ATLAS OF AUSTRALIA—1S86.
fanons of the Rocky Mount
i niid gorges oi the Alps, or
Romance, however, and tlie
I the (lark gluomy ctnsni, the
¡ivocipitous monntaiii peak, and tlin almost impenetrable sunk valley,
aro found soaltorod with lavish profusion in the Muniong Baiige,
Bluo Mountains, and A\istrnlinn Alps.
Mountains.—'I'lis mountain systems of Australia are simple, do not
possess a very great altitude, and with one exception are not remarkable
for theii' extont longitudinally. Thu only elevations which have
nuy claim to ba recognised as chains or cordilloras are nlmost entirely
confined to tho neigbbourliood oi the sea-const, running parallel
thereto. Scattered at m d e intervals over the interior are nnniei-ous
sliort ranges, generally of inoousiderable elevation, and only
possessed of luiy importanco where tlieir metalliferous capabilities
have become known. Tho prinoi)ml range coroiuences in the north of
Qnc
is in a general m
les, iu which it att
toria, where it assun
th-east coast of chat
tions of its leugtli of
Mountains and Liv
Burnett Ranges. T
which it skirts in its entire length,
south direction through New South
culminating point, and theuce into
:U-westGrly direction, parallel to the
This range, which consists in seveml
IDS of parallel elevations, forms the
•shed for tho throe colonies nanicd. In no part does it
ude of perpetual snow, with its Alpine concomitants,
alanches, though in some parts of the Alps suow is
iu on their summits in summer. This Cordillera, in its
known as the Great Dividing Bauge; in the three
it traverses, however, particular parts of it recoive
Among the more promiuout appellations bestowed
. Victoria. Australian Alps; in New South Wales, Blue
lol Bango ; and in Queensland, Cooyar and
mlminating point, according to the most recent
Towiisend, situated near the border of Victoria,
a short distance south from Mount Kosciusko,
tion of 7,250 feet. On tho west side of Austi-alii
elevations which, however, do not possess eithor
altitude of the Great Dividing Range. Like
they ai-e near the seaboard, to which, gene
i parallel
stralia, about
s the Stirling Range,
fee
above a-level ÜD I
I from King (ii
I average elevati
[t roaches an eleva-
WD find a series o£
tho continuity or the
the latter, however,
ally speaking, they
t coast of Western
urge's Sound, there
¡n of leas than 3,000
extremity of Point d'E)
varying from 10 to 80
s from the
the Darling Bauge, Herschel Bauge, and Vi
occur Mounts William and Keats, mth an .
feet. The average height of the whole, 1
lorth, f
Moi
,d successively,
ange, in which
of about 3,000
may safely be
med at less than 8000 feet. North-east from Sharks Bay there
• Bauge, in which one of the culminating points is
elevation of a,580 feet. This range
. for tha Lyons and Gascoyno Bivers.
d Hammersley Ranges. The
;,o00 feet, and forma
In the Kimberley
5 Lock^
d August
part c
There are also the Kennedy, Barli
last named has an average elevation of aboi
part of the watershed of the Fortescue Ri'
District, near the source of the FitKroy Kiver, there lire tho Kin
Leopold Banges.
On the south coast, in the neighbourhood of St. Vincent i
about 10 miles oast of Adelaide, is ilount Lofty Range, the
ting point of which. Mount Lofty, has an elevation of about '2
North-east of Spencer Gulf, and some distance east of Lake
there is the Flinders Bange, with an average elevation un
feet. South-west of Lake Gairdner, and running nearly par
part of the Great Australian Bight, is the Gawlor Bauge.
On the north coast, where the work of exploration is pai
still very incomplete, the only elevations known that claim c
attention are the Gwooling M<
the Hart Mountains, fonning part of the watershed of the Bopei
Bivor ; and the F.llesmere Ban,
Tho Banges of the interior t
exceptions,
The s pre
, south of Palmerston.
! few in number, and,-with i
•e, either geogmphically oi
the Stanley or Bari'ier :ind
Grey
!W South Wales, the forme
id the latter being auriferous; the
; Stuart, Hansan, ^tacdonnell, and
Banges in the -western part of
ing very largo silver deposits,
Reynold Ranges in South Australia; tho Hugh and M'Kinlay Bangos
in Queensland, and the Sutherland, Alfred, and ilarie Ranges in
Western Australia.
Tablelands.—The Tablelands of Australia, in proportion to its
surface, are but fow in number and of no great extent or elevation.
