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s'^  ^onfinenfaf  ^exxe^. 


No.    1. 


r 


Physical  Configuration 


OF 


he  Australian  Continent. 

.  With  Illustrative  Maps  and  Diagrams. 


ERNEST   FAVENC. 


riLLiAM  Brooks  &  Co.    Ltd.,  Sydney  and  Brisbai^i. 


1905. 


J 


Comprehensive  View,  in  relief,  of  tK 
Continent  of  Australia. 


o 


^roofts's  ^onfinenfaC  §exie^. 


No.    1. 


The  Physical  Configuration 

OF 

The  Australian  Continent. 

With  Illustrative  Maps  and  Diagrams. 


BY 

ERNEST    FAVENC. 


William  Brooks  &  Co  ,  Ltd.,  Sydney  and  Brisbane 
1905. 


Q 


I 


JOHN    FORREST, 

THE    EXPLORER, 

Who,  in  1874,  was  the  first  to  cross  the  wide  belt  of 
country  in  the  Centre  of  Australia  that  separated  the 
settlements  of  the  west  from  those  of  the  east,  this  book, 
on  the  Physical  Contour  of  our  Continent,  is  dedicated 
by  the 

Author. 

Sydney,  1905. 


136.1463 


PREFACE. 


The  following  work  is  a  plain  and  simple  descriptioai 
of  tlhe  surface  of  oixr  continent,  and  will,  it  is  hoped, 
prove  acceptable  to  all  Australians — both  old  and  young 
— whic  ai'e  desirous  of  becoming  better  acquaitnted  with 
the  nattural  featitres^  of  their  great  country-,  their  home. 
For  this  reiason,  both  in  text  and  maps,  all  political 
boundaries,  cities,  towns,  &.c.,  have  been  largely  ignored 
The  contents  are  adapted  for  the  use  of  every  State.  The 
publishers  trust  that  this  book  will  further  rind  favour 
as  the  first  of  a  Continental  Series  which  ij  is  hoped  will 
tond  to  foster  and  encourage  the  steady  growth  of  a 
Naitioual   Australian  feeling. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  may  sound  paradoxical  to  say  so,  but  forty  or 
fifty  years  a<ro,  the  average  Australian  knew  more  about 
the  then  settled  portions  of  his  continent  than  he  docs  at 
present,  when  so  much  more  is  settled  and  the  facilities 
for  interchange  of  conimunica.ti'on  are  enonnously 
greater.  Rut  men  travelled  then,  and  the  nature  of 
their  surroundings  was  such,  that  they  were  compelled 
to  notice  and  remember  the  couaitrv  through  which  they 
passed,  or  in  which  they  resided.  They  travel  now, 
travel  much  more  in  fact,  but  it  is  from  city  to  city, 
from  town  to  town,  from  one  populous  centre  to  another, 
whirled  along  without  any  necessity  to  closely  inspect 
the  country  they   are  pa.ssing  over. 

And  a  further  paradox  ;  many  men  travel  less  than 
before,  although  the  mtans  of  transit  are  now  so  varied 
and  abujndant  ;  .  but  then  the  rambling,  roving  spirit  is 
dying  out  with  the  growth  of  genera.tions.  Men  now 
become  rooted  in  their  homes,  the  country  districts  in 
which  they  have  grown  up,  and  the  towns  they  have 
watched  irise,  and  helped  to  develop.  To  counteract 
this,  the  wide  teaching  of  Australian  topography,  the 
simple  knowledge  of  the  surface  and  contour  of  our 
continent,  is  at  last  within  our  grasp,  thanks  to  the 
sprnad  of  settlement  and  survey.  Our  knowledge  is 
still  lacking  much  in  detail,  bvit,  taking  the  continent 
right  through,  we  are  now  for  the  first  time  in  possession 
of  saifficient  facts  to  build  up  a  base  for  a  future  edifice. 
This  is  due  to  the  v/ork  of  the  different  survey  depart- 
ments all  over  Australia,  and  the  extension  of  their  fields 
of  operations.  In  thisi,  the  sui*vey  departmeal  of 
Western  Australia  has  done  yeoman's  sei"vice.  A  vast 
untrodden  field  lay  before  it,  but  in  spite  of  many 
difficulties  that  beset  it  in  vai'ious  shajoes  and  forms, 
the  \vork  done,  dm-ing  llie  past  ten  years,  has  been 
heroic,    and    the   unmapped    areas   of  the    far    west     are 


8  INTRODUCTIOX. 

now  comparatively"  few  in  number.  Nor  ha,ve  South 
Ausitralia  and  Queensland  been  behind  in  the  peaceful 
rivali-y,  a.nd  though  the  States  of  New  South  Wales  and 
Victoria  have  no  new  lands  under  theia*  sway,  the  con- 
stant work  of  improving:  and  perfecting  topographical 
knowledge  has  gone  steadily  on. 

From  the  fruits  of  such  labour,  the  material  for 
this  book  hasi  been  collated.  There  is  no  pretence  at 
science  in  its  pages,  it  simply  claims  to  be  an  honest 
presentment  of  the  sm-face  characteristics  of  Australia, 
and  perhaps,  to  draw  attention  to  some  little-known 
facts,  the  knowledge  of  which  may  help  to  dissipate;  a 
few  fondly-cherished  errors  of  long  standing.  In  dealing 
with  such,  a  far-reaching  description,  embracing  much 
that  is  yet  but  partially  known,  a  few  obscure  points 
still  open  to  dispute,  are  unavoidably  met  with,  but 
though  there  may  be  passages  which  may  excite  sui'prise, 
or  even  doubt,  no  statement  has  been  advanced  without 
good  authority. 

The  feature  of  this  work  on  which  the  wiriter  feels- 
he  hopes  justly — proud,  is  the  maps.  The  two  relief 
maps,  the  map  of  the  river  systems  and  the  contour  map 
of  the  mountain  ranges,  these  have  all  been  specially 
compiled  from,  approved  data,  and  are  original,  and 
novel,  in  their  way.  For  the-  relief  maps  the  public  has 
to  thank  the  artistic  skill  and  ingenuity  of  D.  H.  Souter, 
and  the  accumulation  of  topogi'aphical  knowledge  of  H. 
E.  C.  Robinson,  the  well-known  cartogi'apher.  For  a 
wise  and  judicious  revise  of  th©  subject  matiter,  I  must 
thank  James  Conway,  Headmaster  of  Cleveland  Street 
Superior  School,  Sydney. 


CONTENTS. 


The  Continent  of  Australia  in  Relief    ...  ...      Frontisjiitre 

Position,  Contour               ..               ...  ...              ..                 11 

Relief            ,.,             ...             ..              ...  ...       12 

Plateaux              ...             ...  ...               1.3 

Sectional  Diagram  across  Australia       ...  ...             ...       \n 

Plains                   ...             ..              ...  ...              ..               16 

Ranges         ...             ...             ...             ...  ...             ...       18 

Southern  and  Pacific  Slopes          ..  ...             ...         20-22 

Map  showing  Ranges,  Tablelands  and  Plains     ...  ...25-26 

Rivers  of  Australia  :  Murray  River  System  ..                28 

Multiplicity  of  Channels         ..               ...  ...       29 

Lake  Ej'i'e  System           ...             ...  ...             ...              30 

Watershed*  of  Lake  E^'re        ...             ...  ..             ...       .31 

Evaporation-Cum-Soakage  System  ...             ..                ,32 

Coastal  Rivers— Pacific  System            ...  ...             ...       33 

Watershed  of  the  Clarence           ...  ...             ...              35 

Watershed  of  the  Upper  Fitzroy  (Q.)  ...             ...       36 

Map  of  the  River  Systems            ...  .,              ...          .37.38 

Watershed  of  the  Upper  Burdekin      ..  ...                      39 

Diagram— Base  of  Cape  York       ,..  ...             ...              40 

Lakes           ...             ...             ..             ...  ...             ...       43 

Maps  of  the  Australian  De.sert,  Past  and  Present     ...              40 

Oceans,  Seas  and  Coasts          ...             ...  ...             ...       48 


Cbe  Pbysical  Configuration  of  tu 
jTustralian  Continent. 


The  physical  contour  of  Australia,  as  compared  with 
that  of  the  other  great  continents  of  the  world,  displays  a 
formation  which  may  be  said  to  be  peculiarly  its  own. 
Although  its  configuration,  during  past  geological 
periods,  differed  greatly  from  its  present  one,  still,  its 
externa]  contour  of  to'-day  has  remained  unaltered  for  so 
long  that  it  may  well  be  called  the  "oldest  persistent 
continent."  Many  circumstances  have  contributed  to- 
wards this — its  complete  insulation,  its  situation  on  the 
earth's  crust,  out  of  line  of  the  track  of  earthquakes 
and  outbursts  of  volcanic  disturbances,  and,  finally,  the 
low  height  of  its  general  elevation. 

Position. — On  the  map  of  the  world,  Australia  is 
iu  the  south-east  jDortion  of  the  eastern  hemisphere.  It 
is  soiith-wc'st  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  east  of  the  In- 
dian Ocean,  between  the  parallels  of  lOdeg.  39min.  and 
39deg.  ll^min.  south  latitude,  and  the  meridians  of 
llSdeg.  5min.  and  153deg.  16min.  east  longitude.  The 
tropic  of  Capricorn  divides  it  into  two  unequal 
portions,  the  larger  of  the  two  being  the  southern  one. 
Australia  is  the  only  one  of  the  continents  the  entire 
area  of  which  lies  wholly  south  of  the  equator.  It  is 
thus  distinctively  the  southem  continent,  an  appellation 
which  was  conferred  on  it  when  its  existence  Avas  only 
conjectural. 

Contour. — Although  Australia  exhibits  a  great 
solidity  of  shape,  its  coastline  is  relatively  considerable. 
Ii  has  a  coastline  of  9000  miles  in  length,  which,  com- 
pared to  its  continental  area  of  3,014,050  square  miles, 
is  at  the  rate  of  333  square  miles  of  area  to  every  mile 
of  coastline.     Its   coastline,   therefore — comparatively  to 


12  BROOKS'S    CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

its  sixperficial  dimensions^ — is  two  and  a-half  times  greaiter 
than  that  exhibited  by  the  African  continent. 

