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GENERAL REPORT ON LANDS OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA, QUEENSLAND, 1953-54 COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIA 1964 REGISTERED IN AUSTRALIA FOR TRANSMISSION BY POST AS A PERIODICAL General Report on Lands of the Leichhardt-Gilbert Area, Queensland, 1953-54 Comprising papers by R. A. Perry, J. R. Sleeman, C. R. Twidale, C. E. Prichard, R. 0. Slatyer, M. Lazarides, and F. H. Collins Compiled by R. A. Perry Land Research Series No. 11 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia Melbourne 1964 Printed by CSIRO, Melbourne CONTENTS PAGE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 PART I. INTRODUCTION TO THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. A. Perry 10 I. METHODS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 II. LOCATION AND SURVEY STATISTICS .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 III. TOWNS AND COMMUNICATIONS .. .. .. .. .. 10 IV. HISTORY 12 V. THE REPORT 14 VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 VII. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. 15 PART II. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. A. Perry 16 I. PHYSIOGRAPHY .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 (a) Isa Highlands . 16 (b) Carpentaria and Inland Plains .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 (c) Einasleigh Uplands . 16 II. DRAINAGE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 III. CLIMATE 17 (a) General Climatic Characteristics .. .. .. .. 17 (b) Growing Period for Agricultural Plants .. .. .. 17 (c) Growing Period for Natural Pastures . 17 IV. HISTORY OF THE LANDSCAPE .. .. .. .. 18 (a) Destructional Surfaces .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 (b) Constructional Surfaces . 18 V. REGIONAL GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND VEGETATION . .. .. .. 19 (a) Isa Highlands 19 (b) Carpentaria and Inland Plains .. .. .. .. .. 19 (c) Einasleigh Uplands .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 VI. LAND USE 20 (a) Climate and Land Use .. .. .. 20 (b) Possibilities of Water Storage 20 4 CONTENTS PAGE (c) Agricultural Potential .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 (d) Present Land Use 21 (e) Pasture Lands .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 PART III. LAND SYSTEMS OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. A. Perry, J. R. Sleeman, C. R. Twidale, and C. E. Prichard .. 25 I. GENERAL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 II. REFERENCES . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 PART IV. CLIMATE OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. O. Slatyer 90 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 90 II. GENERAL CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS .. .. .. .. .. 91 (a) Rainfall 91 (b) Temperature 94 (c) Humidity 95 (d) Evaporation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 III. CLIMATE IN RELATION TO PLANT GROWTH .. .. .. .. 97 (a) Growing Period for Agricultural Plants . .. .. 98 (b) Growing Period of Natural Pastures .. .. .. 100 (c) Water Requirements for Irrigation .. .. .. 103 IV. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 104 V. REFERENCES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 104 PART V. OUTLINE OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE LEICHHARDT- GILBERT AREA. By C. E. Prichard 105 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 (a) General 105 (b) Geological History 105 (c) Resources .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 (d) Geology and Land Systems .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 II. PRE-CAMBRIAN .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 (a) Cloncurry Complex .. .. .. .. .. .. 108 (b) Etheridge Complex 108 (c) Plutonic Rocks 108 III. PALAEOZOIC .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 108 (a) Cambrian 108 (b) Silurian-Devonian . .. .. .. 109 (c) Permian 109 CONTENTS 5 PAGE IV. MESOZOIC .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..110 (a) Blythesdale Group 110 (b) Rolling Downs Group .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Ill V. CAINOZOIC .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Ill (a) Tertiary Ill (b) Quaternary .. .. .. .. .. .. ..113 VI. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..113 VII. UNDERGROUND WATER .. .. .. .. .. .. 114 VIII. REFERENCES 114 PART VI. GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By C. R. Twidale 115 I. GENERAL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..115 (a) Regional Considerations .. .. -.. .. .. ..115 (b) Physiographic Divisions .. .. .. .. .. ..115 (c) Structure and Relief 116 (d) Drainage .