The Channel Country features an arid landscape with a series of ancient flood plains from rivers which only flow intermittently. The principal rivers are Georgina River, Cooper Creek and the Diamantina River. When there is sufficient rainfall in their catchment area these rivers flow into Lake Eyre, South Australia. In most years the flood waters are absorbed into the earth or evaporate, however. One of the most significant rainfall events occurred in 2010 when a monsoonal low from ex-Cyclone Olga created a period of exceptional rainfall.[4]
Land useedit
The primary land use is cattle grazing which has replaced sheep grazing.[5] It is estimated that in the Queensland section alone there are between half to one million head of cattle.[6] The area's towns and cattle stations are serviced by a mail run that is operated by West Wing Aviation which delivers goods and passengers as well as mail.[7]
In 2013, the Queensland Government placed caps on water extraction from the region's river[which?] to prevent the introduction of cotton growing. At the same time open-cut mining was banned but coal seam and underground mining have been permitted after changes were made to the Wild Rivers legislation.[8]
In 2021, 11 coal seam gas exploration licenses were granted to Origin Energy by the state government, covering 250,000 hectares of the region.[9] Origin subsequently announced it is withdrawing from the region with a view to sell its exploration permits to another energy company or forfeit the sites.[9]
Indigenous Australians have inhabited the area for approximately 20,000 years, with over 25 tribal groups living in the Channel Country area. A vast trade network had been established running from north to south with goods such as ochre sent north with shells and pituri moved south. Birdsville was once a major meeting place for conducting ceremonies and trade.[12] Originally known as Diamantina Crossing,[13] it bore its current name by 1882,[14] and the name was formalised at the proclamation of the town in 1887.
Innamincka Station was established in 1872 by Robert Bostock and grew until it covered over 15,000 square kilometres (5,792 sq mi) and in 1881 it supported a herd of 8,000 cattle.[15] The first station and permanent settlement set up along the Cooper Creek.[16] The tender was accepted for the run named Caryapundy by J. C. Myers in 1872. Myers has also had his tenders accepted for other runs such as Bollwarry, Mount Wood, Teriwinda and Torrens Creek.[17]
Annandale Station was established when Patrick Drinan took up the run in July 1876. Other properties were settled soon afterward including Kaliduwarry and Glengyle Stations.[18]Pandie Pandie Station was established in the same year by Robert Frew[19] as was Alton Downs and Planet Downs.[20] Nearby Haddon Downs station was also taken up by Frew in 1877.[21]Diamantina Lakes Station was also established in 1876 with a partnership between John Arthur Macartney and Hugh Louis Heber-Percy who initially took up the lease.[22]
^"Boulia: Capital of the Channel Country". Boulia Shire Council. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
^Ben Lynes (August 2007). . The State of Queensland. Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
^. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
^John McCarthy (31 July 2013). "Coal seam gas, underground mining get green light in Queensland western river catchments". The Courier-Mail. News Limited. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^ abMcCosker, Maddelin; Pengilley, Victoria. "What does Origin Energy backing out of gas exploration mean for the Channel Country?". ABC News. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
^"Queensland's regional ecosystems" (PDF). Queensland Government. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
^Stanton, J. P. (James Peter); Morgan, M. G; University of New England. School of Natural Resources (1977), The rapid selection and appraisal of key and endangered sites : the Queensland case study, the University of New England School of Natural Resources, p. 3, retrieved 11 February 2022
^(PDF). Natural Heritage Trust. 1 October 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
^"Birdsville". Queensland Holidays. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
^"The far north". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 19 August 1882. p. 9. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
^. Flinders Ranges Research. 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
^Reardon, Mitch (1995). The Australian Geographic Book of Corner Country. Terrey Hills, New South Wales: Australian Geographic. pp. 91–108. ISBN1-86276-012-8.
^"Government Gazette". The Empire. Sydney, New South Wales: National Library of Australia. 11 December 1872. p. 2. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
^S.E. Pearson (1937). "The South West Corner of Queensland" (PDF). University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
^. Diamantina Shire. 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
channel, country, region, outback, australia, mostly, state, queensland, also, parts, south, australia, northern, territory, south, wales, name, comes, from, numerous, intertwined, rivulets, that, cross, region, which, cover, over, cooper, eromanga, geological. The Channel Country is a region of outback Australia mostly in the state of Queensland but also in parts of South Australia Northern Territory and New South Wales 1 2 The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region which cover 150 000 km 3 The Channel Country is over the Cooper and Eromanga geological basins and the Lake Eyre Basin drainage basin Further to the east is the less arid Maranoa district Channel Country AustraliaThe interim Australian bioregions with Channel Country in redArea304 094 37 km2 117 411 5 sq mi Localities around Channel Country Tanami Mitchell Grass Downs Mitchell Grass DownsSimpson Strzelecki Dunefields Channel Country Mulga LandsSimpson Strzelecki Dunefields Broken Hill Complex Mulga Lands Overhead Channel Country Cooper Creek Bulloo River crossing 1955 Contents 1 Geography 1 1 Land use 1 2 Bioregion 2 History 3 See also 4 ReferencesGeography editBirdsville and Windorah are the most prominent towns in the area Other settlements include Betoota and Bedourie Haddon Corner is also located in the Channel Country The Channel Country is the location for a majority of Min Min light sightings