Relief. — The  hi!j:hland?  of  the  Australian  continent 
jiartake  of  the  g'eneral  chaiacteristic  of  the  hisrhlaaids 
of  the  other  continents,  where  they  are  found  in  more 
01-  less  close  proximity  to  the  ocean,  and  present  their 
steep  acclivities  towards  its  waters.  So,  too,  the  high- 
lands of  Australia.,  although  of  comparatively  low  alti- 
tudes, lie  near  its  shores,  presenting  short  and  rapid 
declivities  towards  the  adjoining  ocean  (or  sea)  and  long 
slopes  towards  the  interior. 

The  average  height  of  the  Australian  continent  is 
805  feet ;  not  so  very  much  lower  than  the  average 
height  of  Europe,  which  is  939  feet,  but  it  is  a  mere 
dwarf  compared  to  Asia,  which  averages  3189  feet. 

The  slope  of  the  land  in  Australia  is  singular,  in- 
asmuch as  while  still  resembling  the  other  continents 
in  the  peneral  arransement  of  its  land-masses,  in  their 
coastal  neighbourhood  and  direction  of  the  short  slopes 
seaward,  its  insularity  is  marked  by  these  land-masses 
facing  the  four  points  of  the  compass  with  their  abrupt 
slopes. 

The  highlands  of  Australia,  on  the  east  coast,  con- 
front the  Pacific  Ocean  with  their  couuter  slope,  having 
their  longer  slope  to  the  west.  On  the  west  coast,  on 
the  contrary,  the  highlands  present  their  short  slope  to 
the  Indian  Ocean,  and  their  gradual  slope  inclines 
inland.  But  there  is  thisi  miarked  difference.  The 
long  slope  from  east  to  west  is  suited  to  the  formation 
of  leuirthened  river-coui-ses.  On  the  Indian  Ocean  slope 
no  cori-esponding  long  slope  from  west  to'  east  exisits. 
On  the  contrary,  the  western  half  of  the  interior  plateau 
rdsesi,  erratically  and  almost  imperceptibly,  but  still 
gradually  towards  the  centre  of  the  continent,  and  affords 
no>  facilities  for  the  formation  of  water-courses. 

The  culminating  point  of  the  highlands  of  the  east 
is  73'28  feet  above  sea  level.     In  the  west  it  only  reaches 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     13 

3800  feet.  In  tlie  north  the  long  slope  inclines  south- 
ward, and  in  the  eastoin  portion  it  difiei's  from  the  west- 
ern in  favoiu'ing  the  f onuaiion  of  long  river-courses  ;  the 
counter  slope  is  presented  towards  the  Timor  and  Ara- 
fura  Seias.  In  the  south  there  is  an  obvious  absence  of 
pronounced  land-raas'ses  and  rivex'-coui'ses ;  but  in  the 
easitern  portion  a  continuation  of  the  lofty  eastern  high- 
lands boldly  faces  the  Southern  Ocean. 

Plateaux.-. The  great  plateau  of  the  interior  of 
the  continent  is  thus  guarded  and  enclosed  by  a  con- 
tinuous line  of  ranges,  ridges,  and  gentle  slopes,  at  times 
presenting  a  formidable  barrier,  and  at  times  an  almost 
invisible  rise,  but  always  forming  an  unbroken  water- 
parting  between  the  drainage  of  the  short,  abrupt  slope 
and  that  of  the  long. 

A  description  of  the  Thibetan  plateau,  written  by 
the  late  Professor  Hughes,  might  well  be  applied  to 
Australia,  only  altering  the  word  'southward'  to  "east- 
ward." "The  traveller  who  scales  them  (the  highlands) 
from  the  eastward  finds,  when  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain-wall is  passed,  that  he  is  upon  an  immense  plain. 
The  irregular  and  peak-crowned  rampart  through  which 
he  has  ascended  forms  the  barrier  of  this  vast  and 
elevated  region :  its  highest  points  rise  considerably 
above  the  general  level  of  the  tableland,  and,  seen  from 
below,  appear  to  form  the  connecting  links  of  a  con^ 
tinuous  mountain-chain.  But,  viewed  as  a  part  of  the 
whole  continuous  mass  of  high  land,  they  sink  into  un- 
importance as  compared  with  its  more  solid  extent  and 
vastly  gi'eater  proportions." 

Making  due  allowance  for  difference  in  altitude,  the 
above  might  have  been  written  of  the  great  inland  pla- 
teau of  Australia. 

This  interior  plateau  is  bisected  by  a  defined  water- 
slied,  continuous  in  character,  but  neither  prominent  nor 
elevated,  nevertheless  a  ti'ue  watershed  which  can  be 
traced  north  from  the  head  of  Spencer  Gulf  to  the  edge 


14  BROOKS's     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

of  the  plateau  immediately  south  of  Daly  Waters  tele- 
graph station  on  the  Overland  Line.  The  eastern  section 
is  much  more  depressed  than  the  western  one,  but,  on 
the  other  hand  it  has  the  natural  features  boldly  defined 
and  the  river  chaivnels  follow  the  orderly  drainage  sys- 
tems of  other  continental  lands.  It  is  in  this  siec(tion 
that  the  most  extensive  plain  of  the  interior  is  to  be  found, 
namely,  the  Murray  Plain. 

A  man  could  start  from  Port  Augusta,  at  the  head 
of  Spencer  Gulf,  and  travel  on  foot  to  the  Gulf  of 
Carpentaria,  without  crossing  an  altitude  of  one 
thousand  i'eei;  He  could  cross  into  the  Lake  Eyi-e 
basin,  and,  following  up  the  Geoi'gina,  arrive  at  the  town- 
ship of  Camooweal,  situated  at  its  head.  He  would  there 
be  at  an  altitude  of  71-3  feet,  and  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  edge  of  the  plateau.  The  edge  of  the  plateau  would 
perhaps  be  a  few  feet  higher.  ..Then  he  would  descend 
the  O'Shanassy  to  the  Gregory,  and  follow  that  river 
to  the  Gulf.     '  •.       . 

In  the  southern  and  western  portion  of  this  sectioin  oi 
the  plateau  the  slope  of  tllie  land  converges  towards -aai 
area  of  depression,  the  lowest  point  of  which  is  Lake  Eyre, 
the  southern  shore  of  which  lake  is  39  feet  below  sea 
level ;  but  the  phenomena  of  Lake  Eyre  and  i  ts  svtr- 
roundings  are  dealt  with  in  their  proper  place. 

The  western  section  of  the  plateau  is  directly  op- 
posed to  the  eastern.  'It  is  not  so  deeply  depressed,  and 
its  natural  features  are  vague  and  disappointing,  partic- 
ularly itsi  drainage  system,  which  is  without  order  or 
method.  The  surface  ascends  slightly,  conversely  to  the 
eastern  section,  rising  very  gi-adually  from  west  to  east, 
and  finding  its  culnunating  point  in  the  abrupt  and 
sudden  rise  of  the  M'Donnell  Ranges.  The  salt  lakes 
of  this  section  are  over  a  thousand  feet  above  sea  level, 
while  those  in  the  eastern  section  are  less  than  300.  The 
edge  of  this  section  of  the  plateau  is  highest  on  its 
northern  face  and  lowest  on  its  southern. 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION    OF   AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     15 


An    imaginary    trip    across 
central  Australia  gives  a  good  n  ^ 
idea  of  the  general  contour  of  !>  k 
the  continent. 

Starting  fiom  the  coast  at 
the  mouth  of  an  important 
river  we  ascend  a  steep  range 
to  a  plateau,  and  find  our- 
selves still  on  the  tributary 
waters  of  the  river  we  have 
left.  Crossing  the  basin, 
another  range  is  ascended, 
but  we  are  once  more  on 
coastal  waters,  running  into 
the  Pacific. 

This,  in  itself,  is  a  strange 
formation,  one  coastal  plateau 
ovei'lapping  another  plateau, 
and  diverting  the  drainage. 
When  the  third  ascent  is 
made,  we  are  at  last  upon  the 
main  inland  plateau  at  about 
a  level  of  1400  feet.  A' steady 
descent  is  then  made  until 
the  level  is  but  350  feet. 
Shortly  afterwards  the  sur- 
face commences  to  rise  to- 
wards the  M'Donnell  Ranges 
(the  nominal  centre  of  Aus- 
tralia}, averaging  3C00  feet 
above  sea-level,  with  culmin- 
ating peaks  over  4000  feet. 

Descending  to  about  1700 
feet,  there  is  a  constant  but 
gradual  decline  of  some  500 
miles  long  to  the  edge  of  the 
plateau,  which  edge  is  here  a 
descent  of  a  few  hundred 
feet  only.  The  rivers  there  P$)l 
continue    constant,   lonar    and 


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16  Brooks's   coNTrxKNTAL  skkies. 

even  courses  to  their  home  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  flanked 
by  ranges  having  occasional  altitudes  of  over  3000  feet. 

Plains. — The  coastal  plain  which  surrounds  the  con- 
tinent, and  on  which  the  edge  of  the  interior  plateau 
abuts,  varies  greatly  in  breadth.  Its  greatest  average 
width  is  on  the  northern  coasit  ;  the  eastern  and  wes- 
tern plains  are  of  about  the  same  average  width  ;  and 
on  the  south  it  is  for  a  long  space  indeterminable. 