There is a considerable area of the northern part of the continent -west
of the Gulf of Car|)entaria which consists of level and undulating
country, at au elevation, probably, of ft'om 500 to 800 feet above the
sea-level J but until exploration ha.^ advanced further, aud more
accurate infoi-mation has boon obtained, little or nothing can be stated
beyond the fact—altitude, estent and natural capabilities of the soil
remaining almost unknown quantities. The most prominent tablelands
in the -whole coatineut are ]n-obably those which follow the
directiou of the Great Dividing Bauge on tho east coast. They are
two in number. The more northern commonce» about latitude 32"
south in New South Wales, and gradually increasing in elevation,
e-xtenda for a considerable distance into Queensland. It has an
average elevation of about 2,700 feet, The southern tableland
commences in about latitude 83" sonth, and extends south into the
colony of Victoria, i\-here it attains its greatest elevation. Its average
height is about 2,800 feet. In the north of Queensland we find a
basaltic tableland which forms tho -watershed between the Bnrdekin
River, which flows in a south-east direction, and the Lynd, Finnasleigh,
Etheridge, and Gilbert, which run north-west into the Gnlf of
Carpentaria. At the sources of the Gregory Kiver there is an
elevated area, but it is of inconsiderable extent.
Plains.—Of all the features with which Nature, in her infinite
variety has stamped Australia, doubtless that which occupies the
larger pai't of it surface is the plain. There is no doubt that this
feature is residual, and has a negative character among Nature's
works on our globe. Nearly the whole of the interior of Australia
consists of a series of plains, the monoton)- of the level being only
broken at intervals—in many cases of vast extent^by a fow scattered
ranges of incousiderable elevation. In tho neighbourhood of part of
the Great .instralian Bight the plains reach to the seaboard, while in
other parts they ajjproach to within but a short distance of the const,
being separated from it by low-lying ridges, frBt|ncntly of a sandy
nature. The character of these plains varies considerably according
to their position, the constitution of the uuder-lying strata, and the
surrounding climatic conditions. A resemblance has been noticed
in somo parts between them aud the llanos and pampas of South
America; in others they assume the appearance and chai-acteristics of
the Bussian Steppes, while in portions of the interior they possess all
the sterility and aridity of the gi-eat African deserts. Some idea of
thu character of a considerable portion of the interior may be gleaned
from Captain Sturt's rather laconic description of his experiences
when the failure of the Eyre Creek compelled him to commence a
return on theSth September, 1845, after having reached a pointinabout
latitude 24° 30'south aud longitude 137® 58' east. His words are—
" Halted at sunset in a country such as I firmly believe has no parallel
" on earth's surface, and one which was terrible in its aspect; not
" a blade of gi-ass. From the top of one of the ridges tho view extended
" 15' or 20' to the north; no ray of hope; sandy ridges on each aide;
" a t this jmrticular point, tho farthest to which we penetrated, I com-
" jnited -we were about 43' from the creek, which had so suddenly and
" unaccountably failed us. We stopped near a few acacia bushes,
" almost without food since we left the creek on the öth; now on the
" evening of the 8th wo encamped a second night without water." The
testimony of numerous other exjilorers of the interior amply corroborates
the terrible description furukhed by Stiu't. Various names have
arisen in connection with some of the level tracts aud wastes encountered
by those who have attempted to cross the continent from one
seaboard to the other. Tho more prominent may be enumerated.
BiVEEiMA.—This is a vast level plain, the limits oif which are not
defined, extending fi'om the Biver Murray on the sonth, north beyond
the Lachlan Biver. In some parts particularly iu the country lying
on both sides of tho Yanko aud Colombo Creeks, the laud is fertile
and well grassed, in others it is covered with salt-bush, a shrub -with
saline properties, which tnako it acceptable to sheep. Ii forms the
principal arena for squatting pursuits in New South Wales.
In Queensland, in the Warrego district, there is a considerablo tract
of ijlain, richly graaacd and suitable for pastoral purposes. South of
the Gulf of Carpentaria we find tho Plains of Promise, intersected by
the Flmders, Leichhardt and Albert Bivers. In somo parts tliese are
grassy and fit fur shee])-farming, iu others they form swampy marshes.
In South Australia, south of Cooper's Ci'eek, occurs a stony ilesort
waste, croased by Stiut iu 181'). In the same colony immediately
north of the (Jreat Australian Bight, aro tlie Nnllarbor Plains and
several others to which tho term desert has been applied. These were
jiartly explored by Stuart in 1858, when they were found to vary fi-om
absolute sterility up to a fair degree of fertility. In the Northern
Territory of South Australia, between the parallels of 10° and 21°
south and the meridians of 129® and 132° east longitude, are found
sevei'al level wa.stes described as sandy deserts. Gregory passed to
the west of this region in 1850. In Western Anstralia, and extending
east into South Anstralia north of the Great Australian Bight, is an
immenso tract of level country to which the name Groat Victorian
AUSTRALIA.
