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Confluence
point location (Google Earth image) |
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Location: This
confluence point is yet to be visited. It is located about 1600 m
south-east of the Ewan Paluma Road and 740 m north-west of the
Running River. The point lies within the Charters Towers Regional
Council area and the nearest settlement is Paluma, about 20 km to the east.
The
Landscape: The terrain around the point appears to be steep-sided
gullies of a creek that flows to the deeply entrenched Running River.
Running River is a tributary of the Burdekin River. The underlying
geology is tonalite of Ordovician age (490 to 434 million years). The
vegetation is an open mid-height eucalypt forest.
Point
information and photos: Ken Granger and Google Earth
WITHIN THE
DEGREE SQUARE
The Country:
The country in this degree square straddles the Seaview and Paluma
Ranges and can be divided into four broad landscape regions - the
off-shore continental islands, the coastal plain, the ranges and the
Burdekin River catchment.
Orpheus
(Goolbodi) Island and Pelorus (Yanooa) Island lie at the eastern edge
of the square. Orpheus Island is a narrow and long continental island
and has a maximum elevation of around 100 m ASL. Pelorus Island by
contrast is roughly circular and has an elevation of 250 m ASL. Both
islands are composed of granite of Late Carboniferous age (325 to 298
million years). They are steep sided and have many exposed granite
tors across their surfaces. Vegetation on the islands is dry
woodlands of Moreton Bay Ash (Corymbia tessellaris) and
wattles. Rainforest grows in gullies and sheltered bays, featuring
figs and Macaranga. Grasslands also occur in small irregular
bands across the islands.
The coastal
plain extends the full length of the square and varies in width from
less than 5 km in the south to more than 40 km in the north.
Elevations range from sea level to less than 100 m ASL. The plain is
composed of riverine alluvium of Quaternary age (less than 1.6
million years) deposited by the many streams that flow from the
coastal ranges such as the Herbert River, Cattle Creek and Crystal
Creek. Much of the native vegetation has been removed to make way for
agriculture - mainly sugar cane and pasture.
Coastal plain
from McClelland's Lookout at Paluma (KG, 2008)
A steep coastal
escarpment forms the eastern edge of the Seaview and Paluma Ranges
that run the length of the square. Elevations range up to a little
over 1000 m ASL. The ranges are mostly composed of granite of
Carboniferous age (354 to 298 million years). Most of the streams
that flow directly to the coast are deeply entrenched until they
reach the coastal plain and have many waterfalls. Wallaman Falls on
Stony Creek, with a drop of 305m, is the tallest single drop
waterfall in Australia. Jourama Falls on Waterview Creek is a popular
walking and camping area and the much smaller falls on Little Crystal
Creek near where the Paluma road crosses the creek is a popular
swimming spot. Vegetation ranges from tropical rainforest on the
coast-facing slopes to dry eucalypt forests on the western slopes.
The headwaters of Crystal Creek have been dammed to provide water
supply for the Townsville area. |
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Wallaman Falls
(KG, 2008) |
Wallaman Falls
plunge pool (KG, 2008) |
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Little Crystal
Creek falls in the dry (KG, 2008) |
Hoop Pine above
Little Crystal Creek |
Much of the
forest on the coastal side has many species of palms and rattans as
well as tall trees such as Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii).
Towards the west, the rainforest gives way to drier open woodland.
Stands of Poplar Gum (Eucalyptus platyphylla), bloodwoods (Corymbia
spp) and Moreton Bay Ash dominate the canopy with an under storey of
Cocky Apple (Planchonia careya) trees and tall grasses.
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Palms and
rattan on Paluma Range (KG, 2008) |
Wait-a-while
rattan (KG, 2008) |
Fauna in the
rainforest includes a rich bird life. Species represented include
Victoria's Riflebird, Chowchilla, Macleay's Honeyeater, Noisy Pita
and Spotted Catbird. Mammals include Agile Wallaby, Mahogany Glider
and Sugar Glider. The Saw-shelled turtle is found in many of the
creeks. This turtle is unusual in that it can absorb oxygen from the
water through special membranes on its tail, thus giving rise to the
popular suggestion that it breathes through its backside! In the
dryer woodland birds such as laughing kookaburras, forest kingfishers
and a variety of honeyeaters are often seen.
