah.
Location and description
The Gulf Country is a block of dry savanna between the wetter areas of Arnhem LandArnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
and the Top End
Top End
The Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...
of the Northern territory to the west and the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
of Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
to the east, while to the south and east lie upland plains of Mitchell grasses
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...
and the Einasleigh Uplands
Einasleigh Uplands
The Einasleigh Uplands are an ecoregion of savanna and woodland located on a large plateau in inland Queensland, Australia.-Location and description:...
. The Northern Territory side of the area is the Gulf Fall area of sandstone slopes and gorges draining the interior uplands into the gulf. The main land uses in the Gulf Country are beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
and mining.
The region covers an area of 186000 km² (71,815 sq mi). The landscape is generally flat and low-lying tropical savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
cut through with rivers that carry the monsoon rains to the gulf and feed coastal mudflats and patches of rainforest. The Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands
Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands
The Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands is situated in the south-west corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, off the northern coast of Australia.-History:They were named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders in honour of Sir Edward Pellew, a fellow naval officer...
and the Wellesley Islands
Wellesley Islands
The Wellesley Islands are a group of islands off the coast of north Queensland, Australia, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. They were named by Matthew Flinders in honour of Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley. The largest island in the group is Mornington Island...
lie off the gulf coast.
The main settlements in the region include the city of Mount Isa
Mount Isa, Queensland
-Culture and sport:The local theatre group, the Mount Isa Theatrical Society, or MITS, often holds plays and musicals, at least once every few months or so....
and the towns of Doomadgee
Doomadgee, Queensland
Doomadgee Aboriginal Mission, originally known as Dumaji, was located on Bayley Point on the Gulf of Carpentaria. In 1936 after being destroyed by a cyclone the community was relocated to Nicholson River...
, Cloncurry
Cloncurry, Queensland
-Notable residents:*Writer Alexis Wright grew up in Cloncurry.*Association Footballer Kasey Wehrman was born in Cloncurry . He went on to play domestically and in Scandinavia. His achievements include winning a NSL Championship in 1996-1997 with the Brisbane Strikers and being capped several times...
, Camooweal
Camooweal, Queensland
Camooweal is a small town in north-western Queensland, Australia, located 188 km north-west of the city of Mount Isa and 12 km east of the Northern Territory border. Local government is provided by the Mount Isa City Council. The town lies on the Barkly Highway, and is adjacent to the Georgina River...
, Kowanyama
Kowanyama, Queensland
Kowanyama is a town on the Gulf of Carpentaria side of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.At the 2006 census, Kowanyama had a population of 1,017....
, Karumba
Karumba, Queensland
Karumba is a town in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia, 71 km by road from Normanton and 2159 km from the state capital, Brisbane. The settlement was previously known as Norman Mouth and Kimberely. Karumba was used by the local aborigines to describe the place...
, Normanton
Normanton, Queensland
-External links:****...
and Burketown
Burketown, Queensland
- Morning glory cloud :From the months of August to November, a rare meteorological phenomenon known as "Morning Glory" - long, tubular clouds, some up to 1000 km in length - is often observed in the skies above Burketown.....
. The port at Karumba is one of Australia's main live cattle exporting ports. Mount Isa is known for its rich mineral deposits. The region is crossed by the Savannah Way
Savannah Way
Savannah Way is a route of highways and major roads across northern Australia, linking Cairns in Queensland with Broome in Western Australia. Promoted as a self-drive tourist route, in travels from Cairns to Normanton, Borroloola, Katherine, Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby and Broome.Much of...
highway.
The climate is hot with a dry season and a monsoon. The dry season lasts from about April until November and is characterized by very dry southeast to east winds, generated by migratory winter high pressure systems to the south. The wet season lasts from December to March and is characterised by humid northerly monsoonal airflows. This wet season can be very erratic: at Burketown
Burketown, Queensland
- Morning glory cloud :From the months of August to November, a rare meteorological phenomenon known as "Morning Glory" - long, tubular clouds, some up to 1000 km in length - is often observed in the skies above Burketown.....