Desert has been applied. It was crossed by Giles in 1875 and found
to be almost destitute of water. North of the tropic of Capricoru and
extending east and west between tho meridians of 121° and 181° east
longitude, we And a vast expanse of country almost unknown, to
which the nnmo Great Sandy Desert has been given. Colonel
Warbnrton travei-sod part of it in 1873, and had considerable diBiculty
•s of Australia i
it remai'kable either for the
length of their ses or the volut
of water w hich they discharge.
Many
the loss c
through V
sverai of t
e this effeot,
s low altitude of the r
I'ivera the courses of which are r
sed by evaporation and tho
ich many of the
e posit
chains, tend to
limited; and
thii-sty character of the soil
:e AustraUan continent flow
fress to the sea, has the effect of considerably reducing
!, and in some cases causing the sti'eam to cease running
f before the ocean is reached. In seasons of drought,
he rivers iasning fi'om the northern part of the Great
Dividing Range, on its western side, become mere chains of waterholes,
ivith no How between. Generally speaking, tho rivers on the
western slope of the Eastern Cordillei'a are more sluggish than those
which fiow into tho Pacific Ocean. The reason is evident. On the
western slope the fall per mile only amounts to three feet for the
whole course of tho rivers, while on the eastern it reaches seventy
feet per mile. Tho rivera on the west coast of Australia are, on
the whole, inferior to those on the eastern and southern seaboards,
Oh the northern coast there are numerous rivei-s, but with one or two
exceptions their coui-aes are of no great length and their volume is
fluctuating, rising -with the periodical rains of a tropical climate and
dwindling down into mere creeks on the return of tho diy season. In
addition to the out-flow to the suri-omiding oceans, there are several
instances in Australia of inland drainage, but these are of no considerable
extent aud of little importance. Perhaps the most noticeable
are the areas drained by Lakes Amadeus and Eyre in South Australia.
Liability to sudden inundation appears to bo one of the most
prominent characteristics of the rivers of Australia. After a heavy
fall of rain, the gullies, creeks and
whole rushes headlong into the main
trees, logs aud other floating debris;
added to, until at last, breaking Nat
flood is dispersed far and wide
ributaries become filled, and the
ihannel, carrying with it tom-np
there the united waters become
re's bounds, the muddy, seething
spreading c g the settlers, whose crops and sc
; destroyed by rred i
violence. Very heavy floods occ
in tho years 1852, 18(50 and 1870.
first named year, the Murrumbidgee, it is stated, attained a heighl
60 feet above its usual level. In 1800, the rivers on the east coast of
New South Wales wsro several times in a condition of flood, owing to
the continued hea\-y rains. In that year several persons were drowned
in their attempts to cscape from the low grounds; and houses and
haystacks were borne bodily down by the swollen waters.
Many of the rivers of Australia have bars at their mouths, which
impede their navigation to averylargeextent,renderingtheentrances
more difficult and dangerous to shipping, esjjecially during stormy
e of the bai-s the break is so heavy in a
they 1 nnot 1 Thes bai-s
msed bv the action of the tides, t
simply s
ced that when the
ofl hap]
si together, and the
the bank re-forms
removal of these b,
that a
decrease with certain winds. It has been
id is on the shore for any length of time, the
akes them assume greater proportions; it
)od iu the river causes them to disappear
the channel remains clear of obstruction until
Vni"ioii8 ejqjodiouts have been suggested for the
; the only effective methods tried have been the
construction of dykes to confine the ebb aud fiow of the tides, and
dredging.
The livers of the east coast foi
tho Great Di\-iding Range. The
Kennedy, Endeavour, Burdekin, F
Clarence, Macleay, Manning, Hui
The Burdckiu aud Fitzi-oy we
explorer Leichhardt.
the most part have their sources in
more important are as follows:—
tzroy, Burnett, Brisbane, Bichmoud,
ter, Hawkesbury and Shoalhaven.
e discovered in 1844 by tho ill-fated
e on the western side of the great
T'he rivers which take their ri;
Eastei'U Cordillera are as follows :—
Warrego, Culgoa, Darling, Dumaresque, Maclntyre, Gwydir,
Namoi, Castlereagh, Macquarie, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee,
Murray, Jlitta Mitta, Ovens and Goulburn.