It is also home to at least two important bird areas Lake Yamma Yamma and the Lake Machattie Area The Channel Country features an arid landscape with a series of ancient flood plains from rivers which only flow intermittently The principal rivers are Georgina River Cooper Creek and the Diamantina River When there is sufficient rainfall in their catchment area these rivers flow into Lake Eyre South Australia In most years the flood waters are absorbed into the earth or evaporate however One of the most significant rainfall events occurred in 2010 when a monsoonal low from ex Cyclone Olga created a period of exceptional rainfall 4 Land use edit The primary land use is cattle grazing which has replaced sheep grazing 5 It is estimated that in the Queensland section alone there are between half to one million head of cattle 6 The area s towns and cattle stations are serviced by a mail run that is operated by West Wing Aviation which delivers goods and passengers as well as mail 7 In 2013 the Queensland Government placed caps on water extraction from the region s river which to prevent the introduction of cotton growing At the same time open cut mining was banned but coal seam and underground mining have been permitted after changes were made to the Wild Rivers legislation 8 In 2021 11 coal seam gas exploration licenses were granted to Origin Energy by the state government covering 250 000 hectares of the region 9 Origin subsequently announced it is withdrawing from the region with a view to sell its exploration permits to another energy company or forfeit the sites 9 Bioregion edit The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia Channel Country Bioregion covers a larger area extending into South Australia the Northern Territory and New South Wales and includes the town of Innamincka 2 10 11 History editIndigenous Australians have inhabited the area for approximately 20 000 years with over 25 tribal groups living in the Channel Country area A vast trade network had been established running from north to south with goods such as ochre sent north with shells and pituri moved south Birdsville was once a major meeting place for conducting ceremonies and trade 12 Originally known as Diamantina Crossing 13 it bore its current name by 1882 14 and the name was formalised at the proclamation of the town in 1887 Innamincka Station was established in 1872 by Robert Bostock and grew until it covered over 15 000 square kilometres 5 792 sq mi and in 1881 it supported a herd of 8 000 cattle 15 The first station and permanent settlement set up along the Cooper Creek 16 The tender was accepted for the run named Caryapundy by J C Myers in 1872 Myers has also had his tenders accepted for other runs such as Bollwarry Mount Wood Teriwinda and Torrens Creek 17 Annandale Station was established when Patrick Drinan took up the run in July 1876 Other properties were settled soon afterward including Kaliduwarry and Glengyle Stations 18 Pandie Pandie Station was established in the same year by Robert Frew 19 as was Alton Downs and Planet Downs 20 Nearby Haddon Downs station was also taken up by Frew in 1877 21 Diamantina Lakes Station was also established in 1876 with a partnership between John Arthur Macartney and Hugh Louis Heber Percy who initially took up the lease 22 See also edit nbsp Queensland portal Cravens Peak Reserve Regions of QueenslandReferences edit Channel Country Bioregion New South Wales Department of Environment Climate Change and Water a b Rangelands Overview Channel Country Australian Natural Resources Atlas Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts Archived from the original on 5 October 2009 Retrieved 11 September 2009 Reardon Mitch 1995 The Australian Geographic Book of Corner Country Terrey Hills New South Wales Australian Geographic p 93 ISBN 1 86276 012 8 Channel Country rain will boost cattle feed ABC Rural Australian Broadcasting Corporation 3 February 2010 Retrieved 18 May 2010 Boulia Capital of the Channel Country Boulia Shire Council Retrieved 18 May 2010 Ben Lynes August 2007 Focus on the Channel Country The State of Queensland Archived from the original on 25 July 2010 Retrieved 18 May 2010 West Wing Aviation Mail Runs Archived from the original on 4 September 2012 Retrieved 12 September 2008 John McCarthy 31 July 2013 Coal seam gas underground mining get green light in Queensland western river catchments The Courier Mail News Limited Retrieved 2 June 2014 a b McCosker Maddelin Pengilley Victoria What does Origin Energy backing out of gas exploration mean for the Channel Country ABC News Retrieved 24 October 2023 Queensland s regional ecosystems PDF Queensland Government Retrieved 11 February 2022 Stanton J P James Peter Morgan M G University of New England School of Natural Resources 1977 The rapid selection and appraisal of key and endangered sites the Queensland case study the University of New England School of Natural Resources p 3 retrieved 11 February 2022 Georgina Diamantina Catchment Strategic Plan PDF Natural Heritage Trust 1 October 2000 Archived from the original PDF on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 26 October 2013 Birdsville Queensland Holidays Tourism Queensland Retrieved 11 March 2012 The far north The Sydney Morning Herald National Library of Australia 19 August 1882 p 9 Retrieved 11 May 2014 Innamincka Flinders Ranges Research 2012 Archived from the original on 25 October 2021 Retrieved 14 May 2016 Reardon Mitch 1995 The Australian Geographic Book of Corner Country Terrey Hills New South Wales Australian Geographic pp 91 108 ISBN 1 86276 012 8 Government Gazette The Empire Sydney New South Wales National Library of Australia 11 December 1872 p 2 Retrieved 16 June 2013 S E Pearson 1937 The South West Corner of Queensland PDF University of Queensland Retrieved 14 May 2016 Diamantine Shire History Diamantina Shire 2012 Archived from the original on 3 May 2013 Retrieved 9 June 2013 Birdsville The Sydney Morning Herald 8 February 2004 Retrieved 9 June 2013 S E Pearson 1937 The South West corner of Queensland PDF University of Queensland Retrieved 9 June 2013 Obituary The Brisbane Courier Queensland National Library of Australia 8 April 1925 p 12 Retrieved 2 May 2013 25 59 47 04 S 140 59 57 52 E 25 9964000 S 140 9993111 E 25 9964000 140 9993111 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Channel Country amp oldid 1218953849, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
