Lake Eacham
Encyclopedia
Lake Eacham: is a popular lake
of volcanic origin on the Atherton Tableland
of Queensland
, Australia
, within the World Heritage
listed Wet Tropics of Queensland
.
, were formed approximately 12,000 years ago by molten
magma
. Magma from the center of the earth
rose to the surface and heated the water table
. The steam
that resulted from the boiling water was trapped underground, until massive explosion
s signalled its release. Huge cracks appeared in the ground and the trees that once lathed the mountainside were levelled and burnt. Eventually, over hundreds of years, water filled the crater
s and the trees grew back, creating the tranquil lake used today by families and tourists for recreation
. There are no streams that flow into or out the lake, water is only lost through soakage and evaporation and only replenished through rainfall, the level can fluctuate up to 4 metres between wet and dry seasons.
The local Ngadjon -jii (Aboriginal peoples), name this lake Wiinggina and tell a parallel, matching story of the Lakes origins, as follows
This story, in all its local versions, is part of an indigenous oral history and mythology believed to be an oral record recalling those volcanic events that occurred 12 000 years ago, making it an oral record more than 10 000 years old.:
Back in 1886, Lake Eacham (Yidyam) was included within original survey plans subdividing the whole of the Lake Eacham area into farming blocks.
By 1888, however, the scenic value of the lake was recognised, and both the lake plus a narrow band of 'shoreline' rainforest were formally proclaimed "scenic reserve".
For almost 50 years (1888–1936) the Lake was managed, used and enjoyed as a scenic reserve, with, at times, boats and boating; a guest house; speed boats; and watersking.
In 1934, the Queensland Government declared the lake and immediate surrounds be protected and managed as a National Park.
(Melanotaenia eachamensis) found its way into the volcanic lake. Unfortunately for the small species, other larger native fish were introduced into this closed system and eventually, these larger fish ate the Lake Eacham Rainbowfish into extinction - well, at least as far as the lake was concerned.
As it turned out, hobbyists had been collecting the fish from the Lake Eacham National Park (illegally) and were very successful at breeding them. It actually came to pass that these private collections became the source stock to reintroduce the fish to the lake. However, the cause of the species' demise was still living in the lake and proceeded to deplete the entire population of introduced stock. Fish researchers working in the Wet Tropics
rivers and streams have found the Lake Eacham Rainbowfish in the Tully, Herbert and Johnstone Rivers and Dirran Creek
s) Crater Lakes National Park
, with a dense rainforest
and thousands of small animal
s. It is therefore a protected area
under Queensland State legislation (Nature Conservation Act 1994), and, as such, the natural and cultural resources most closely associated with the Lake are protected and managed by the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The lake has an average depth of 65.5 metres (215 ft) and is considered by locals as being ideal for swimming, canoe
ing, bushwalking, and bird watching. No motor boats are allowed on the lake. It features a pontoon
great for diving into the deep water. A large grassy area is terrific for picnic
s, sunbathing, or just watching children as they play in the shallow water near the edge of the lake. There is a circuit walk around the lake that takes around 45 minutes. There are also a few families of turtles that can usually be seen just to the left of the pontoon
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
of volcanic origin on the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
of 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...
, within the World Heritage
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties...
listed Wet Tropics of Queensland
Wet Tropics of Queensland
The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km² of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
.
Origins
Lake Eacham (Yidyam) and the nearby Lake BarrineLake Barrine
Lake Barrine is a freshwater lake situated on the eastern parts of Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, close to Lake Eacham. The lake and surrounds are protected within the Crater Lakes National Park and are accessible via the Gillies Highway.Lake Barrine was formed over...
, were formed approximately 12,000 years ago by molten
Mölten
Mölten is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 60 km north of Trento and about 12 km northwest of Bolzano .-Geography:...
magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
. Magma from the center of the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
rose to the surface and heated the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
. The steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
that resulted from the boiling water was trapped underground, until massive explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
s signalled its release. Huge cracks appeared in the ground and the trees that once lathed the mountainside were levelled and burnt. Eventually, over hundreds of years, water filled the crater
Volcanic crater
A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a basin, circular in form within which occurs a vent from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. A crater can be of large dimensions, and sometimes of great depth...
s and the trees grew back, creating the tranquil lake used today by families and tourists for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
. There are no streams that flow into or out the lake, water is only lost through soakage and evaporation and only replenished through rainfall, the level can fluctuate up to 4 metres between wet and dry seasons.
