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Lands of the Isaac-Comet Area, Queensland

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Lands of the Isaac-Comet Area, Queensland IMPORTANT NOTICE © Copyright Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (‘CSIRO’) Australia. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO Division of Land and Water. The data, results and analyses contained in this publication are based on a number of technical, circumstantial or otherwise specified assumptions and parameters. The user must make its own assessment of the suitability for its use of the information or material contained in or generated from the publication. To the extend permitted by law, CSIRO excludes all liability to any person or organisation for expenses, losses, liability and costs arising directly or indirectly from using this publication (in whole or in part) and any information or material contained in it. The publication must not be used as a means of endorsement without the prior written consent of CSIRO. NOTE This report and accompanying maps are scanned and some detail may be illegible or lost. Before acting on this information, readers are strongly advised to ensure that numerals, percentages and details are correct. This digital document is provided as information by the Department of Natural Resources and Water under agreement with CSIRO Division of Land and Water and remains their property. All enquiries regarding the content of this document should be referred to CSIRO Division of Land and Water. The Department of Natural Resources and Water nor its officers or staff accepts any responsibility for any loss or damage that may result in any inaccuracy or omission in the information contained herein. LANDS OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA, QUEENSLAND LAND RESEARCH SERIES NO. 19 COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIA 1967 REGISTERED IN AUSTRALIA FOR TRANSMISSION BY POST AS A PERIODICAL Lands of the Isaac-Comet Area, Queensland Comprising papers by R. Story, R. W. Galloway, R. H. Gunn, and E. A. Fitzpatrick Land Research Series No. 19 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia Melbourne 1967 Printed by CSIRO, Melbourne The Isaac-Comet area. CONTENTS PAGE PART I. INTRODUCTION. By R. Story .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 I. GENERAL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 II. SURVEY TECHNIQUE . .. .. .. .. .. 10 III. SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE AREA .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 IV. EXPLORATION AND EARLY SETTLEMENT .. .. .. 11 V. COMMUNICATIONS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 VI. POPULATION AND ACTIVITIES .. .. .. .. .. 15 VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .. .. .. .. .. 15 VIII. REFERENCES . .. .. .. .. .. 16 PART II. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. W. Galloway .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 II. MAJOR FEATURES OF THE ENVIRONMENT . .. .. .. 17 (a) Climate .. .. 17 (b) Geology .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 (c) Geomorphology .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 (d) Soils .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 (e) Vegetation . 19 III. TYPES OF COUNTRY .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 (a) Mountains . .. .. .. .. .. 20 (6) Hills with Woodlands . .. .. .. 20 (c) Hills with Softwood Scrub . 20 (rf) Hills with Lancewood Scrub . .. .. 20 (e) Tablelands and Lowlands with Red and Yellow Earths .. .. .. 20 (/) Lowlands with Woodlands . .. .. 21 (g) Lowlands with Brigalow Scrub .. .. .. .. .. 21 (h) Lowlands with Softwood Scrub .. .. .. 21 (0 Grassland .. .. .. .. 21 (j) Alluvium .. .. .. .. 21 IV. LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 (a) Natural Pastures .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 (b) Improved Pastures . .. .. .. .. .. 22 (c) Cultivation . .. .. .. .. 22 (d) Irrigation . .. .. .. .. .. 23 PART III. LAND SYSTEMS OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. Story, R. W. Galloway, and R. H. Gunn .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 PART IV. CLIMATE OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By E. A. Fitzpatrick .. .. 53 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53 (a) Principal Climatic Features .. .. .. .. .. .. 53 (b) Principal Climatic Controls .. .. .. .. 53 5 CONTENTS PAGE II. GENERAL CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS .. .. .. .. .. 55 (a) Rainfall .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 55 (b) Temperature . .. 61 (c) Humidity . .. 64 (d) Cloudiness, Sunshine, and Radiation .. .. .. .. .. 65 (e) Evaporation . .. .. .. .. .. 65 III. AGROCLIMATOLOGY .. .. .. .. .. .. 67 IV. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 67 PART V. GEOLOGY OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. W. Galloway . .. 68 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. • - - 68 II. GENERAL GEOLOGY .. .. .. .. .. .. • • .. 68 (a) Permian .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 68 (b) Triassic . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 (c) Jurassic and Cretaceous .. .. .. .. - . 70 {d) Tertiary .. .. .. .. .. .. - . • 70 0) Post-Tertiary . .. 71 III. STRUCTURE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71 IV. GEOLOGY AND THE LAND SYSTEMS .. .. .. .. 72 (a) Non-quartzose Pre-Tertiary Sedimentary Rocks .. .. .. 72 (b) Quartzose Sedimentary Rocks .. .. .. .. 