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Saw-shell
turtle (KG, 2008) |
Chowchilla (KG, 2008) |
The more
undulating landscapes of the Burnett catchment are predominantly
composed of granite, the oldest of which is Late Silurian age (425 to
410 million years). The granite is interspersed with mudstone also of
Late Silurian age, volcanic rocks of early Carboniferous age (325 to
298 million years) and gneiss of Neoproterozoic age (1000 to 545
million years). This area does have steep and rugged areas but
overall its elevation ranges from 550 m to 250 m ASL. Vegetation is
predominantly open eucalypt forest.
Climate:
The climate within the square ranges from tropical rainforest to
subtropical with a distinctly dry winter. The Bureau of Meteorology
climate station at Ingham provides representative statistics for the
coastal rainforest zone. There are no climate stations in the area to
provide statistics for the mountains or the interior.
Ingham
Composite (032078) 1968 to 2009peration (elevation 12 m ASL)
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
|
Mean
max
(ºC) |
32.3 |
31.6 |
30.8 |
29.0 |
27.1 |
25.2 |
24.9 |
26.1 |
28.3 |
30.4 |
31.8 |
32.5 |
29.2 |
|
Mean
min
(ºC) |
22.9 |
23.2 |
22.2 |
20.2 |
17.8 |
14.7 |
13.6 |
14.3 |
16.0 |
18.4 |
20.7 |
22.0 |
18.8 |
|
Mean
rain
(mm) |
388.4 |
477.6 |
362.4 |
203.5 |
112.0 |
46.3 |
35.5 |
39.7 |
39.6 |
46.9 |
117.6 |
195.8 |
2
070.5 |
The highest
temperature ever recorded at Ingham was 43.4°C in December 1995
while the lowest temperature was 2.2°C in July 1968. Rainfalls
also vary greatly. The highest total of 3423.0 mm was recorded in
1981 and the lowest total of 1105.0 mm in1992.
The climate of
the ranges is cooler and wetter. Mean annual rainfall at Paluma, for
example, is 2558.0 mm. The interior, however, is significantly dryer.
Extremes of Nature:
The area is very much subject to the impact of tropical cyclones.
The cyclone database maintained by the Bureau of Meteorology shows
that 57 cyclones tracked within 200 km of the confluence point
between 1906-7 and 2006-7. Eight of those cyclones passed within 50
km of the confluence point during that period including: an unnamed
cyclone in January 1910; an unnamed cyclone of April 1940; an unnamed
cyclone in February 1941; an unnamed cyclone in February 1947; an
unnamed cyclone of march 1950; TC Althea in December 1971; TC Justin
in March 1997; TC Tessi in April 2000.
Cyclone tracks
that passed within 200 km of the confluence point 1906-2006 (BoM web site)
Several
cyclones have had a significant impact on the area prior to 1906. In
March 1890, for example, a cyclone that crossed the coast at Cardwell
brought strong winds that destroyed the Church of England church.
Amongst the more severe impacts since 1906 was the cyclone of 1940
which a police house, a church and 2 hotels were unroofed and badly
damaged. The Italian Club laws lifted and carried 90 m down the
street. Nearly every building in the town was damaged. Tanks all over
town were moved hundreds of metres. In March 1997 TC Justin brought
torrential rain and strong winds over a wide area. A lady was killed
in a landslide on the Paluma Range and the whole population of Paluma
village were evacuated by helicopter until the road could be re-opened.
Since records
commenced in early 1900s, major floods have occurred regularly in the
Herbert River. Major floods usually occur in the wet season from
January to March, but smaller floods have occurred in April and
December. There have been at least 26 major floods at Ingham since
1900. In February 1927, for example, a cyclone which crossed the
coast near Cairns caused widespread flooding. Flood waters in the
Herbert caused the loss of 2500 head of cattle and 1500 horses as
well as destroying roads and railway infrastructure.
The flood of
record in the Herbert River was caused by TC Elaine in March
1967. Falls of up to 1321 mm in 4 days were recorded in the Barron
and Herbert districts. The Bureau of Meteorology's river height
observer at Glen Eagle station was forced to evacuate his homestead
shortly before it was washed away in a flood which reached the level
of 6.85 metres above the previous record in 1927. The bridge at Long
Pocket, linking Abergowrie and Ingham, was washed away after being
almost 15metres under water, and the population of Abergowrie was
isolated for weeks. Ingham itself was almost completely submerged in
the flood waters which were 17 kilometres wide at the peak. Road and
rail traffic was brought to a standstill for more than a week.