But  the  coastal  plain  that  encircles  Australia  is  worthy 
of  a  more  detailed  description,  seeing  that  it  is 
of  such  extent,  and  that  tlii-ough  it  run  the 
rivers  that  empty  direct  into  the  sea.  Its  altitude  varies 
considerably,  and  it  is  travel  sed  by  numerous  ranges. 
On  the  east  &ide  of  the  Muaray  it  may  be  said  to  com- 
mence, branching  eastward  from  the  great  Murray 
Plain  which  runs  inland.  Soon  the  upstarting 
Grampians  confine  it  within  the  commencement  of  two 
stern  boundary  lines.  On  one  side  the  ocean  and  on  the 
other  the  continuous  barrier  of  the  Great  Divide.  Here 
the  plain  is  watered  by  many  rivei's,  and  px'eserves  a  fair 
average  width  until  it  approaches  the  east  coast  where  it 
narrows  down  to  a  mea*e  strip  and  starts  its  northern 
caieer  on  a  very  narrow  basis.  Gradually  it  widens  out 
until  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Hunter  affords  it  a  more 
extended  latitudinal  space.  North  of  the  Hunter  it 
shrinks  again  and  runs  an  even  course  until  the  Macpher- 
son  Range,  starting  from  the  Great  Divide,  cuts  across  it 
to  the  ocean.  The  plain  is  now  narrow,  but  soom  the 
Great  Dividei,  receding  from  its  proximity  to  the  coast, 
ati'ords  it  iiioiie  space  which  the  Burnett  River  at  once 
takes  advantage  of.  The  coastal  plain  is  here  divided 
longitudinally  by  chains  of  ranges,  which  start  from  the 
Ga-eat  Divide  and  continue  independent  careers  to  the 
peninsula  of  Oape  York.  East  of  the  chains  of  coast 
ranges  is  the  low-lying  plain  adjoining  the  ocean.  West- 
yard  sxt  plateaux,  which  aa-e  bounded  to  the  westwaid  by 
the  rise  of  the  Gr^eat  Divide,  which  is  here  far  removed 
from  the  Pacific.  The  main  tributaries  of  the  Fitzroy 
drain  the  most  southern  of  these  plateaux,  and.  unit^'d. 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.       I  7 

descend  through  a  gorge  in  this  longitudinal  coast  chain, 
and  f^ow  through  low  country  to  the  ocean.  Above  thia, 
there  is  another  plateau  drained  in  a  similar  way,  by 
tihe  Burdekin,  only  the  gorge  through  which  that  river 
descends  to  the  lower  plain  is  very  cointracted.  Follow- 
ing the  tropic  from  east  to  west  no  less  t'lian  three  river 
basins  are  met  with!  before  crossing  the  Great  Divide. 
First  the  lower  basin  of  the  Fitzroy  (Q.),  then  ascending  a 
steep  range  (the  Boomer  Mountains),  we  find  ourselves  on 
a  plateau  thi-'ough  which  flows  the  Mackenzie,  running  a. 
southern  and  western  course.  Crossing  this  river  we  as- 
cend another  range  (the  Driimmond  liauge),  and  are  on 
the  Belyaudo,  rmming  north  tO'  join  the  Burdekin.  Still 
following  the  tropic  and  crossing  th©  Belyando,  a  third 
range  is  met  with,  the  Great  Divide,  the  edge  of  the  inland 
plateau,  and  ascending  it,  we  are  on  Thomson  watere  and 
in  the  basin  of  Lake  Eyre. 

After  crossing  the  Burdekin  the  coastal  plain  is  crushed 
once  more  into  a  narrow  strip,  only  asserting  its  rights 
to  some  room  at  the  Herbert,  and  further  north  at  the 
Normanby. 

The  plain,  where  it  is  drained  b}-  the  sluggish  Wat-ex's  of 
the  Great  Gulf,  is  of  considerable  extent.  The  ranges  hug 
the  I'acific,  and  leave  the  Carpentariaai  shorei  an  ample 
margin,  and  the  broad  region  of  Arnhem  Land,  its 
eastern  hoaii,  woiuld  be  wholly  in  possession  of 
the  plain,  but  that  it  is  vei-y  broken  by  plateaux  and 
chains  of  hills.  West  of  the  Victoria  River  the  coastal 
plain  is  much  traversed  by  ranges,  one  of  which,  the 
King  Leopold,  forms  a  semicircular  barrier  round  a 
poi-tion  of  the  plain,  and  here,  the  gorge  formation 
once  more  asserts  itself  at  the  head  of  the  Fitzi-oy 
(W.A.).  The  plain  narrows  once  more  west  of  the 
Fitzroy,  and  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles  is  untravei'sed 
by  river*.  At  the  Oako^er  River  the  characteristics  of  an 
extended  coastal  plain,  nourishing  rivers  and  creeks 
springing  from  the  edge  of  the  inland  jjlateau,  and  water- 
ing a  level  land  dotted  with  short  ranee^^   and  isolated 


18  BROOKS's    CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

peaks,  is  resumed  one©  more.  On  its  southward  Wjay  the 
plain  grows  narrower,  and  when  it  turns  east,  its  width 
is  greatly  redueed,  in  fact  round  the  Great  Bight,  the 
differenctei  between  it  and  th©  inla.nd  plateau  is  ahnost  un- 
defined ;  nor  ar©  there  any  rivers  in  this  part  of  it.  Ap- 
proaching Spencer  Gulf  it  is  wider,  but  still  riverless.  It 
is  na«rrow  on  the  east  side  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Vincen,t,  and 
gradually  merger  into  the  Murray  Plain  once  more. 

The  Murray  Plain  is  the  most  extensive  of  the  in- 
terior ;  its  altitude  is  under  500  feet ;  then  come  the  Lake 
Eyre  Plain  and  the  Bulloo  Plain. 

Both  botanically  and  zoologically  there  is  a  marked 
ditierence  between  the  coastal  plain  and  the  inland  plains 
and  plateau. 

Rang^es. — The  ranges  of  Australia  have  always 
been  a  puzzle  to  the  geographer,  and  it  is  only  now  that 
a  true  knowledge)  and  estimate  of  them  can  be  made. 

The  principal  range  of  Australia  is  the  Great  Divid- 
ing Range,  the  study  of  which  may  be  appropriately 
commenced  at  the  abrupt  southern  end,  in  about  142deg. 
east  longitude,  and  which  then  inins  parallel  with 
the  south  coast  to  the  east  coast,  where  it  turns 
northerly.  The  Great  Dividing  Range  was  so  called 
in  the  early  days,  when  the  pioneers  found  that 
it  fonued  a  prolonged  divide  between  the  waters  otf  the 
coast  and  the  watei-s  which  ran  to  the  then  unknown 
west.  The  name  was  singularly  appropriate,  and  was 
retained  as  the  exploration  of  the  ©ast©m  portion  con- 
tinued north.  In  or  about  the  27th  parallel  south  lati^ 
tude  however,  the  Great  Dividing  Range,  or  tih©  short 
slope  of  the  inland  plateau,  recedes  from  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  ocean  and  pursues  a  more  westerly 
course.  As  at  this  point  its  appearance  and  height  are 
not  striking,  and  the  coastal  tiers  of  ranges  between  it 
and  the  shore — the  upheaved  edges  of  subordinate  pla- 
teaux— are  more  imposing  in  appearance,  a  geographical 
mistake  which  has  lasted  for  some  time  was  fallen  into. 
The  coast  ranges  were  taken  to  be  the  main  dividing  range. 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN   CONTINENT.     19 

aud  under  this  stolen  title  they  were  charted,  the  name 
contiiiiiiing  up  the  Cape  York  peninsula.  In  modem 
geographies  even,  it  is  still  stated  that  "these  elevations 
on  the  eastern  side  of  Australia  form  a  continuous, 
though  most  irregular,  cordOlera  or  chain  of  heights, 
extending  from  Gape  Howt  to  Cape.  York,  and  kmcnvn 
by  the  general  name  of  the  Great  Dividing  Range," 
oblivioua  of  the  fact  that  the  coastal  ranges  at  the  base 
of  the  Cape  York  peninsula  only  form  the  watei-sliied 
between  the  rivers  flowing  into  the  Pacific  and  those 
flowing  into  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria.  Reference  to  the 
coloured  map  showing  "The  River  Systems  of  Australia" 
will  at  once  make  this  clear. 

The  Great  Divide,  the  true  edge  of  the  interior 
plateau,  continues  its  northerly  course — screened, 
as  it  were,  to  seaward  by  the  coast  ranges- -until  be- 
tween the  parallels  20deg.  and  21deg.  south  latitude, 
whence  it  turns  abruptly  to  the  west,  and  bids  farewell 
t<;  the  Pacific  slopie- 

The  Great  Divide  has  now  it«  short  slope  facing 
north,  and  maintainsi  duriug  the  diiration  of  this 
face  a  low  altitude  and  few  prominent  features.  South 
of  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria  is,  however,  an  excepition, 
its  character  there  being  that  of  a  rugged,  broken  range. 
It  assumes  its  western  aspect  at  about  122deg.  east  longi- 
tude, but  in  appearance  it  is  still  but  insignificant,  and,  as 
on  the  eastern  coast,  is  dominated  by  the  superior  ele- 
vatior  of  the  peaks  rising  from  the  ranges  that  inter- 
vene betwixt  it  and  the  Indian  Ocean.  At  about  south 
latitude  34deg.  it  turns  east,  adhering  to  the  coastline 
that  fronts  the  Southern  Ocean,  and  towards  the  western 
termination  of  the  Great  Australian  Bight,  in  124deg. 
east  longitude,  it  ceases  to  have  any  prominent  material 
existence. 

The  highest  points  in  this  chain  of  between  8  and 
9000  miles  in  length  axe  as  follows :  — 


20 


BROOKS  S     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 


SOUTHERN  OCEAN   SLOPES* 

Over  6000  Feet. 

Moiunt  Feathertop        Victoria. 

Over  5000  Feet. 

Mouat  Hothani 
Ccpe 

„      Bogong 

„      Wills 

,,     Gibbo 
The  Cobboras. 
The  Snowy  Plateau 
The  Twins 
Mount  Baw-Baw 

„      Tamboritha 

„      Wellington 

,,      Buffalo  Peak 

,,     Dai'gal 

„       Kent 

.,      Cobbler 

,,      Selwyu 

„      Buller 

,,      Howitt. 

Over  4000  Feet. 


Mount  Pinnabar 
„      Baldhead 
,,      Towanga 
,,      Benanibra 


*  The  word  "  slopes  "  is  here  used  to   indicate  both  the  inland 
and  seaward  slope. 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION   OF  AUSTRALIAN   CONTINENT.    21 

Mount  Tambo  Victoria. 

„      Matlock 
.,     Torbreck 
St.  Bernard 
Burrows 
„     EUery 
, ,     Wellington 
„     Useful 
Castle  Hill 
Notch  Hill 

PACIFIC  OCEAN  SLOPES. 

Over  7000  Feet. 

Mount  Kosciusko.     N.S.W. 
Over  6000  Feet, 

The  Pilot 
Mount  Sea-View 
Ram's  Head.  ,, 

Over  5000  Feet. 

Forest  Hill 

Ben  Lomond  ,, 

Mount  Tate  :• 

,,     Clarke 

,,     Murragurai  ,, 

Chandler's  Peak 
Look-out  Point  •, 

Over  4000  Feet. 

Mount  Lambde  „ 

Cla.rence  ,, 

„     Marbden  ,, 


22  BROOKS'S    CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

Mount  Beemarung  N.S.W. 