The local Ngadjon -jii (Aboriginal peoples), name this lake Wiinggina and tell a parallel, matching story of the Lakes origins, as follows
"Two young fellas were trying to spear that wallaby. But they missed and hit a flame tree. That’s a sacred tree. The young fellas not supposed to be out hunting. They weren’t initiated. Their elders told them to stay put, not go out hunting. But they didn’t listen. When they pulled their spear out, part of a grub came out with the spear, which was a witchetty grub. They started cutting down that tree to get more grubs. When they cut down that tree, the ground began to shake. Those two fellas had made Yamini (rainbow serpent) angry. Then the sky turned orange, then all these people back at the camp, the earth went from underneath them, sucked them in, whoosh, they all got drowned. Where they were camped became Bana Wiingina (Lake Eacham)." (Warren Cannendo, Ngadjon-Jii)
This story, in all its local versions, is part of an indigenous oral history and mythology believed to be an oral record recalling those volcanic events that occurred 12 000 years ago, making it an oral record more than 10 000 years old.:
Recent history
By 1888, however, the scenic value of the lake was recognised, and both the lake plus a narrow band of 'shoreline' rainforest were formally proclaimed "scenic reserve".
For almost 50 years (1888–1936) the Lake was managed, used and enjoyed as a scenic reserve, with, at times, boats and boating; a guest house; speed boats; and watersking.
In 1934, the Queensland Government declared the lake and immediate surrounds be protected and managed as a National Park.
A Closed Ecosystem & A Near Extinction
Lake Eacham (Yidyam) is isolated from any other watercourse (making it an enclosed catchment). How any fish arrived there to begin with is a mystery, but somehow, the Lake Eacham rainbowfishLake Eacham rainbowfish
The Lake Eacham rainbowfish is a species of fish in the Melanotaeniidae family. It is endemic to Yidyam , Queensland, Australia.-Sources:...
(Melanotaenia eachamensis) found its way into the volcanic lake. Unfortunately for the small species, other larger native fish were introduced into this closed system and eventually, these larger fish ate the Lake Eacham Rainbowfish into extinction - well, at least as far as the lake was concerned.
As it turned out, hobbyists had been collecting the fish from the Lake Eacham National Park (illegally) and were very successful at breeding them. It actually came to pass that these private collections became the source stock to reintroduce the fish to the lake. However, the cause of the species' demise was still living in the lake and proceeded to deplete the entire population of introduced stock. Fish researchers working in the Wet Tropics
Wet Tropics of Queensland
The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km² of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
rivers and streams have found the Lake Eacham Rainbowfish in the Tully, Herbert and Johnstone Rivers and Dirran Creek
Protected Area Status
Lake Eacham (Yidyam) is the centrepiece of the 4.89 km² (1,210 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) Crater Lakes National Park
Crater Lakes National Park
Crater Lakes is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1367 km northwest of Brisbane. The park contains two volcanically-formed lakes, Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham . Both lakes have walking trails around the lake; boat tours are also given at Lake Barrine....
, with a dense rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and thousands of small animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. It is therefore a protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
under Queensland State legislation (Nature Conservation Act 1994), and, as such, the natural and cultural resources most closely associated with the Lake are protected and managed by the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The lake has an average depth of 65.5 metres (215 ft) and is considered by locals as being ideal for swimming, canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing, bushwalking, and bird watching. No motor boats are allowed on the lake. It features a pontoon
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
great for diving into the deep water. A large grassy area is terrific for picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s, sunbathing, or just watching children as they play in the shallow water near the edge of the lake. There is a circuit walk around the lake that takes around 45 minutes. There are also a few families of turtles that can usually be seen just to the left of the pontoon
See also
- List of volcanoes in Australia
- Mount Hypipamee CraterMount Hypipamee CraterThe Mount Hypipamee Crater, also known as The Crater is a huge diatreme located south-east of Herberton on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is 61 metres in diameter and 82 metres deep....
- Lake BarrineLake BarrineLake Barrine is a freshwater lake situated on the eastern parts of Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, close to Lake Eacham. The lake and surrounds are protected within the Crater Lakes National Park and are accessible via the Gillies Highway.Lake Barrine was formed over...
- Lake TinarooLake TinarooLake Tinaroo, also known as Tinaroo Dam, is a man-made reservoir on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It was constructed between 1953 and 1958 on the Barron River close to Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham .- History :...
- Lake Euramo (Ngimun)
External links
- Ngadjonji - Earthwatch web page. Accessed 5 November 2007
- Queensland Government Placenames Database
- Lake Eacham, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
- Wet Tropics Management Authority's Story of the Lake Eacham Rainbow Fish Accessed 11 November 2007
- Recording of tourists swimming at Lake Eacham, hosted at 'the freesound project'