Channel Country

The IBRA regions of Australia, with Channel Country in red

Overhead Channel Country / Cooper Creek

Bulloo River crossing, 1955

The Channel Country is region of outback Australia located mostly in the state of Queensland but also in portions 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 km².^[3] The Channel Country is situated over the Cooper and Eromanga geological basins and the Lake Eyre Basin drainage basin. Further to the east is the less arid Maranoa district.

Geography

Birdsville 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

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 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]

Bioregion

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]

History

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.^[9]

References

↑ Channel Country Bioregion New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water.
1 2 "Rangelands – Overview – Channel Country". Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 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. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
↑ "West Wing Aviation Mail Runs". 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.
↑ "Georgina-Diamantina Catchment Strategic Plan" (PDF). Natural Heritage Trust. 1 October 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA)

Arnhem Coast Arnhem Plateau Australian Alps Avon Wheatbelt Ben Lomond Brigalow Belt North Brigalow Belt South Broken Hill Complex Burt Plain Cape York Peninsula Carnarvon Central Arnhem Central Kimberley Central Mackay Coast Central Ranges Channel Country Cobar Peneplain Coolgardie Coral Sea Daly Basin Dampierland Darling Riverine Plains Darwin Coastal Davenport Murchison Ranges Desert Uplands Einasleigh Uplands Esperance Plains Eyre Yorke Block Finke Flinders Lofty Block Furneaux Gascoyne Gawler Geraldton Sandplains Gibson Desert Great Sandy Desert Great Victoria Desert Gulf Coastal Gulf Fall and Uplands Gulf Plains Hampton Indian Tropical Islands Jarrah Forest Kanmantoo King Little Sandy Desert MacDonnell Ranges Mallee Mitchell Grass Downs Mount Isa Inlier Mulga Lands Murchison Murray Darling Depression Nandewar Naracoorte Coastal Plain New England Tablelands Northern Kimberley New South Wales North Coast New South Wales South Western Slopes Nullarbor Ord Victoria Plain Pacific Subtropical Islands Pine Creek Pilbara Riverina Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields South East Coastal Plain South East Corner South Eastern Highlands South East Queensland Southern Volcanic Plain Stony Plains Sturt Plateau Subantarctic Islands Swan Coastal Plain Sydney Basin Tanami Tasmanian Central Highlands Tasmanian Northern Midlands Tasmanian Northern Slopes Tasmanian South East Tasmanian Southern Ranges Tasmanian West Tiwi Cobourg Victoria Bonaparte Victorian Midlands Warren Wet Tropics Yalgoo

Bioregions of the National Reserve System

Coordinates: 25°59′47.04″S 140°59′57.52″E / 25.9964000°S 140.9993111°E / -25.9964000; 140.9993111

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