,,     Capoombeta  „ 

Wilson's  Peak  ,, 

Beulah  Spring  ,, 

Mount  Binda  „ 

„     Cordeaux 

„     Gourada  ,, 

„     Horrible  ., 

,,     Jindulia  ., 

.,     Talbingo  ., 

„     Tumanang  ,, 

,,     Delegate  Victoria. 

„     Tinga  Ringa 

The  remaining  course  of  the  Great  Dividing  Range 
is  unmarked,  either  on  the  Carpentarian,  Arafuran,  or 
Indian  Oceaai  slopes,  by  any  elevation  above  4000  fieet. 

Mount  Kosciusko  is  the  highest  altitude  in  Australia. 
Next  to  it  comes  the  companion  moixntain.  formerly 
Mueller's  Peak,  but  now  Mount  Townsend ;  and  this 
mountain  is  supposed  to  be  the  one  named  Kosciusko  by 
Strzelecki.  The  name  having  beem  transposed  by  the 
Lands  Dept.  on  finding  the  nevp  point  (now  Mount  Kos- 
ciusko) to  be  the  highest. 

The  following  efforts  at  determining  the  height  of 
Mount  Kosciusko  have  been  made  at  various  times  in.  the 
past :  — 


Test. 

Feet. 

Strzelecki 

...  Boiling  water 

...  6,500 

Mueller 

■  ••  Boiling  water 

...   7,000 

Clarke 

...  Aneroid 

...  7,175 

G^eodetical    Survey 

of 

Victoria 

...  Triangulation 

•   7,266 

Lendenfeldt  ... 

. . .  Aneroid 

...  7,171 

Wragge 

...  Aneroid 

...   7,525 

PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION   OP  AUSTRALIAN   CONTINENT.    28 

but    tliese    altitudes,    except    Wragge's,     apply     to     the 
original  Mouut  KosciTisko,  now  Mount  Townsend. 

The  height  of  Kosciusko  above  the  level  of  the  sea  is 
officially  given  as  7328  feet.  Its  height  above  the  surface 
of  Lake  Eyre,  however,  is  7.367  feet  on  account  of  that 
lake  being  39  feet  below  sea  level.  Taking  the  centre  of 
the  lake  as  a  level,  it  is  7388  feet.  Mount  Kosciusko  and 
Lake  Eyre  are  the  highest  and  lowest  points  in  Australia. 

The  local  names  of  this  mighty  Divide  are  as  many 
and  varioxis  as  its  changes  of  appearance  and  attributes.  It 
may  be  said  to  commence  in  the  Black  Range,  a  range 
which,  though  isolated  in  situation,  is  still  connected 
with  the  main  range,  and  fonns  a  convenient  starting 
point  for  descriptive  purposes.  On  the  Southern  Ocean 
t:lope  it  bears  the  names  of  Hume,  Barry  and  Bowen  : 
on  the  Pacific  slope  it  commences  with  the  Muniong, 
wherein  the  loftiest  elevation  of  the  Divide  is  found, 
then  the  Monaro,  Gourock,  Cullarin,  Liverpool,  New 
England,  and  Bunya-bunya  Mountains 

The  Great  Divide  is  then  without  local  names,  until 
after  it  has  deflected  fi'oni  tho  Pacific  slope  and  turned 
its  short  front  to  the  north.  Then  towards  the  Gulf  of 
Carpentaria,  it  is  known  under  the  names  of  Kirby, 
Selwyn,  and  the  Barclay  Tableland. 

From  the  Barclay  Tableland  it  skirts  that  large  por- 
tion of  Australia  wherein  what  may  be  called  the 
Evaporation-cum-Soakage  System  prevails  in  the  in- 
terior, and  here  it  is  siinply  the  edge  of  the  great 
plateau ;  its  only  name  on  its  western  course  is  the  Gre;U 
Antrim  Plateau.  On  the  Indian  Ocean  slope,  the  range. 
too,  is  locally  nameless  ;  its  character,  as  the  abrupt  edge 
of  a  tableland,  not  being  striking  enough  to  divert 
attention  from  the  many  other  ranges  which  heire 
traverse  the  coastal  plain  ;  and  it  jDerpetuates  this  char- 
acter up  to  its  ostensible  disappearance  at  the  western 
end  of  the  Great  Bight  Then  reappears  asi  the  Hamp- 
ton, Gawler,  and  Flinders  Ranges,  and  again  disappears 
when  near  the  Murray.     But  although  it  a^ssumes  during 


24  BIIOOKS'S     CONTIXEXTAL    SEKIES. 

its  tedious  careei*  every  possible  character  from  an  inac- 
cessible mountain  rampart  to  a  gentle  sloping  prairie, 
every  altitude  from  over  six  thousand  feet  to  the  heiglit 
of  a  house-top,  it  always  di'aws  an  imperative  line  I'ound 
Australia  between  the  coastal  rivers  and  the  inland 
drainage ;  save  and  except  the  Murray.  That  river 
alone,  after  gathering  in  between  its  banks  the  spoil  of 
many,  many  streams  from  the  inner  slopes,  emerges 
triumphantly  to  the  Southern  Ocean. 

Practically,  a  man  could  start  fi'om  the  Black  Range, 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Murray,  travel  round  the 
continent  and  return  to  the  right  bank  without  having 
crossed  stream  or  river  on  his  long  course.  Theoretically, 
he  could  pursue  the  same  journey  without  crossing  the 
smallest  water  channel. 

Most  of  the  manj'  ranges  on  the  southern  and  southeTu- 
and-eastern  slope  are,  more  or  less,  connected  with  the 
main  divide,  which  here,  in  its  highest  and  boldest 
aspect,  throws  cff  several  prominent  spurs,  both  ocean- 
ward  and  inland.  Some  of  these  have  peaks  in  them 
over  four  thousand  feet.  On  the  inland  side  is 
Mount  Canoblas,  4610  feet,  and  on  the  Macpherson 
Rarge,  a  Pacific  spur,  there  is  Mount  Lindsay,  5700 
feet,  and  Mount  Barney,  4300  feet  in  height. 

In  the  north  there  are,  however,  many  ranges  and 
plateaux,  which  hug  the  Pacific,  and  although  a  connec- 
tion can  be  traced  to  the  parent  stem,  are  virtually  in- 
dependent of  the  Great  Divide.  Though  rugged  and 
imposing  in  appearance,  tliey  aa'e  of  no  great  altitude. 
Two  isolated  mountains  on  either  side  of  the  Birrdekin, 
ai-e  prominent  peaks  from  seaward,  Mount  Elliot,  4060 
feet,  and  Mount  Dalrymple,  4255  feet.  On  the  Cape 
York  Peninsvila,  there  is  also  one  cluster  of  ex- 
ceptional height,  known  as  the  Bellenden-Ker  Group ; 
here  there  are  many  peaks  which  pass  the  4000  feet  limit : 
Mount  Massie,  4014;  Sophia,  4253;  Harold,  4150; 
Bartle  Frere,  5438;  Centre  Peak,  5158;  South  Peak, 
5000.     South  of  Cambridge  Gulf  some  prominent  ranges 


MAP      SHOWING       RANGES, 

TABLELANDS,   AND    PLAINS 

OF  AUSTRALIA. 


Mote.— The  Main  Divide  is  marked  by  a  thicker  line  on  tin 
Map  to  give  it  pioniinence,  and  not  to  indicate  that  it  is  of  greatei 
elevation  than  other  ranges,  which,  in  many  cases,  is  not  the  fact. 


c^ 


o 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION   OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     27 

assert  themselves,  but  though,  like  the  King  Leopold 
Range,  their  appearance  is  foniiidable,  their  height  is 
under  4000  feet.  Facing  the  Indian  Ocean  the  coast 
ranges  are  many  and  rugged,  especially  the  Hammersly 
Ranffe,  but  the  highesit  point,  Mount  Bruce,  is  only 
3800  feet. 

A  group  of  mountain  ranges,  known  under 
many  names,  runa  north  and  south,  and  faces 
the  eastern  shore  of  Spencer  Gulf ;  the  highest 
peak    in     it,     however,    is    under     4000    feet. 

The  independent  ranges  of  Central  Australia  are  many 
and  scattere:! ;  the  great  central  group  is  called  the 
M'Donnell  Ranges.  These  are  situated  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  tropic  of  Capricorn,  and  consist  of  a  most  in- 
tricate series  of  ranges,  the  leading  feature  of  which  seems 
to  be  to  assume  east  and  west  lines,  and  in  this  forma- 
tion they  extend  nearly  300  miles.  They  rise  in  a  series 
of  tecrracesi,  tier  behind  tier,  until  the  highest  ridge, 
which  is  the  northern  one,  culminates  in  peaks  over  4000 
feet  high.  Two  of  them,  Mount  Edward,  4649  feet,  and 
Mount  Heughlin,  4756  feet,  are  situated  en  the  mostnorth- 
em  tier,  and  Mount  Sender,  4437  feet,  and  Mount^  Giles, 
4210  feet,  are  about  midway,  overlooking  one  of  the  lati- 
tudinal valleys  that  characterise  these  ranges.  The  head 
tributaries  of  the  Finke,  the  Hugh,  and  the  Todd,  rise  in 
a  labyi'inth  of  water-coui'ses  in  these  ranges,  and  flow 
south,  taking  a  course  at  right  angles  to  tihe  east  and 
west  trend  of  the  valleys.  The  Finke  (or  Larapinta)  has 
two  main  tributaries  which  have  their  sources  respec- 
tively at  Mount  Sonder  and  Mount  Giles.  It  then  ma,kes 
its  way  through  another  range,  the  Krichauf  Range,  to 
the  south,  pursuing  a  remarkably  sinuous  course  in  so 
doing. 

The  Lake  Eyre  basin  dr'ains  nearly  all  of  the  long 
slope  of  the  M'Dounell  Ranges,  but  although  the  highest 
points,  Mounts  Edward  and  Heughlin,  are  north  of  its 
sphere  of  drainage,  no  rivers  flow  to  the  westward  from 
this  group.     Their  elevation,  the  large  area   they  cover 


28  BROOKS's     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

and  the  extensive  break  they  make  in  the  great  inland 
plateau,  render  these  ranges  a  most  important  feature  in 
the  contour  of  Australia. 