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..117 (e) Relief and Climate 117 II. GEOMORPHOLOGY 118 (a) General 118 (b) Destructional Land Surfaces .. .. .. .. .. ..118 (c) Constructional Land Surfaces .. .. .. .. .. 120 III. GEOMORPHOLOGICAL UNITS .. .. .. .. 120 (a) Destructional Land Forms .. .. .. .. .. 120 (b) Constructional Land Forms . .. .. 122 IV. REFERENCES 124 PART VII. SURFACE HYDROLOGY OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By C. R. Twidale 125 I. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS .. .. .. .. .. .. 125 II. SURFACE WATER RESOURCES .. .. .. .. .. .. 125 (a) Natural Waters 125 (b) Made Waters 127 III. PROBLEMS 127 (a) Dam Construction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 127 (b) Evaporation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 128 IV. CONCLUSION 128 V. REFERENCES 128 6 CONTENTS PAGE PART VIII. SOILS OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By J. R. Sleeman 129 I. INTRODUCTION . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 129 II. THE SOILS AND THEIR AGRICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS .. .. .. 136 (a) Brown Soils of Light Texture .. .. .. .. .. 136 (b) Red and Yellow Earths 137 (c) Krasnozems .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 139 (d) Red and Yellow Podzolics 140 (e) Red-brown Earths 140 (/) Solodized Solonetz 141 (g) Solonchaks 142 (h) Grey and Brown Soils of Heavy Texture .. .. .. 142 (i) Black Earths 144 (j) Wiesenbodens . 144 (k) Rendzinas 144 (/) Grey-brown and Red Calcareous Desert Soils .. .. 145 (m) Aeolian Sands .. .. .. .. .. .. 145 (n) Alluvial Soils 145 (o) Skeletal Soils 146 (p) Miscellaneous Soils . .. .. .. 146 III. LATERITE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 146 IV. THE SOILS IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENT .. .. .. .. .. 147 (a) Lithology 147 (b) Climate 149 (c) Geomorphology .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 V. REFERENCES . .. .. .. .. .. .. 151 PART IX. VEGETATION OF THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. A. Perry and M. Lazarides . 152 I. VEGETATION IN RELATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT . .. 152 (a) Range of Environments . .. .. .. 152 (6) Community Types in Relation to Environment .. .. 152 (c) Plant Types in Relation to Environment .. .. .. ..153 (d) Plant Distribution in Relation to Environment .. .. .. 153 II. PLANT GEOGRAPHY .. ..153 (a) Prominent Trees 153 (b) Prominent Grasses .. .. .. .. .. .. 153 (c) The Great Artesian Basin as a Migration Barrier .. .. .. 154 III. CLASSIFICATION OF THE VEGETATION .. .. 154 (a) Relevant Features of the Vegetation . .. 154 (b) System of Classification .. .. .. .. .. .. ..155 CONTENTS 7 PAGE IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE VEGETATION .. .. .. .. 159 (a) Nomenclature .. .. 159 (b) Tree Layer Continua . .. .. .. .. .. 159 (c) Grass Layer Continua . 183 V. REFERENCES . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 191 PART X. LAND USE IN THE LEICHHARDT-GILBERT AREA. By R. A. Perry 192 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 192 II. HISTORY OF LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 192 III. PRESENT LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. .. 194 (a) Grazing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 194 (b) Mining 196 IV. CLIMATE AND LAND USE .. .. .. .. .. .. 196 V. POSSIBILITIES OF WATER STORAGE 197 VI. AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL . .. .. .. .. 197 (a) Dry-land Agriculture . 198 (b) Irrigated Agriculture . 199 VII. NUTRITIVE VALUE OF THE PASTURES .. .. .. .. 199 VIII. PASTURE LANDS 200 (a) Non-range Country . .. .. .. .. 200 (b) Spinifex Plains and Low Plateaux .. .. 201 (c) Northern Sandy Forest Country .. .. .. .. .. 201 (d) Southern Sandy Forest Country. .. .. .. .. .. 204 (e) Coastal Country 204 (/) Western Mid-height Grass Country 205 (g) Arid Short Grass Country 205 Qi) Delta Country 205 (0 Frontage Country 206 (j) Blue Grass-Browntop Plains .. .. .. 206 (k) Mitchell Grass Plains 207 (/) Eastern Spinifex Country 208 (m) Three-awn Country 208 («) Eastern Mid-height Grass Country 209 (o) Basalt Country 209 IX. STOCKING RATES OF THE PASTURE LANDS 210 X. REFERENCES 213 8 CONTENTS PAGE PART XI. BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY IN THE GULF REGION OF QUEENSLAND. By F. H. Collins 214 I. INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 214 II. ANALYSIS OF STOCKING RATES .. .. .. .. .. .. 215 (a) General .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 215 (b) Variation between Properties .. .. .. .. ..215 (c) Association of Pasture Lands . .. .. .. 216 (d) Homogeneity of Pasture Lands .. .. .. .. ..216 III. CATTLE NUMBERS .. .. .. .