INGLEWOOD SHIRE HANDBOOK An Inventory of the Agricultural Resources and Production of Inglewood Shire, Queensland Queensland Department of Primary Industries November 1977 INGLEWOOD SHIRE HANDBOOK An Inventory of the Agricultural Resources and Production of Ingle wood Shire, Queensland Compiled by: G. H. Malcolmson, District Adviser, Inglewood. Edited by: P. L. Lloyd, Extenson Officer, Brisbane. Published by: Queensland Department of Primary Industries. November 1977 FOREWORD The Shire Handbook was conceived in the mid-1960s. A limited number of a series was printed for use by officers of the Department of Primary Industries to assist them in their planning of research and extension programmes. The Handbooks created wide interest and, in response to public demand, it was decided to publish progressively a new updated series. This volume is one of the new series. Shire Handbooks review, in some detail, the environmental and natural resources which affect farm production and people in the particular Shire. Climate, geology, topography, water resources, soils and vegetation are described. Farming systems are discussed, animal and crop production reviewed and yields and turnoff quantified. The economics of component industries are studied. The text is supported liberally by maps and statistical tables. Shire Handbooks provide important reference material for all concerned with rural industries and rural Queensland. * They serve as a guide to farmers and graziers, bankers, stock and station agents and those in agricultural business. * Provide essential information for regional planners, developers and environmental impact students. * Are a very useful reference for teachers at all levels of education and deserve a place in most libraries. I commend this series to students of agriculture and all whose business is associated with the land and rural people. (V.B. Sullivan) Minister for Primary Industries 11 CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Early Exploration and Settlement 1 1.3 Topography 3 1.4 Geology 4 2. CLIMATE 2.1 General 6 2.2 Rainfall 6 2.3 Temperature 7 2. A Humidity 8 2.5 Cloudiness and Sunshine Hours 9 2.6 Evaporation 11 2.7 Floods 11 2.8 Climate in Relation to Agriculture 12 3. WATER RESOURCES AND IRRIGATION 3.1 General 14 3.2 Surface Supplies 14 3.3 Underground Supplies 19 3.4 Irrigation 20 3.5 Future Irrigation Development 23 4. SOILS 4.1 Introduction 25 4.2 Major Groups of Soils 25 4.3 Soil Conservation 31 4.4 Areas Available for Future Development 34 5. VEGETATION AND FAUNA 5.1 Introduction 36 5.2 Vegetation Associations 36 5.3 Poisonous Plants 39 5.4 Fauna 39 6. FARMING SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES 6.1 Land Tenure 41 6.2 Land Valuation 41 6.3 History of Tobacco Production in Inglewood Shire 41 6.4 Farming Systems 43 Ill Contents (Cont.) Page 7. CROP PASTURE AMD ANIMAL PERFORMANCE 7.1 Agricultural Crops 51 7.2 Horticultural Crops 60 7.3 Pastures 62 7.A Heeds of Crop and Pasture 66 7.5 Beef Cattle 68 7.6 Sheep 71 7.7 Pigs 72 7.8 Beekeeping 73 8. REGISTER OF RESEARCH PROJECTS 8.1 Inglewood Field Station 76 8.2 Department of Primary Industries 76 8.3 C.S.I.R.O. 78 8.4 Lands Department 78 8.5 Forestry Department 78 9. OTHER PRIMARY INDUSTRIES 9.1 Forestry 79 9.2 Mining 79 10. OTHER SHIRE STATISTICS AND GENERAL INFORMATION 10.1 Other Rural Industry Statistics 81 10.2 Demography Statistics 82 10.3 State Government Services to Primary Producers 82 11. ECONOMICS 11.1 Introduction 84 11.2 Agricultural Crops 85 11.3 Horticultural Crops 91 11.4 Sheep 92 11.51 Beef Cattle 94 12. REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING 100 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 103 iv LIST OF TABLES Table No. Page 1.1 Elevation of Towns and Localities 4 2.1 Rainfall Recording Stations in Inglewood Shire 6 2.2 Average Monthly and Annual Rainfall for Stations in Inglewood Shire 7 2.3 Temperatures - Texas Post Office 9 2.4 Temperature Frequencies - Texas Post Office 9 2.5 Temperatures - Inglewood Field Station 10 2.6 Temperature and Humidity - Texas Post Office 10 2.7 Mean Daily Sunshine Hours - Inglewood Field Station 10 2.8 Evaporation - Inglewood Field Station 11 2.9 Flood Frequencies - Texas and Inglewood 11 2.10 Peak Flood Heights - Texas and Inglewood 12 2.11 Rainfall Distribution in Relation to Winter Cereal Production 13 3.1 Details of Weirs on Mac in tyre Brook 14 3.2 Details of Storage Sites on Macintyre Brook 15 3.3 Coolmunda Dam Specifications 16 3.4 Details of Weirs on Dumaresq River 18 3.5 Glenlyon Dan Specifications 18 3.6 Water Quality Data - Border River and Tributaries 19 3.7 Area Crops Grown Under Irrigation 1970-71 and 1975-76 20 3.8 Water Allocation and use Coolmunda Dam 21 3.9 Irrigation on Rural Holdings - Inglewood Shire . 