| Barkly Tableland Northern Territory |
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 Location of the Barkly Tablelands |
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| Population: | 6,330 (2007) [1] |
| Area: | 320000 km² (123,552.7 sq mi) |
| State District: | Barkly |
| Federal Division: | Lingiari |
The Barkly Tableland is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is located in the eastern part of the territory and western Queensland covering 283,648km² which is 21% of the Northern Territory. The Barkly Tableland runs parallel to the southern shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria, from about Mount Isa, Queensland to near Daly Waters.
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Geography
These Tablelands rise to more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) near the Queensland and Northern Territory border. The Georgina River system originates on the Barkly Tableland. Tarrabool Lake, the largest wooded swamp in tropical Australia, when completely filled, is located in the west of the Tablelands. Black soil plains cover much of the Barkly Tableland. [2] Rainfall on the Barkly Tableland is subject to extreme seasonal fluctuations. The 'wet season' occurs from November to March during hot summers.
Physiography
The Barkly Tableland is a distinct physiographic province of the larger West Australian Shield division. It includes the Mueller Plateau and Sandover-Pituri Platform physiographic sections.
The Alexandria False Antechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus), is a small carnivorous marsupial, found only in a number of small, isolated localities in northern Australia, including Alexandria Station on the Barkly Tableland.
History
William Landsborough, discovered the tableland and named it after Sir Henry Barkly, then governor of Victoria.
In 1877 the overlander, Nathaniel Buchanan and Sam Croker crossed the Barkly Tableland and rode on to the Overland Telegraph Line opening new land for settlement. It was not until the introduction of generous leasing arrangements on the Barkly in the late 1870s that the region became more settled.[3]
Harry Redford (Captain Starlight) in 1883 drove a mob of cattle to the Barkly and subsequently established Brunette Downs (then called Corella Creek), with outstations at Anthony Lagoon and Creswell Creek, for Macdonald, Smith and Co. In 1884, 2,500 cattle were driven to Brunette Downs and in 1885, Redford brought in 1,200 mixed cattle from Burketown.
Barkly has a diverse economy with agriculture, fishing, and defence the biggest producers of the regions economy. The region attracts more than 140,000 tourists average each year.
The area includes some of the best beef cattle grazing country in the Territory. Some of the very large cattle stations located on the Tableland include Alexandria Station, Anthony Lagoon, Austral Downs, Avon Downs, Banka Banka, Brunette Downs, Creswell Downs, Eva Downs, Helen Springs, Newcastle Waters and Lake Nash.
The Barkly region has the lowest population of any region in the Northern Territory, with a population of just over 5,900 people, most live in the main town of Tennant Creek and Renner Springs which is home to half of the regions population[4]
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (2 October 2008). "Australian Demographic Statistics" (PDF). http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/6C2E0D5EB9791D50CA2574D50014B9A0/$File/13627_2008.pdf. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
- ^ Surface geology of Australia Retrieved on 2 September 2008
- ^ "Chisholm, Alec H.". The Australian Encyclopaedia. Sydney: Halstead Press. 1963.
- ^ Barkly Tablelands Region
External links
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