These rivers, rising in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria,
unite their watcra, and under the name of tho Murray, which in itself
has the largest aud most constant volume. Bow into South Australia
in about latitude 34° south, and passing through Lake Alcxandrina—
I broad, shallow expanse—thesi anlatod w
into the great Southei-n Ocean.
A very noticeable feature of the northern of the Mu
and the affliients of the
the tendency to form ana-bram
The formation of these is materiallj
y assisted by tho loose charact'
the soil on the plains and the a:¡mall
amount of fall. Theae
bi-anches fi'eqnently jiroserve an i
independent cou
e of considerablo
divei'gence and over a hundred mil
les in length bef.
3 they regain the
main stream. Perhaps one of thei
prominent i
,ho Yanko Creek,
which leaves the Murrumbidgee u
and flowing in a
south-west dii-ection throws ofl an ana-branch to which tho name
Colombo Creek ha.s been given. After a separate courae of many miles,
these streams (the Yanko and Colombo) unite and form what is
known ns the «Billabong Creek; this in turn finds itó way into the
Edward River, which eventually flows into the Murray, and at the
junction of the latter with tho Murrumbidgee the waters of the ana»
branches mingle once more with those of the parent stream. The
country along the margin of the Colombo and Yanko is noted for its
richness of soil. These ana-brunches are iu many part.s of Biverina
tho only channels through which a water supply is obtainable, and
there is no doubt that thoy will be utilised iu tho future in connection
-with any scheme for the irrigation of the back conntiy that may be
found practicable,
Tho rivers on tho northoru coast of Australia are at present of
little commercial importance; however, tho advance.^ of civilization
and the necessities of an ever increasing population may, in the
future, at no very distant date, bring them into prominence in this
respect.
Tho more important are:—The Mitchell, Einnasleigh, Gilbert,
Norman, Flinders, Leichhardt, Gregory and Roper. 'Chose flow into
the Gulf of Carpentaria. The remaining rivei'S on the north coast
are ;—Tho South Alligator, which empties its waters into Van Dieman
Gulf; tho Daly, running into Anson Bay; and tho Victoria, which
ends its course iu Queen's Channel,
The rivei-s which enter the aea on the south coast of Australia are,
with tivo or three exceptions, small, and require only a passing notice.
They are:—The Snowy River, which rises in Now South Wales, and
flows thence into Victoria ; Taylor, Hopkins and Gleneig in Victoria;
Murray (already described), in South Anstralia; Pallinup, Frankland
and Blackwood, in Western Australia,
It may here be remarked that along tho greater part of the seaboard
of the Great Auatrahan Bight, a distance of many hundreds o£
miles, not a river enters the sea. This fact is significant of the
character of the counti-y in thia part of the Australian continent. In
crossing it in 1875, Giles proceeded a rlistonce of over 300 miles across
a territoiy which is described as being entirely destitute of water.
The rivei-s on the west side of Australia, which Bow into tho Indian
Ocean, are:—The Murray, S^van, Arrowsraith, Chapman, Murchison,
Gascoyne, Ashbnrton, Fortescue, Tule, De Grey and Fitzroy.
Lakes.—Of lakes, properly ao called, there aro but few examples in
AustraUa. There is a total absence of anything approaching the
magniflcent lake systems of North America. In tho early days of
Australian colonization, the explorations and discoveries of Oxley led
to the behef that the whole of the interior consisted of a vast lake or
inland sea. His words, when facing tho great mai-shes of the
Macquarie, which rendered any further progress then impossible, are:
—" To assert positively that we were on the margin of the lake or sea
" into which this great body of water is discharged, might reasonably
"be deamod a conclusion that has nothing but conjecture for its basis;
"but, if an opinion may be hazarded fi-om actual appearances, which
"our subsequent route tended more strongly to confirm, I feel con-
"fident we are iu the immediate vicinity of au inland sea." Subsequent
os])erience, however, has not only shown the fallacy of a
conclusion which then appeared solf-ovident, but is in possession of
the facts that explain it. The majority of the lakes in Australia are
merely surface sheets of water, and lack the permanence and clearly
defined boundaries of the true lake. Caused by a slight depression
in the laud, and filled in timea of heavy rain and general inundation.
they merely h
their margins-ivith the
'apoi-ation and tho soakage of a thirsty soil
id reduce tbem to the condition of marshes.
! lakes are the results of depressions of a Coniidorable
depth below the general level of the surrounding coxmtry;
;his imparts a permanence to their waters which approaches very
•losely to the true lake; but in the ebb and flow which may be seen on
of the seasons, there is ample evidence of
of their character. The sheets of water which
on the approach of every summer; and in