23 4.1 Land Capability Divisions and Classes 33 6.1 Land Valuations - Inglewood Shire 41 6.2 Tobacco Production - South-West Queensland 44 6.3 Inglewood Shire - Rural Holdings Classified to Principal Activity 45 6.4 Inglewood Shire - Major Activities on Rural Holdings 1975-76 46 6.5 Inglewood Shire - Agricultural Establishments Classified 47 According to Industry Class 1975-76 6.6 Inglewood Shire - Rural Holdings Classified According to Size of 48 Sheep Flock and Size of Meat Cattle Herd 6.7 Inglewood Shire - Rural Holdings Classified According to Area of 49 Holding and Size of Sheep Flock 6.8 Inglewood Shire - Rural Holdings Classified to Size of Holding 49 and Size of Meat Cattle Herd 7.1 Inglewood Shire - Wheat Production 52 7.2 Inglewood Shire - Barley Production 53 7.3 Inglewood Field Station - Barley Variety Trials 53 7.4 Inglewood Shite - Grain Sorghum Production 54 7.5 • Inglewood Shire - Sunflower Production 55 7.6 Inglewood Shire - Navy Bean Production 55 7.7 Inglewood Field Station - Navy Bean Variety Trials 56 7.8 Inglewood Field Station - Irrigation of Navy Bean Trials 56 V List of Tables (Cont.) Table No. Page 7.9 Inglewood Shire - Soybean Production 5 7 7.10 Inglewood Field Station - Soybean Variety Trials 57 7.11 Inglewood Shire - Tobacco Production 58 7.12 Inglewood Shire - Hay and Green Fodder Production 59 7.13 Stanthorpe Shire - Winter Fodder Crops Trials 60 7.14 Inglewood Shire - Area and Production Figures for Tree Fruit 62 Crops Grown During the 1975-76 Season 7.15 Inglewood Shire - Estimated Area and Production Figures for 62 Grapes Grown During the 1975-76 Season 7.16 Inglewood Shire - Area and Production Figures for Vegetables 62 Grown During the 1975-76 Season 7.17 Inglewood Shire - Sown Pastures Area and Production 66 7.18 Inglewood Shire - Beef Cattle Numbers 68 7.19 Inglewood Shire - Breeds of Beef Cattle on Rural Holdings 69 7.20 Dumaresq River - Type of Fat Cattle Turned Off 69 7.21 Inglewood Shire - Sheep Numbers and Wool Production 71 7.22 Inglewood Shire - Lambing Percentages 71 7.23 Inglewood Shire - Pig Production 73 7.24 Inglewood Shire - Useful Honey Flora • 74 9.1 Inglewood Shire - Forestry Reserves 79 9.2 Inglewood Shire - Timber Milled 80 10.1 Inglewood Shire - Area and Production of Major Crops 81 10.2 Inglewood Shire - Application of Artificial Fertilizer to Crop 82 1975-76 10.3 Inglewood Shire - Population Trends 82 11.1 Inglewood Shire - Estimated Gross Value of Rural Production 84 11.2 Gross Margins for Irrigated Crops • 87 11.3 Gross Margins for Dryland Crops 88 11.4 Gross Margins - Apricots . 92 11.5 Gross Margins - Grapes 92 MAPS MAP 1 Climate and Water Resources MAP 2 Vegetation MAP 3 Land Use MAP 4 Soils MAP 5 Land Capability 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Shire of Inglevood is situated on the southern border of Queensland, and lies between 28°15'S and 29°15'S latitude and the 150°45' and 151°45' longitude. The town of Inglewood is 260 km south-vest fron Brisbane. A locality map of the Shire is included on Hap 5. The area of the Shire is 5850 km2, of which approximately 5 percent is devoted to crops and sown pastures. The remainder is native pasture grazing country (76 percent) running both sheep and cattle, and State Forest Reserves (19 percent), where grazing is restricted to cattle only. Agriculture, wool growing and beef breeding are the major industries of Inglewood Shire. Other Important industries are timber getting and milling and beekeeping. Mining Is also undertaken on a small scale. The 'Shire is not well endowed with natural resources however, with the increased supply of stored water from the Glenlyon Dam, the comparatively cheap non-tobacco-quota land, and relative closeness to Brisbane, the Shire is well suited to expansion in areas such as horticultural and specialized field .crops. 1.2 EARLY EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT Amongst the foremost of Australia's explorers was Allan Cunningham, whose most Important journey began at Segenhoe, the distant outpost.on the Upper Hunter River and near the present town of Scone, on 30 April 1827. With the backing of the new Govenor of New South Wales, Ralph Darling, who was interested in the potential for. settlement of the inland area fcetween Bathurst and southern Queensland, Cunningham, with six men and eleven horses, journeyed northward. ~ After many discoveries, he was forced, because of the arid conditions of the drought sticken land, to turn more to the east. This led to his greatest discovery - the famous Darling Downs. 'He appears to have crossed the Dumaresq River (or Severn), near Beebo; then he swung a little east of Inglewood past Coolmunda, and just touched Bodumba Creek at its south-eastern corner.