, which is typical of the region, the rainfall of various wet seasons has ranged from as little as 150 millimetres (5.9 in) to as much as 2000 millimetres (78.7 in). Overall rainfall is low (from 750 mm on the coast to 500 mm inland) but if the wet season is at all strong, low-lying areas are flooded and even the few sealed roads are cut. The Gulf is also a breeding ground for cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s during the period between November and April.
In September and October the Morning Glory Cloud
Morning glory cloud
The Morning Glory cloud is a rare meteorological phenomenon occasionally observed in different locations around the world. The southern part of Northern Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria is the only known location where it can be predicted and observed on a more or less regular basis. The settlement...
appears in the Southern Gulf. The best vantage point to see this phenomenon is in the Burketown area shortly after dawn.
History
The first known European explorerEuropean exploration of Australia
The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. Although Australia is often loosely said to have been discovered by Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, he was merely one of a number of European explorers to have sighted and landed on the...
to visit the region was the Dutch Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon , Dutch navigator and colonial governor, is probably the first European known to have seen the coast of Australia. His name is sometimes abbreviated to Willem Jansz....
(whose name is also written as Jansz) in his 1606 voyage
Janszoon voyage of 1606
Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landing on the Australian continent in 1606, sailing from Bantam, Java in the Duyfken. As an employee of the Dutch East India Company, Janszoon had been instructed to explore the coast of New Guinea in search of economic opportunities...
. His fellow countryman Jan Carstenszoon
Jan Carstenszoon
Jan Carstenszoon or more commonly Jan Carstensz ) was a 17th century Dutch explorer.In 1623, Carstenszoon was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to lead an expedition to the southern coast of New Guinea and beyond, to follow up the reports of land sighted further south in the 1606 voyages...
(or Carstensz) visited in 1623 and named the gulf in honour of Pieter de Carpentier
Pieter de Carpentier
Pieter de Carpentier was a Dutch, or Flemish, administrator of the Dutch East India Company, and who served as Governor-General there from 1623–1627...
, at that time the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949.The first Governors-General were appointed by the Dutch East India Company...
. Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
also explored the coast in 1644. The region was later explored and charted by Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
in 1802 and 1803.
The first overland explorer in the area was the Prussian Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
who traversed the area in 1844 and 1845. He was followed by Augustus Gregory
Augustus Gregory
Sir Augustus Charles Gregory KCMG. was an English-born Australian explorer. Between 1846 and 1858 he undertook four major expeditions.-Early years:...
of the North Australian Expedition in 1856, and then 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...
in 1861. John McKinlay
John McKinlay
John McKinlay , was a grazier and explorer of Australia and leader of the search party for the Burke and Wills expedition .-Early life:...
, Frederick Walker
Frederick Walker (explorer)
Frederick Walker property manager, First Commandant of the 'Queensland' Native Police Force and Australian explorer.Walker was born in England and emigrated to Australia as a young man...
and William Landsborough lead separate search parties into the Gulf looking for Burke and Wills in 1861 and 1862.
As pastoralists settled in the area there were significant clashes with local aboriginal populations. Historian Tony Roberts has described the nature of massacres and violent encounters in the Gulf Country in his book titled Frontier Justice.
Flora
In the Gulf Country there are no mountains to restrict rainfall to the coastal band and the transition from the coastal mangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s through Acacia stenophylla
Acacia stenophylla
Acacia stenophylla is a fast-growing tree that grows 4-10m tall. It is native to Australia and is widely planted in landscapes in the Southwest USA. It is not listed as a threatened species. It has medium salt and frost tolerance. The average minimum annual rainfall that the tree needs is around...
woodlands to the arid scrubs of central Australia is gradual. There are up to nineteen important areas for bird migration in rivermouths along the gulf coast including the Gregory River-Nicholson River estuary and the Roper River
Roper River
The Roper River is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar, and forms the southern boundary of the region...
in Limmen Bight
Limmen Bight
Limmen Bight is a bight, or large, open bay, at the western end of the Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Australia, about 360 km east of the town of Katherine. It was named in April 1644 by Abel Tasman for one of his ships on his voyage of exploration along the northern Australian coast...
. The patches of rainforest habitat occur in parts that are less vulnerable to the grassland fires. On the savanna dicanthium bluegrass grows tall after the monsoon rains as the Gulf Country is one of the largest areas of native grassland in Australia. The sandstone gorges of the Gulf Fall are home to a specific wildlife. Finally the Pellew Islands have retained original mangroves and thick woodland.