Another  collective  group  is  named  the  Musgrave 
Ranges,  and  contains  some  peaks  approximated  at  4000 
feet,  and  one,  Mount  Woodruffe,  estimated  at  over  five. 
The  Peterman  and  many  more  isolated  ranges  are 
dotted  over  the  great  pleateau,  but  none  of  them  high 
enough  to  be  considered  noticeable  features  in  the  general 
contour  or  to  become  the  sources  of  rivers. 


THE  RIVERS  OF  AUSTRALIA. 

The  rivers  of  Australia  are  divided  into  two  distinct 
types,  the  coastal  and  the  inland.  The  coastal  rivers 
have  their  sources  in  the  seaward  slope  of  the  Great 
Dividing  Range,  or  some  independent  range  on  the 
coastal  plain,  and  flow  direct  into  the  oceans  and  sens 
surrounding  Australia.  The  inland  rivers  are  again  sub- 
divided into  the  Murray  River  system,  the  Lake  Eyre 
system,  and  the  Evaporation-cum-Soakage  system. 

The  Murray  River  System — The  Murray  and 
Darling  rivers  together  collect  the  accumulated  drainage 
of  the  eastern  interior,  and  then,  by  way  of  the  Murray,  it 
is  discharged  into  the  Southern  Ocean.  If  you  glance  at 
any  large  wall-map  of  Australia,  the  Darling  has  the 
appeairance  of  being  the  main  stream,  it  holding  a  direct 
south-west  course  throughout,  and  being  but  tempor- 
arily deflected  by  its  junction  with  the  Murray,  while 
that  river  holds  a  consistent  western  course  and  is  then 
turned  south  by  the  Darling.  The  Murray  drains  that 
slope  of  the  main  Divide  which  faces  north  and  west,  and 
like  itsi  main  tributary  to  the  northward,  the  Murrum bid- 
gee,  it  has  its  birth-place  in  the  highest  altitudes  of  those 
slopes.  After  leaving  the  mountains,  the  Murray  has 
but  one  tributary  on  its  right  bank,  the  Murrumbidgee, 
which,  however,  brings  with  it  in  its  turn,  the  lengthy 
Laehlan.     Before  the  Murrumbidgee  actually  junctions 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION   OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINBNT.     21) 

with  the  Murray,  it  is  disorganised  by  the  low,  flat 
country,  and  throws  out  arms  which  join  the  Murray  in- 
dependently and  are  mistakenly  called  rivers.  The 
Murray  and  Murrumbidgee  are  the  only  snow-fed  inland 
rivers.  The  Lachlan  is  more  of  the  central  Australian 
type,  ditoh-like,  intermittent  and  inclined  to  run  out. 

The  Darling  shares  the  task  of  mothering  the  inland 
streams  fo<r  transmission  to  the  Southern  Ocean.  It 
brings  in  the  Bogan,  Macquarie,  Castlereagh,  Namoi. 
Macintyre.  Condamine  and  Warrego,  and  sometimes  tnts 
Paron.  All  these  rivers  are  of  the  typical  formation  of 
the  long  inland  slope,  which  is  evinced  in  their  slug- 
gish   courses    and    occasional    multiplicity    of  channels. 


Diagram  showing  multiplicity  of  channels  of  an  inland 
river  in  level  eountrv. 


30  BKOOKS'S     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

The  Darling  pursues  most  of  its  cai-«er  through  the 
groat  MuiTay  plain,  v.hich  accovmts  for  the  ditch-like 
appearance  and  flat  shallow  bauks  of  it  and  it^  tribu- 
taries. The  Darling  then,  and  the  lower  Murray,  re- 
ceive nearly  all  the  inland  drainage  of  the  northern  and 
western  slopes  of  the  Main  Divide,  the  exception  being 
the  Barcoo,  which  flows  into  Cooper  Creek,  thence  into 
Lake  Eyre.  The  Dai'ling  continues  its  even  way  through 
level  countay,  from  its  true  head,  the  Coudamine,  to  ita 
junction,  but  its  waters  are  wide-spread  when  all  its 
many  tributarifes  are  in  flood  at  the  same  time.  Be- 
tween tho  basin  of  the  IMuriay  and  that  of  Lake  Eyre, 
is  a  river  called  the  Bulloo,  which  luns  an  independent 
course  of  its  own,  belonging  to  no  system  and  dis- 
charging into  a  shallow  swamp,  whose  waters  are  lost 
by  evaporation.  It  skirts  the  Grey  Ranges,  a  straggling 
offshoot  of  the  Main  Divide,  which  fomis  the  eastem 
boundai"y  of  Lake  Eyre  Basin. 

The  Lake  Eyre  System. -^-The  mystery,  for  it  can- 
not be  called  anything  else,  of  the  ha.ke  Eyre  system  of 
drainage,  lies  in  the  final  exit  of  its  waters.  Lake  Eyre 
is  the  deepest  point  of  the  depression  in  the  south-east 
of  the  plateau,  of  which  mention  has  been,  made.  This 
lake,  which  is  a  sink  for  the  rivers  flowing  into  it,  is 
.'^200  square  miles  in  area,  and  39  feet  below  sea  level. 
It  is  mostly  a  dry  bed,  the  soutlitvi'u  portion  alone  hold- 
ing wat-er.  Into  it  flow  livers  from  the  western  and  south- 
em  slopes  of  the  Main  Divide  which  face  inland  from  the 
Pacific  and  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria.  These  are,  the  Barcoo 
and  Thomson,  united  in  the  Cooper  Creek  ;  alsoi  the  Dia- 
mantina,  with  its  long  tributaries.  From  the  M'Donnell 
l\anges  come  the  Field,  Arthur,  Todd,  Finke  and  others, 
running  long  couraes  and  draining  large  basins.  The 
drainage  area  of  Lake  Eyre  is  enormous  ;  in  the  north- 
east it-s  tribufcaiy  streams  head  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  lieads  of  the  Darling,  the  Fitzroy,  the  Bur- 
dekin  and  the  Flinders  ;  ^vhile  on  the  north  its 
tributary  waters  rise  within  170  miles  of  the)  Carpen- 
tarian  shore-line,  and    it  mav  be  said    to  receive  all  but 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     ."U 


Watershed  of  Lake  Eyre. 


32  HROOKS'S    CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

an  inappreciable  portion  of  the  drainage  from  the  ex- 
tensive group  of  ranges  known  as  the  M'Donnell  Ranges ; 
the  whole  area  is  roughly  calculated  at  about  417,000 
square  miles. 

In  spite  of  this  ai-my  of  affluents,  Lake  Eyi"© 
is  nesver  full  nor  visibly  affected,  as  a  wiiole.  In 
flood  time  theses  rivers,  particularly  from  the  north-east,, 
bring  down  vast  quantities  of  water  and  submerge  the 
low-lying  country  but  never  b"well  Lake  Eyre ;  and  it 
has  no  outlet  to  the  ocean.  There  is  no  doubt  that  at 
least  half  of  the  flood-water  that  drains  from  the  Lal'.e 
Eyre  watershed  is  accounted  for  by  diffusion,  by  soakage, 
and  by  evaporation  ;  but  even  so  the  unaccounted-for  dis- 
appearance of  the  remaining  half  that  reaches  the  lake, 
is  still  a  mystery.  Another  singular  fact  in  connection 
with  this  lake  is  that  it  is  the  only  one  out  of  the  many 
salt  lakes  of  that  region  that  has  any  extended  water- 
shed ;  the  drainage  into  Lakes  Torrens,  Gairdner,  Frome, 
and  the  others,  is  merely  that  of  poor  little  local  creeks. 

The    Evaporation-cutn-Soakagre    System,* 

- — This  fysteiu  may  be  said  to  prevail  throughout  the 
western  half  of  the  intei'ior  of  Australia.  It  extends 
westward  from  the  watershed  of  the  Lake  Eyre  Basin, 
and  is  bounded  by  the  edge  of  the  interior  plateaus. 
From  a  topographical  point  of  view,  it  is  a  hopelessly 
unsatisfactory  relgion  to  deal  with,  on  account  of  its 
lack  of  definite  physical  features. 

Tho  only  wat^'r  channels  north  of  the  Lake  Eyre 
watershed,  head  from  the  Barclay  Tableland  and  flow 
westward.  They  have  a  continuous  and  defined  course 
for  about  100  miles,  and  are  then  lost  by  diffusion  in 
dry,  flooded  flats,  by  evaporation  and  soakage.  They  are 
Buchanan's  Creek  and  Creswell  Creek,  and  both  run 
through  excellent  pastoral  country.  Another  creek, 
Ross  Creek,  forms  the  well-knoAvn  Newcastle  Waters, 
named  by  M'Douall  Stuart,  which  are  lost  in  tho  shal- 
low depths  of  Lake  Woods.     The  largest  aaad  best  de- 

*  Riverles8  area. 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     38- 

Hucd  watercoiu'se,  however,  is  Sturt'^  Creek,  which 
heads  from  the  edge  of  the  tableland-  and  runs  fairly 
south  for  over  200  miles,  beino^  finally  lost  in  a  small 
salt  lake.  Strangely  enough,  although  this  was  the  first 
watercom'se  discovered  in  this  huge  riverless  area  by  A. 
C.  Gregory  in  1856,  and  has  no  leading  tributaries,  none 
other  approaching  it  in  length  or  continuity  exist/S. 

Tlie  drainage  of  this  featvu'eless  land  oousists 
of  small,  insignificant  creeks,  which  pursue  no 
system  but  i*un  a  broken  fragnientai-y  course  for 
ten  or  fifteen  miles  at  the  furthest,  and  then  are 
lost  by  one  or  all  of  the  three  causes  mentioned — soak- 
age,  evaporation  or  diffusion.  Their  commencement  is 
unaccountable,  their  course  aimless,  and  their  end  desul- 
tory; such  ai-e  the  creeks  of  this  system.  They  never 
seem  to  gathe'r  togather  coherently  to  foirm  a  main  creek 
or  to  have  energy  enough  to  cut  out  a  continuous  chan- 
nel; they  are  just  the  sport  of  the  earth-str.ata,  the 
weak  elevations,  and  exceptionally  heavy  rainfalls. 
It  seemed  once  that,  in  the  end,  a  system  however  feeble 
and  vague,  would,  be  evolved  out  of  these  unpromisiuf, 
materials,  but  a  closer  and  more  systematic  examination 
of  the  country  has  revealed  nothing  tending  to  throw 
any  light  upon  the  existence  of  any  orderly  system  of 
draina-gd  in  this  part  of  Australia.  The  absence  of  a 
sufficient  rainfall  is  the  primary  cause. 