74 (c) Quartz Sandstone .. .. .. .. .. .. 74 (d) Basalt and Volcanics .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 75 (e) Tertiary Sandstone .. .. .. .. 75 (/) Tertiary Clay .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 75 (g) Post-Tertiary Alluvium .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 V. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 PART VI. GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. W. Galloway 77 I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 (a) Isaac-Connors Catchment .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 (b) Comet Catchment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 (c) Central Area Draining to the Nogoa-Mackenzie .. .. .. 78 II. EVOLUTION OF THE LAND FORMS .. .. .. .. .. .. 79 (a) Late Mesozoic Erosion . .. .. .. .. .. .. 79 (b) Lower Tertiary Basalt .. .. .. .. .. 80 (c) Post-basalt Erosion .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 (rf) Tertiary Deposition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 (e) Tertiary Deep Weathering . .. .. .. .. 81 (/) Late Tertiary Erosion .. .. .. .. .. .. 82 (g) Late Tertiary Deposition .. .. .. .. .. .. 83 (h) Quaternary Alluviation .. .. .. .. .. 84 III. GEOMORPHOLOGY AND THE LAND SYSTEMS . 84 (a) Land Systems on Intact or Slightly Denuded Tertiary Land Surface .. .. 85 (b) Land Systems on Erosional Areas within the Tertiary Weathered Zone . 86 (c) Land Systems on Depositional Areas within the Tertiary Weathered Zone .. 86 (d) Land Systems on Erosional Areas cut below the Tertiary Weathered Zone .. 86 (e) Land Systems on Post-Tertiary Alluvium .. .. .. .. .. 87 CONTENTS 7 PAGE PART VII. SOILS OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. H. Gunn .. .. 89 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 89 II. SOIL GROUPS AND FAMILIES .. .. .. .. .. .. 89 III. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SOIL GROUPS AND FAMILIES .. .. .. .. 92 (a) Alluvial Soils .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92 (b) Cracking Clay Soils .. .. .. .. .. 93 (c) Texture-contrast Soils . .. .. .. .. 97 (d) Red and Yellow Earths . .. .. .. .. 100 (e) Dark Brown and Grey-brown Soils .. .. .. .. 101 (/) Uniform Coarse-textured Soils .. .. 102 (g) Shallow Rocky Soils . .. .. .. .. 102 IV. ORIGIN AND OCCURRENCE OF THE SOILS .. .. .. .. .103 (a) Occurrence of the Soils .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 103 (b) Past Climate and Geomorphic Influences .. .. .. .. 103 (c) Lithology and Relief .. .. .. 106 (d) Halomorphic Influences .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 V. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. 107 PART VIII. VEGETATION OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. Story .. .. 108 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 108 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE VEGETATION TYPES .. .. .. .. 110 (a) Shrub Woodland, Sandstone Form .. .. .. .. ..110 (U) Mixed Shrub Woodland .. .. .. .. .. .. ..113 (c) Savannah Woodland .. .. .. .. .. .. ..118 (d) Downs . .. .. .. .. .. 122 (e) Brigalow Scrub {Acacia harpophylla) .. .. .. .. 123 (/) Softwood Scrub .. .. .. .. .. .. 126 (g) Lancewood Scrub (Acacia shirleyi) .. .. 127 (h) Bendee Scrub (Acacia calenulata) . .. .. .. 127 (0 Blackwood Scrub (Acacia sp.) .. .. .. .. 127 III. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 128 PART IX. GRASSES OF THE ISAAC-COMET AREA AND THEIR UTILIZATION. By R. Story . .. .. 129 I. THE MAIN GRASS COMMUNITIES .. .. .. .. .. 129 (a) Sparse Mixed Grasses of Shrub Woodland, Sandstone Form .. .. .. 129 (b) Eastern Mid-height Grass Community . .. .. 129 (c) Downs Community .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 131 (d) Scrub Grasses .. .. .. .. .. .. 131 II. THE PASTURE LANDS .. .. .. .. .. .. 131 (a) Pasture Land 1 ..131 (b) Pasture Land 2 ..132 (c) Pasture Land 3 132 (d) Pasture Land 4 ..132 (e) Pasture Land 5 ..133 (/) Pasture Land 6 ..133 (g) Pasture Land 7 ..133 (A) Pasture Land 8 133 (0 Pasture Land 9 134 0) Pasture Land 10 ..134 (k) Pasture Land 11 ..134 8 CONTENTS PAGE III. THE BROAD ASPECTS OF UTILIZATION .. .. .. .. .. 135 (a) General .. .. .. 135 (b) Herbage and Browse . .. .. .. .. .. 136 (c) Pasture Quality .. .. .. .. .. 136 (rf) Stocking Rate and Grazing Management .. .. .. .. 136 (e) Research and its Application .. .. .. .. 137 IV. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 138 PARTX. LAND USE IN THE ISAAC-COMET AREA. By R. H. Gunn .. .. 139 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 139 II. CLIMATE AND LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. 141 (a) Pasture Growth . 141 (b) Dryland Crops .. .. .. .. .. .. 142 III. SOILS AND LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. .. 143 (a) Soil-Water Relationships . .. .. .. 143 (b) Erosion . .. .. .. .. 144 (c) Fertility . .. .. .. .. .. 144 (d) Salinity .. .. .. .. .. , . 145 (e) Other Aspects .. .. .. .. .. 145 IV. IRRIGATION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 145 V. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 146 APPENDIX I. LAND CAPABILITY CLASSES AND SUBCLASSES .. .. 147 APPENDIX II. AVAILABLE COMMON PLANT NAMES .. .. .. 150 MAPS Land Systems Geology and Geomorphology^| Soils I _ , .. )=On one sheet Vegetation Pasture Lands f PART I. INTRODUCTION By R. STORY* I. GENERAL The survey was requested by the Queensland Government to cover part of an area of new activity in pastoral and agricultural pursuits and in prospecting
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