Fauna
The area is home to a number of endangered species including an endemic rodent, the Carpentarian Rock RatCarpentarian Rock Rat
The Carpentarian Rock Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-Description:The Carpentarian Rock Rat is a small and compact conilurine rodent. Its fur is grey-brown above and pale below...
(Zyzomys palatalis) and endemic reptiles such as the Carpentarian lerista skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
. The mudflats and saltpans on the coast are home to waterbirds such as the Magpie Goose. One endemic grassland bird 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:...
is suffering as changing fire regime
Fire regime
A fire regime is the pattern, frequency and intensity of the bushfires and wildfires that prevails in an area. It is an integral part of fire ecology, and renewal for certain types of ecosystems. If fires are too frequent, plants may be killed before they have matured, or before they have set...
s (the way grasses are systematically burnt and allowed to renew) are reducing their habitat.
Threats and preservation
Much of the area is unspoilt vegetation but overgrazing of cattle and the introduction of feed grass species is changing both grasslands and wetlands while the woodlands are vulnerable to changing fire regimes. Introduced weeds include the rubber vine. Protected areas include Staaten River National ParkStaaten River National Park
The Staaten River National Park is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1640 km northwest of Brisbane. It receives its name from the Staaten River which flows through the park.-Environment:...
, Boodjamulla National Park
Boodjamulla National Park
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 northwest of Mount Isa or northwest of Brisbane....
(formerly Lawn Hill), the World Heritage fossil finds at 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...
, Camooweal Caves National Park
Camooweal Caves National Park
Camooweal Caves is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1720 km northwest of Brisbane....
and Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park
Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park
Mitchell-Alice Rivers is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1748 km northwest of Brisbane....
on the Queensland side. However the coastal wetlands are little protected. Lawn Hill crater
Lawn Hill crater
Lawn Hill ‘crater’ refers to an impact structure the eroded remnant of a former impact crater, situated approximately 220 km north-north-west of Mount Isa in northwestern Queensland, Australia. The site is marked by an 18 km diameter ring of limestone hills...
, an impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
with a ring of 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....
hills, is also located in the Gulf Country. Finally Barranyi (North Island) National Park
Barranyi (North Island) National Park
Barranyi National Park is in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory of Australia, 737 km southeast of Darwin.See also: Protected areas of the Northern Territory...
is one of the Pellew Islands.
List of major rivers
- Top End
- Roper RiverRoper RiverThe Roper River is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar, and forms the southern boundary of the region...
- Wilton River
- Roper River
- Gulf Country
- Cox River
- Calvert RiverCalvert RiverThe Calvert River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria 150 km east of Borroloola, not far from the border with Queensland in the Gulf Coastal bioregion. Its annual outflow is about 1000 Gl...
- Leichhardt River
- McArthur RiverMcArthur RiverThe McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port McArthur, opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt while he explored the area in 1845...
- Flinders RiverFlinders RiverThe Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia at about . The river rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 km northeast of Hughenden and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek then northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria...
- Norman RiverNorman RiverThe Norman River is a river in Queensland, Australia. The river originates in the Gregory Range 200 km southeast of Croydon, Queensland and flows 420 km northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is joined by three major tributaries, the Carron, Clara and Yappar Rivers...
- Gilbert River
- Cape York Peninsula
- Smithburne River
- Mitchell River
- Alice River
- Staaten RiverStaaten RiverThe Staaten River is a river in the Cape York Peninsula, Australia that rises more than 200 km to the west of Cairns and empties into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Along the way, its waters overflow into intertwining lagoons that create an enormous wetland sanctuary for a vast array of unique...
- Mission River
- Wenlock River
- Archer RiverArcher RiverThe Archer River is a major river of the Cape York Peninsula, Far North Queensland, Australia. It rises in the McIlwraith Range, traverses tropical savanna plains and wetlands, flowing through Piccaninny Plains Sanctuary and Mungkan Kandju National Park, and enters the Gulf of Carpentaria on the...
External links
- Grazing in the Gulf Country Savanna Explorer