The  Coastal  Rivers — On  the  gicat  coastal  plain, 
the  rivers  attain  in  their  youth  pufficient  velocity  and 
vigour  to  enable  them  to  cut  out  and  maintain  enduring 
channclg  to  the  sea.  Thus  their  sources  and  terminations 
arc,  as  a  rule,  conventional,  and,  according  to  orthodox 
rules,  they  rise  in  a  range  and  flow  into  the  sea;  though 
aome  have  sufficiently  distinctive  features  of  their  own, 
to  render  them  noticeable  amongst  their  f<ellow.=!. 

Pacific  System. —On  the  Pacific  coast  there  are  to 
be  found  mo.st  of  the  Aust'-alian  coastal  rivers.  The 
heavier  rainfall  and  the  higher  elevation  favours  their 
creation,  just  as  on  the  Indian  Ocean  coast,  a  lack  of 
these  advantages  reduces  their  number.     Where  the  Div- 


34  BROOKS'S     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

iding  Raugs  is:  in  close  proximity  to  the  sea,  and  is 
abrupt  and  steep,  the  rivors  often  run  parallel  with  it 
for  some  distance,  the'n  turn  and  make  for  the  shore. 
This  is  very  marked  on  the  southern  coast  of  New  South 
Wales  in  the  Shoalhavcu,  and  the  Hawkesbury,  both  of 
which  rivers  skirt  the  irange  for  some  distance,  from 
south  to  north,  before  heading  seaward. 

The  Hawkesbury  is  a  marvellous  river  from  its  long 
course  parallel  with  the  Main  Divide,  during  which 
career  its  has  various  names,  and  on  its  right  bank  ire- 
ceives  tributaries,  the  sources  of  which  ai'e  almost  with- 
in hail  of  the  sea  shore. 

The  Hawkesbury  is  the  oldest  historical  river  of  Aus- 
tralia, not  on  account  of  being  the  first  discovered,  for 
the  Swan  (W.A.)  was  the  first  to  be  traced  with  boats, 
but  the  Hawkesbury  was  found  so  immediately  after  the 
settlement  was  formed,  and  was  so  bound  up  in  the  early 
history  of  this  continent  that  its  name  is  part  and 
parcel  of  it. 

The  Hunter  is  likewise  both  historical  and  remarkable. 
The  valley  drained  by  the  Hunter  forms  a  long  indent  in 
the  margin  of  the  great  plateau,  and,  unlike  the  Hawkes- 
bury, the  ascent  therefrom  is  easy  and  practicable*.  It 
was  a  noteworthy  incident  in  our  history  that  when  the 
'"Lady  Nelson"  was  examining  and  surveying  the  river, 
she  had  on  board,  engaged  in  charting  it,  three  men  v/ho 
had  attempted  the  passage  of  the  Blue  Mounta-ins  and 
been  forced  back — Paterson,  Banailliere  and  Cayley. 
[f  theiy  had  but  known  it  at  the  time  that  the  river  they 
were  then  surveying  would  have  led  them  through  a 
smiling  valley  up  an  eas)'-  ascent  to  the  soug'ht-for  land, 
a  chapceir  of  our  histoi'y  would  have  been  forestalled. 

Another  striking  peculiarity  of  a  coasital  river,  is  when 
it  drains  a  secondaiy  or  inferior  plalteau,  between  the 
Great  Divide  and  the  coast  ranges.  These  long  tributaries 
coming  from  north  and  south,  overlap — so  to  say — the 
short  coast  stream,  and  uniting,  form  the  main  river  be- 
fore descending  to  the  plain  bordering  the  ocean. 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION   OF  AUSTRALIAN   CONTINENT.     '5o 

-Tlierei  are  three  rivers  which  are  peculiar  exeniplifica- 
tions  of  this — the  Clarence,  the  Fitzroy  and  the  Biu'dekin. 
One  head  of  the  Clarence  rises  in  the  Macpherscn  Range, 
on  the  border  of  Queensland,  and  the  other  heads  south 
of  Ben  Lomond.  The  two  run  towards  each  other  from 
north  and  south,  meet,  unite,  and  huiTy  seaward. 


/I  CPMEff 


r.^-Z 


-.%/v    f^j^f^^J.' 


Watershed  of  Ihe  Upper  Clarence. 


The  Fitzroy  is  still  more  striking,  for  the  Main  Divide 
is  there  some  considerable  distance  from  the  coast,  and 
the  presence  of  tiers  of  high  coast  ranges  cause  a  plateau 
of  coinsiderable  elevation  between  them  and  the  Divide. 
The  tributaries  of  the  Fitzroy  are  spread  over  thia 
plateau ;  the  Da.wson  in  the  south,  and  the  Macken- 
zie and  Isaacs  in  the  north,  daain  it,  and,  uniteid, 
form   the   Fitzroy,    which    then    descends   to   the   coast, 


36 


BROOKs's    CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 


and  empties  in  Keppel  Bay.  The  Burdekin  has  a  very 
long  southern  tributary,  called  th.e  Belyando,  which 
intervenes  between  the  waters  of  the  Isiaace  and  the  Main 
Divide,  and  the  Burdekin  itself  comes  from  the  north 
with   considerable    drainage.      Just  below    its    junction 


-?>"-- J -— . 


Watershed  of  the  Upper  Fitzroy  (Q  ). 


with  the  Suttor,  which  brings  in  the  Belyando 
and  Cape  Rivers,  there  is  a  gorge  in  the  Leich- 
hardt      Range      impassable      to       four-footed      animals, 


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The  River  Systems  of  Austral! 


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PHYSICAL   COKFIGURATION   OF  AUSTRALIAN   CONTINENT.     39 

and  through  this  gorge  the  Upper  Burdekiu,  as 
it  is  locally  oalled,  descends  to  the  coastal 
plain  and  becomes  the  Lower  Burdekin. 


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Watershed  of  the  Upper  Bmdekin. 


40 


BROOKS  S    CONTlNENTXi,    SERIES 


These  three  rivers  occupy  as*  it  were,  each  an 
elevated  plateau  of  its  OAvn,  which  the  highest 
and  most  influential  tributaries  drain  before  de- 
scending to  the  lowest  level  coutiguous  to  the 
oceau.  In  the  case  of  the;  Burdekin  especially,  the 
Leichhardt  Range,  which  forms  the  ea&beni  edge  of  this 
minor  plateau,  is  a  continuous  and  formidable  barrier  and 
through  it  the  river  forces  its  way  down  through  a  rocky 
gorge  in  short  falls  and  rapids.  The  Herbert,  which 
drains  the  opposing  watershed  to  tne  heads  of  the  Bu""- 
dekin,  and  flows  into  the  Pacific,  has  also,  in  a  great 
degree,  this  plateau  formation. 

The  peninsula  of  Cape  York,  the  most  northerly 
point  of  Australia,  presents  a  peculiar  river  system  of 
its  own,  somewhat  j-esembling  that  of  the  main  continent 
in  the  way  that  the  coast  range — v/hich  is  here  of  rea- 
sonable height — frowningly  faces  the  Pacific  with  its 
abrupt  slope  down  which  run  but  short  rivers,  while 
the  slope  to  the  Gulf  of  Carpeintaria  being  gradual,  the 
long  rivers,  such  as  the  Gilbert,  Mitchell  and  others,  are 
on  that  side,  running  westward. 


OVLF  or  CaRPEJ^TABTA 


Base  of  Cape  York  Peninsula. 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     41 

The  Gulf  of  Carpentaria  has  many  long  rivers  included 
amongst  the  number  of  those  that  are  lost  in  its  man- 
grove-fringed waters.  A  reference  to  the  map  of  the 
river  systems  will  show  the  reason  of  this  in  the  large 
fixtent  of  its  width  of  coastal  plain.  The  Flinders  is  a 
peculiar  river,  large,  and  draining  a  vast  amount  of 
country  ;  it  takes  its  rise  on  the  slope  of  the  Great  Divide, 
where  the  crest  is  so  tame  and  unmarked  that  the 
watershed  is  nothing  more  than  a  swell  of  the  rolling, 
treeless  downs  that  there  fonn  the  parting  of  th©  waters. 
Theoretically,  the  raindrops  that  trickle  down  the  nor- 
thern face  of  a  clump  of  grass,  join  those  that  meander 
to  the  great  Gulf,  and  those  that  drop  from  the  southern 
face  find  themselves  sailing  along  to  an  obscure  grave  in 
Lake  Eyre.  Another  peculiarity  of  the  Flindei^s  is  the 
fact  tliait  the  country  on  its  banks  appertains  to  the  in- 
land slope  more  than  the  coastal  in  appearance,  soil  and 
herbage.  The  Maicarthur.  another  Gulf  River,  has  also 
this  characteristic.  The  Roper  is  a  large,  navigable 
river,  which  flows  into  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria. 

The  district  known  as  Arnhem's  Land,  which  forms 
the  western  horn  of  the  Gulf,  has  no  resemblance  to  the 
eastern  one  in  contour,  excepting  a  similarity  of  shore- 
line. It  boasts  neither  mountains  nor  ranges,  and,  con- 
sequently, the  rive.Ts  traversing  it  have  no  distinctive 
attributes.  The  largest  are  on  the  western  coast  and 
are  named  the  Daly  and  the  Victoria.  The  only  river  of 
importance  that  flows  into  the  Timor  Sea  is  the  Fitzroy, 
which,  like  its  eastern  namesake,  drains  a  coastal  plateau. 