The area
averages around 20 thunder days each year. Severe thunderstorms can
bring destructive winds and intense rainfall. Flash floods and
landslides can be caused by that heavy rainfall.
During the
winter dry season thunder storms may spark bushfires if there is
sufficient fuel to promote spread. For many years fires on the
coastal plain were caused by the pre-harvest firing of the sugar cane
that was not properly controlled. Today bushfires are often started
deliberately by arsonists - be they bored children or criminals.
Within the degree square bushfires are likely to be most severe in
the eucalypt forests and woodlands of the interior rather than on the
coastal plain or in the rainforest on the ranges.
Extreme heat is
also a serious issue in the square. The climate records for Ingham
show that on average (over 37 years of records) the area experiences
16 days a year with temperatures over 35°C though temperatures
over 40°C are uncommon. Such extreme temperatures can cause heat
stroke and death if appropriate measures are not taken such as
avoiding strenuous physical effort, keeping as cool as possible and
drinking lots of water. Heat waves kill more people in Australia than
all other natural hazards combined.
There are 11
earthquake epicentres within the degree square recorded since 1900 in
the National Earthquake Database maintained by Geoscience Australia.
Six of these are shown as having a magnitude of ML 3.5,
all of them to the west of the range. The closest epicentre to a
settlement was the ML 2.2 event of 27 June 1901 that was
located 7 km north-east of Ingham along the Lucinda road. No damage
was reported from any of these events. |
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The
Indigenous Story: The land within the degree square was the
traditional country of two groups. Along the coast and on the islands
the Nyawaygi were the owners, while the inland areas of the Burdekin
catchment were home to the Gugu-Badhun people.
MORE
INFORMATION WELCOME
European
Exploration and Settlement: The First European navigator known to
have sailed along the coast of this square was James Cook in HMS Endeavour
in 1770. He named several features including Halifax Bay.
Further surveys of the coast in this area were undertaken by Charles
Jeffreys in HMS Kangaroo in 1815 and Philip Parker King in HMS Mermaid
in 1819.
Land
exploration did not enter this area until 1853 when graziers who had
established properties in the Valley of Lagoons in the upper Burdekin
catchment were looking for a route to the coast at Cardwell. It was
these explorers that located the Herbert River. Henry Stone was the
first settler in the Herbert valley. He established Herbert Vale in
1865 and was soon followed by other graziers. It was not until the
early 1870s, however, that settlement took off with the development
of the sugar industry.
The first sugar
mill was established at Gairloch in 1872 and was followed by mills at
Bemerside and Macknade. The town of Ingham (originally named Sligo)
was established to service the sugar and pastoral industries. The
Herbert River was the main transport route until a road was built to
the coast in 1873.
Prospectors
began pushing into the coastal ranges in the 1870s, with tin being
found around Paluma (known as Cloudy Creek) in 1875. Mining peaked in
1905 but soon declined as tin prices fell and transport costs rose.
The growth of
the sugar industry increased into the early 1880s then the Colonial
Sugar Refining Company (CSR) established several plantations and the
Victoria Mill in 1883. The growing and harvesting of sugar cane was a
very labour intensive operation. Initially labour was brought in from
the Pacific Islands (so-called Kanakas), China and Malaya, however,
the introduction of the White Australia Policy in the early 1890s saw
recruitment from European countries such as Italy, Spain, Finland and
Yugoslavia commence.
Herbert River
Farmers League building Ingham (KG, 2008)
The first group
of Italian migrants arrived in Townsville in 1891 and, after having
settled in the Ingham district, most sent home for family and
friends. The pattern of Italian immigration was now established and,
to this day, more than half the population of Ingham is of Italian
descent. By 1892 Ingham had a population of 200.
Silting of the
Herbert River was limiting the use of the river as a transport route
so a new port was established on the coast at Lucinda. The district
flourished with other agricultural endeavours including tobacco,
grapes, dairying, beef cattle and horses.
Timber getting
in the rainforests of the Mt Spec Range around Paluma became a major
industry in the 1920s with Red Cedar and other cabinet timbers
especially sought. That industry continued until 1988 when the area
was declared as part of the Wet Tropics World heritage Area.
The years of
the Great Depression saw a number of public works projects initiated
including the building of the Paluma Road by the Main Roads
Department. The stone bridge over Little Crystal Creek was part of
that construction effort.