The  two  largest  rivers  of  the  Indian  Ocean 
system  are  the  Ashburton  and  the  Gascorne.  The 
Ashburton  is  the  longest  river  of  this  system.  It  rises 
at  the  edge  of  the  great  inland  plateau  in  broken,  baii'en 
country,  clothed  with  spinifex  and  mulga.  Its  course  for 
some  distance  is  through  a  similar  forbidding  region,  and 
it  theii  emerges — a  broad,  sandy  river — into  good  pastoral 
land,  cut  up  into  picturesque  valleya  by  sharply  peaked 
sieri'as.  All  these  valleys  are  of  considerable  breadth  and 
contribute    large  water-courses.     The    Gascoyne,  like  its 


42  BROOKS's     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

fellow  the  Ashbiirton,  has  its  source  in  the  edge  of  the 
inland  plateau.  The  upper  reaches  of  the  river  flow 
throngh  a  large  basin  of  comparatively  level  country, 
well  grassed.  After  receiving  tributaries  from  north 
and  south,  it  runs  through  a  pass  between  two  hills,  and 
pursues  an  even  way  to  the  west  coast.  The  difference 
between  these  two  typical  west  coast  rivers  is  very  mark- 
ed. The  Gascoyne  has  much  the  appearance  of  an  inland- 
flowing  river ;  its  upper  channel  is  variable  and  inter- 
mittent, and  the  junction-points  of  the  higher-  tribu- 
taries are  generally  flooded  flats',  whereon  the  bed  is  lost. 
The  Ashburton,  on  the  other  hand,  resembles  one  of  the 
coastal  rivers  of  the  east ;  running  midst  boldly  marked 
langes,  having  a  broad  sandy  bed  with  heavily  timbered 
banks  and  islands.  The  Murchison  is  also  an  important 
river  of  this  sysitem,  and  that  short  coastal  streiam  the 
Swan,  is  noticeable  from  taking  its  rise  at  the  back  of 
the  Darling  range,  and  penetrating  it  on  its  way  toi  the 
sea. 

A  comparison  of  two  of  the  principal  rivers  of  the 
east  and  west  coasts,  with  regard  to  elevation  and  length, 
may  prove  instructive.  Only  in  such  a  comparison  it 
rhiist  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  sovuee  of  a  river  is  a 
a  very  indeterminable  quantity  ;  the  only  thing  togo  by  is 
the  general  altitude  of  its  higliest  tribvitary. 

The  Burdekin  rises  in  Table  Mountain  in  the  Razor- 
back  Range.  In  a  direct  line  it  is  200  miles  from  its 
mouth  ;  following  the  sinuosities  of  its  course  it  is  more 
than  twice  as  much,  namely  425  miles.  Table  Moun- 
tain is  about  2500  feet  high.  Amongst  its  bends  and 
cui-ves,  it  thus  descends  2500  feet  in  425  miles.  The 
Burdekin,  however,  takes  somei  leaps  during  its  progi^ess. 
One  at  its  birth,  another  short  leap  opposite  Charters 
Towers,  and  a  mighty  bound  at  the  Gorge,  through  which 
it  flows  through  the  Leichhardt  Range. 

Its  longest  tributary  is  the  Belyando  from  the  south. 
This  river  runs  a  fairly  straight  course.  It  is'  250  miles 
from  its  source  in  the  Great  Divide — 2000  feet  high — to 
its  junction  with  the  Burdekin  at  790  feet.  It  falls  1210 
feet    in    250   miles.        The    Belyando   has    no    falls  nor 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION    OF   AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     43 

rapids,  but  its  junction  with  the  Bm-dekin  takes  place 
before  the  Burdekin  takes  its  last  leap.  (Properly  speak- 
ing the  Belyando  takes  the  name  of  the  Suttor  below 
the  junction  of  the  two  rivers ;  but  the  Belyando  is 
undoubtedly   the   main  stream.) 

The  Fitzroy  (Q.)  has  its  source  in  the  Main 
Divide  at  the  same  height  and  in  the  same  neigh- 
bourhood as  the  Belyando.  Its  length  in  a  straight  line 
is  250  miles,  but  at  least  two  thirds  must  be  added  for 
curvature.  It  makes  one  rapid  descent  at  its  birth  and 
another  at  the  Boomer  Bange  :   2000  feet  in  410  miles. 

On  the  we.^t  coast  the  longest  river  is  the  Ashburton, 
380  miles  long,  in  a  straight  line,  to  which  200  miles 
should  be  added  for  ciirvature.  It  rise.s  in  the  edge  of  the 
main  plateau,  the  estimated  height  of  which  just  there 
is  about  1500  feet.  Its  course  is  fairly  even  without  falls 
or  rapids;  nearly   2000   feet  in  580  miles. 

The  Gascoyne  comes  second  in  length.  Its  source 
is  in  Mount  Leake  in  the  Robinson  liange  ;  2000  feet  ; 
and  its  course  dir^ect  to  the  Indian  Ocean  is  some  360 
miles.  It  has  no  falls  nor  rapids  ;  2000  feet  in  500 
miles.  Thus  we  see  that  although  tthere  is  no  such  great 
difference  in  the  i"elative  descent  of  the  east  and  west 
rivers,  the  descent  on  the  eastern  side  is  of  a  more  rugged 
and  tornential  character.  Also,  the  Burdekin  and  Fitzroy 
hold  much  more  sinuous  courses  than  the  Ashburton  and 
Gascoyne. 

The  Southern  Ocean  System  is  practically  unrepresent- 
ed in  its  western  portion  :  and,  save  for  a  few  small 
streams  that  fall  into  Spencer  Gulf,  in  the  central  portion 
also.  After  crossing  the  Murray,  however,  the  gi'owing 
and  aspiring  highlands  assert  their  presence  in  the  many 
rivers  that  now  break  the  shoreline  with  their  mouths. 
The  beautiful  Glenelg,  the  Hopkins,  the  La  Trobe,  the 
Mitchell,  and  the  Tambo :  and  the  giant-born  Snowy 
River  rushes  impetuously  forth  before  the  slope  turns  its 
face  from  the  bleak  Antarctic. 

Lakes. — The  lakes  of  Australia  are  of  an  unsatisfac- 
tory natiire.     The  fresh  water  ones  are  small,  and  tlie  5o- 


44  KROOKS'S     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

called  salt  lahes  are  simply  huge  saline  bogs.  The  fresh 
water  lakes  doi  not  include  any  that  are  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  form  noticeable  features  in  the  topography 
of  the  continent.  The  salt  water  lakes,  on  the  contrary, 
are,  unfortunately,  sufficiently  impressive  to  influence  a 
conb-iderable  area  of  the  country.  The  peculiari,ties  of 
Lake  Eyre  have  been  already  reviewed,  and  as  has  been 
said,  it  is  the  only  on©  that  has  anything  more  than 
local  drainajjje.  Lake  Ton'ens,  though  there  is  high 
country  in  its  neighbourhood,  has  but  an  insignificant  in- 
flow compared  to  its  size,  and  so  with  the  others  spread 
over  this  depression  in  the  inland  plateau,  which  is  known 
a.s  the  salt-lake  region.  Lake  Torrens  has  an  area  of 
2250  s.m.,  and  is  111  feet  above  sea  level  Its  bed  is 
generally  dry,  but  when  it  holds  water  the  depth  is 
calculated  in  inches.  Lake  Gairdner  is  1840  s.m.  in 
area,  and  200  feet  above  sea  level.  Lake  Frome  has 
an  area  of  930  s.m.,  and  is  200  feet  above  sea  level. 
There  are  some  minor  lakes  of  small  size  in  the  Eyire 
basin,  which  are  filled  by  the  occasional  overflow  of 
Strzelecki  Creek,  an  arm  of  Cooper  Creek.  But  the 
evaporation  of  this  region  is  too  great  for  shallow  bodies 
of  water  to  stand  any  time  without  a  constant  source 
of   supply. 

North-west  of  this  region  of  dry  lakes  is  another  lake 
called  Lake  Amadeus  ;  it  is  over  1000  feet  above  sea  level, 
and  about  700  square  miles  in  area.  Although  situated 
near  the  western  slope  of  the  M'Donnell  Ranges,  it  re- 
ceives little  or  no  drainage  worth  speaking  of  from  this 
group,  on  account  of  its  near  proximity  to  the  crest  of 
the  water-shed  of  Lake  Eyre.  North-west  of  Lake 
Amadeus  is  Lake  Macdonald,  another  shallow  lake  of 
the  same  type  which,  on  its  western  side  merges  into 
a  swamp.  It  is  of  a  more  solid  shape  than  that  lake, 
but  about  the  same  area  and  height  above  sea  level. 
For  some  time  it  was  considered  as  part  of  Lake  Ama- 
deus, which  led  to  an  erroneous  idea  being  entertained 
^s  regarded  the  sizei  of  that  lake ;  it  is,  howeve4  in.  no 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF   AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT    45 

way  connected  with  it.  All  ovei-  the  western  interior 
plateau  are  to  be  found  these  saline  bogs,  which  seem  to 
fill  no  useful  purpose  in  nature's  econo-my,  nor  is  their 
presence  an  actual  necessity  as  a  reK3eptacle  for  the 
overflow  of  creeks  and  rivers,  as  is  I^ake  Eyre.  Their 
saltness  is  entirely  due  to  the  saline  nature  of  the 
soil  where  they  are  situated.  In  fact,  m  places  the  pools 
of  rain  become  salt  after  lying  on  the  ground  some  few 
hours. 

As  this  description  of  country  is  where  the  Australian 
desert  is  making  its  last  desperate  stand,  it  may  not  be 
out  of  place  to  give  seme  account  of  that  ancient  bugbear 
and  its  gradual  evanishment. 

Fifty  or  sixty  years  ago  the  whole  of  the  vast  interior 
of  Australia  was-  labelled,  both  on  maps  and  in  books,  as 
a  desert — usuallj^  "a  sandy  desert."  Year  after  year  the 
borders  of  this  desert  were  en(,roaclied  on  and  invaded  by 
the  pioneeasi.  and  as  it  was  closed  with  its  terrors  disi- 
appeared  ;  at  the  present  moment  the  desert  that  once 
was  supposied  to  dominate  inland  Austi'alia  is  now 
confined  to  that  portion  of  the  western  platoau  between 
the  121st  and  the  129th  meridians  of  longitude,  and  the 
19th  and  Slst  parallels  of  latitude,  but  it  must  not  be 
supposed  that  even  this  comparatively  small  ai-ea — small 
compared  to  the  size  of  the  continent — is  given  over  to 
hopeless  desolation.  Strips  and  stretches  of  available 
pastoral  country,  carrying  both  grass  and  edible  bushes, 
are  found  throughout  it,  and  should  artesian  water  ever 
be  struck  there,  these  patches  will  become  habitable. 
The  worst  of  the  desert  lies)  amidst  the  sand  dunes  in  the 
north :  in  the  south  the  desert  country  is  mostly 
harder  ground  covered  with  spinifex,  but  it  has  been 
crossed  and  recrossed  by  different  parties  many  times 
during  the  present  century.  It  is  also  reported 
that  an  available  stock  route  has  been  discovered  through 
it,  to  eastern  settlement.  A  reference  to  the  accompanying 
map  contrasting  the  desert  of  the  myths,  with  the  desert 
of  to-day,  will  show  the  steady  decrease  and  disappear- 
ance of  this  imaginary  interior  desert.       Even  in  1882, 


46 


BROOKS  S    CONTINENTAL    SERIES 


I.— The  mythical  Australian  deseit  of  ."iO  years  ago. 