Little Crystal
Creek bridge (KG, 2008)
During WW II a
radar station was established near Paluma (at McClelland's Lookout)
by US forces. This station detected the Japanese air raids against
Townsville in July 1942 and provided the garrison there with warning
of the raid. The station was taken over by the RAAF in 1943. Paluma
was also used as a medical rehabilitation centre until the end of the war.
Today: The
total population of the degree square at the 2006 national Census
was 13,163. This population has declined over the previous ten years,
possibly due to the downturn in the sugar industries due to low world prices.
|
Measure |
1996 |
2001 |
2006 |
|
Total
Population |
14,526 |
13,928 |
13,163 |
|
Total
Males |
7429 |
7078 |
6657 |
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Total
Females |
7097 |
6850 |
6506 |
|
Under
5 |
990 |
856 |
694 |
|
65
Years and over |
2258 |
2500 |
2600 |
|
Indigenous |
503 |
564 |
629 |
The population
of Ingham was 4607 at the 2006 census. Other settlement populations
were: Balgal Beach 723; Lucinda 450; Halifax 449; Tailors beach 290;
Toobana 156; and Macknade 146. The remainder are spread across the
rural areas with the majority being on the coastal plain.
Ingham is the
main service centre for the Herbert River valley and coastal plain.
It has a good range of commercial and public services. Its Italian
heritage is very evident from the names on local businesses to the
Sicilian Monument in the main street and the elaborate tombs in the
local cemetery. Sugar is the major industry. One of the interesting
features at Ingham is the Tyto Wetland, an area of former cane land
that has been returned to its natural form with lagoons, islands and
open areas to form a bird sanctuary and breeding site for the
endangered Grass Owl (Tyto longimembris).
Ingham (Google
Earth image)
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Ingham Sicilian
clock (KG, 2008) |
Ingham cemetery
Italian section (KG, 2008) |
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Sugar cane and
mill near Ingham (KG, 2008) |
Victoria sugar
mill (KG, 2008) |
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Tyto Wetland at
Ingham (KG, 2008) |
Tyto Wetland
interpretive centre (KG, 2008) |
Halifax and
Lucinda towards the coast also rely on cattle grazing and sugar. The
Lucinda sugar terminal and its long jetty enables the export of raw
sugar from the local area in ships of up to 40,000 tonnes.
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Halifax street
(KG, 2008) |
Cattle grazing
near Halifax (KG, 2008)
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Lucinda bulk
sugar facility (KG, 2008) |
Lucinda sugar
loader jetty (KG, 2008) |
Tourism is an
important industry within the square. Paluma, for example, has
several points of interest and is a favourite spot for the bird
watching community. Balgal Beach and Lucinda are popular with 'Grey
Nomad' visitors from the more temperate regions during the winter.
The resort on Orpheus Island is also a popular holiday destination.
Most of the
degree square lies within the Charters Towers regional Council area
with the coastal area around Ingham being in Hinchinbrook Shire and
the coastal strip south from Mutarnee in Townsville City. There are
four national parks in the square: Girringun National Park, Halifax
Bay Wetlands National Park, Orpheus Island National Park and Paluma
Range National Park. The High Range Military Training Area also
occupies a significant area of the square on the western side of the
Paluma Range.
Site Summary:
|
Location |
Within 1600 m
of the Ewan Paluma Road west of Paluma |
|
Access |
Not yet visited |
|
Nearest
town |
Paluma is 20 km east |
|
Terrain |
Steep sided
gully of creek flowing to Running River |
|
Catchment |
Running River
which flows to the Burdekin River |
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Geology
& soils |
Tonalite of
Ordovician age |
|
Vegetation |
Open mid-height
eucalypt forest |
|
Land
use |
unknown |
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Climate |
Subtropical
with a distinctly dry winter |
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Population
in degree square |
13,163 at the
2006 census |
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Infrastructure |
Bruce Highway
and mail line railway along the coast; well established road network
throughout;
bulk sugar port at Lucinda; Paluma water supply dam; sugar mills |
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National
Parks |
Girringun
National Park, Halifax Bay Wetlands National Park, Orpheus Island
National Park
and Paluma Range National Park |
Compilers: Ken
Granger, 2009
References:
Various web sites including EPA, tourism, local government and Bureau
of Meteorology.
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