II. — The  vanishing  desert  of  to-daj'. 


PHYSICAL    CONFIGURATION    OF   AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     47 

Australia  was  described  in  an  Amerioan  cyclopjedic 
work,*  as — 'Perkapsi  the  most  absolute  desert  tract  on 
the  face  of  the  oflobe  is  that  which  occupies  the  interior 
of  the-  great  island,  or,  as  it  may  not  improperly  be 
termed,  continent  of  Australia."  And  again — "The 
habitable  portions  of  Australia  are  limited  to  the  slopes 
of  the  mountains  and  the  narrow  space  between  thein 
and  the  coast,  in  all  not  exceeding  a  width  of  300  miles. 
The  interior  as  far  as  is  known,  or  as  can  be  infen'cd  from 
physical  geography,  is  an  immense  depressed  plain,  more 
hopelessly  barren  and  uninhabited  than  the  great  desert 
of  Sahara." 

The  labour,  enterprise  and  energy  of  the  western  gold- 
pi'ospectors  of  the  last  ten  years,  have  done  much  to  re- 
move this  clinging  stigma  of  tlie  desert.  In  part  explana- 
tion of  this  accepted  ''desert  theon-,"  it  must  be  allowed 
that  very  often  the  country  has  been  unfairly  condemned 
by  the  discoverer,  from  the  fact  of  it  suffering  at  the 
time  of  his  visit  from  the  effects  of  a  prolonged  drought. 
Sturt's  oft-quoted  and  misleading  description  of  the  heat- 
ed surroundings  of  Strzelecki  Creek  and  the  bursting  ther- 
mometer, has  been  responsible  for  much  of  this. 
This  may  have  given  rise  to  the  idea,  which  may  now  be 
banished  from  men's  minds  for  ever,  that  an  uninter- 
rupted and  unbroken  stretch  of  desert  country  usurps  the 
interior  of  Australia.  The  strip  of  acknowledged  desert 
country  that  still  remains  in  evidence  in  the  north-west, 
is,  however,  of  a  kind  that  later  examination  and  explora- 
tions show  to  have  but  few  redeeming  features  ;  but  that  it 
has  some  is  undeniable.  In  the  first  place  it  is  per- 
manently inhabited  by  aborigines,  who  seemingly  possess 
a  knowledge  of  nature's  secrets  in  the  matter  of  enduring 
supplies  of  water.  The  migratory  wild  fowl  of  Australia 
do  not  hesitate  tO'  cross  it,  but  most  of  the  water  is  found 
in  unexpected  springs,  the  origin  of  which  is  unaccount- 


•  "  The  Polar  and  Tropical  Worlds,  a  popular  and  scientific  description  of  man 
and  nature  in  the  polar  and  equatorial  regions  of  the  g'lohe.  Embracing  the  com- 
bined results  of  all  the  explorations,  researches,  and  discoveries  of  modern  times. 
By  H.  G.  Harting,  edited  by  D.  E.  Guernsey,  scientific  editor  of  the  American 
Cj'clopaedia." 


48  Brooks's  continental  series. 

able  and  obscure.  Its  greatest  drawback  lies  in  the 
parallel  sand-ridgeis  which  cover  the  face  of  the  coiuitry 
and  render  travelling  impractioable. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Diavid  Carnegie,  v.-ho  travelled  through 
this  country  on  a  north-and-south  course,  ci'ossed  86 
saiud-ridges  in  eight  hours'  travelling.  But  one  redeeming 
feature  which  it  has,  in  common  with  most  of  the  desert 
country  found  in  the  interior,  lies  in  the  sudden  trans- 
sitions  that  hajipen  from  desert  country  to  good  availaVjle 
stock  country — a  change  which  often  occurs  with  the 
abnipt  suddenness  of  an  emergence  from  a.  thick  scrub. 

Oceans,  Seas  and  Coasts— The  west  coast  of 
Australia  did  not  meet  with  much  favour  from  the  early 
navigators  who  made  its  acquaintance.  Swept  by  rude 
gales  from  the  Indian  Ocean  and  presenting  little  shelter 
in  the  way  of  natural  bays,  inlets,  or  harbours,  it  was  gen- 
erally regarded  as  "inhospitable."  It  may,  in  justice  to 
this  opinion,  be  said  that  the  west  coiast  presents  a  naked 
front  to  the  sea.  Nor  do  the  rivers  redeem  its  character, 
for  all  of  them  have  shallow  mouths,  blocked  by  bars. 
The  hand  of  man  and  the  skill  of  the  modern  engineer  is, 
however,  remedying  these  short-comings  of  nature. 

The  north  coast  of  Australia  waslned  by  the  Timor  and 
Arafuran  seas,  has  by  no  means  such  a  bald  outline  as  the 
other  portions  of  the  coast,  the  lesser  indentations  are 
numeious,  and,  besides  the  three  or  four  smaller  gulfs  of 
Van  Diemen,  Cambridge  and  King's  Sound,  the  great 
Gulf  of  Carpentaria  bites  deep  intoi  the  land.  It  has  two 
excellent  natural  harboiu*s  in  Port  Darwin  and  Port 
Essington,  as  well  as  numerous  rivers  with  navigable^  en- 
trances. It  is  within  the  steady  influence/s  of  the  S.E. 
trades,  and  for  the  long  winter  months  it  enjoys  their 
equable  sway.  During  the  opposing  reign  of  the  N.W. 
monsoon,  however,  it  suffea-s  the  wrath  of  the  hurricanes 
and  cyclones  of  that  season. 

The  easit  coast,  of  itself,  is  not  particularly  di- 
versified, and  the  southern  portion  shows  the  effect 
of     rough     handling     from     the     Pacific ;      but     fixwu 


PHYSICAL   CONFIGURATION    OF  AUSTRALIAN    CONTINENT.     49 

just  above  the  tropin  line  northward,  it  has  the 
advantage  of  the  protection  of  the  Great  Barrier  Reef. 
This  reef  shelters  the  whole  of  the  nortlhern  portion  of 
the  eastern  coast,  its  termination  north  being'  in  the 
Gulf  of  Papua.  Its  long  protective  influence  is  felt  in  the 
numerous  sheltering  nooks  and  ports  of  the  tropical  east 
coast.  Of  natural  harbours.  Port  Denison  and  Port  Cur- 
tis are  most  favourably  known  ;  while  in  the  sovithera  por- 
tion Port  Jackson  is  of  wide-world  fame,  and  Twofold  Bay 
and  Broken  Bay  are  good  natural  harbours. 

On  the  southern  coast,  east  and  west  are  again  in  singu- 
lar contrast.  The  eastern  half  is  broken  up  by  mamy 
inlets,  of  more  or  less  importance,  including  Western  Port, 
Poirt  Phillip  Bay,  St.  Vincent  and  Spencer  Guifs  ;  then 
comes  the  long  and  curving  sweep  of  the  Great  Australian 
Bight  with  a  shore-line  of  sterile  nakedness,  where  the 
Antarctic  rollers  shatter  themselves  on  a  bare  line  of  cliffs 
sometimes  250  feet  high,  diversified  with  occasional 
beaches,  of  which  the  best  known  is  Eyre's  Sand  Patch. 
At  the  western  end,  however,  is  the  splendid  harbour 
of  King  George's  Sound. 

In  all,  the  coasts  of  Australia  confront  six  seas :  The 
Indian  Ocean,  the  Timor  Sea,  the  Arafura.  Sea — which  re- 
ceives the  Australian  rivers  through  the  medium  of  the 
great  Carpentarian  Gulf — the  Pacific,  the  Tasman  Sea 
and  the  Southern  Oceaji. 

Torres  Strait  and  Bass  Strait  are  two  distinctive  fea- 
tures of  our  continent.  The  first,  between  New  Guinea 
and  Cape  York,  is  the  northern  entrance  to  the  populous 
east  coast,  as  Bass  Strait  is  on  the  south.  Their  relative 
positions,  climatic  and  piiysical  surroundings,  afford  m 
themselves  a  presentment  of  this  vast  continent,  Torres 
Strait  having  on  the  north  the  hot  and  steamy  island, 
of  Papua,  while  to  the  southward  is  the  headland 
of  Cape  York,  of  the  true  type  of  much  Australian  scenery. 
A  low,  blunt  promontoi*y  fronts  the  Strait,  whose  grassy 
slope,  scattered  over  with  granite  boulders  and  crowned 
with  the  same,  runs  down  to  meet  a  smooth  white  beach 


50  BROOKS's     CONTINENTAL    SERIES. 

of  coral  saJid.  The  Strait  itself  is  studded  with  islands, 
atolls  and  reefs,  and  the  many-gated  Barrier  Reef  closes 
its  Pacific  end.  For  long  months  it  is  a  sea  of  summer 
isles,  a  smooth  and  rippling  joass  fanned  by  the  steady 
south-east  trades.  Then  again,  lashed  by  the  fierce  winds 
from  the  north-west,  it  changes  into  a  veritable  pass  of 
wreck  and  death,  where  the  pearling  craft  are  scattered 
and  destroyed,  and  the  cyclone-lashed  waves  play  havoc 
in  their  wrath.  This  hidden  strait  saw  no  glint  of  sail 
till  Torres  returning  from  the  New  Hebrides  ventvired 
unknowingly  to  ruffle  its  waters  with  the  "Almirante's'' 
prow.  In  the  same  year  a  Dutch  caj#(ain,  one  Willem 
Jansz  in  the  '  Duyfken,"  had  sailed  unwittingly  across 
its  western  entrance  a  few  months  earlier. 

The  companion  strait,  the  southern  pass  to  the  eastern 
coast,  is,  in  its  way,  just  as  typical  of  Australia.  Bold 
and  bleak  in  appeanance,  a  tujrbulent  sea  sets  through  it 
from  the  westward  the  long  yaar  round.  No(  months  of 
constant  gentle  winds  ever  play  across  its  storm-tossed 
waters.  These  two  straits  appropriately  guard  the  north- 
ern and  southern  extremities  of  the  continent. 


Of  Australasia. 


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'  IV/if/r  /.)  Si/(//jey'' 


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