Boodjamulla National Park, formerly known as Lawn Hill National Park, is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

in the

Shire of Burke The Shire of Burke is a local government area in North West Queensland, Australia. The shire lies on the south coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and abuts the border with the Northern Territory. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local g ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The Riversleigh World Heritage Area is a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

within the park. The park lies on the traditional land of the Waanyi (part of which was previously part of

Injilarija The Injilarija people were an Aboriginal Australian people who lived south of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, east of the Waanyi, south of the Nguburinji and west of the Mingginda peoples. They are considered extinct. History The Gulf Coun ...

land). In the 1870s European settlers moved into the area and started running cattle, with a number of smaller properties amalgamated to create Lawn Hill Station, one of Queensland's largest cattle stations. An area of station land was given by the owner to the government as

Crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...

in 1984 (with a further grant in 1992), to be used for public benefit. The Waanyi people were granted native title in 2010. The land lies across sandstone ranges, with creeks and rivers crossing it. The outstanding attraction is Lawn Hill Gorge. The park is home to a wide range of native wildlife, and is classified as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

. the park is jointly managed by the

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a business division of the Department of Environment and Science within the Government of Queensland. The division’s primary concern is with the management and maintenance of protected areas ...

and the Waanyi people.

History

The Waanyi people have lived in the gorge area for at least 17,000 years and know this place as Boodjamulla, or Rainbow Serpent country. Lawn Hill Gorge is sacred to the Waanyi people.

Midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...

heaps, camp sites, grinding stones, and

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

evidence the importance of this place. Today, the Waanyi people help manage the park. Part of the land around Lawn Hill was occupied by the

people, until they became extinct around 1880 and the Waanyi took over their land. The park has a rich pastoral history and until December 1984 was part of Lawn Hill Station, which was once one of Queensland's largest cattle properties. The cattle station was formed from several leases originally granted in the 1870s, and for some time was run by the notoriously cruel Jack Watson. Sebastião Ferreira Maia, who owned that station from 1976, returned on the lease to the state in 1984, on the condition it be managed for the public's benefit. In 1992, another was given to the crown to extend the park's boundaries. The Riversleigh and Musselbrook sections were amalgamated into the park in 1992. The national park was gazetted on 8 August 1994 under the ''

Nature Conservation Act 1992 The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it prov ...

'' by regulation, Nature Conservation (Declaration of Nature Refuges) Amendment (No.1) 1994; then amended by regulation, Nature Conservation (Protected Areas) Amendment (No.5) 1999.and again by Forestry (State Forests) and Nature Conservation (Protected Areas) Amendment (No.1) 2003. A native title claim was lodged by the Waanyi people in 1994, which was finally granted in 2010 that they received native title rights over the region. The park was formerly known as Lawn Hill National Park. On 7 June 2022 the new Boodjamulla National Park Management Plan was published, officially introducing joint management of the park between the

and the Waanyi people.

Geography

The park is in the

Gulf Country The Gulf Country is the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia. The region is also called the Gulf Savannah. It ...

region of northwestern Queensland. The park is northwest of Mount Isa or northwest of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, in the Shire of Burke in Queensland. The main attractions in the park are the sandstone ranges with deep gorges and a limestone plateau with significant fossil fields. Other attractions include crystal-clear green waters, lush vegetation and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

. Surrounding the park are numerous resources reserves, set aside for mineral exploration and mining.

Description

The Riversleigh Fossil Fields Section of the park is a

and contains many

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

remains. Animal bones dating back 25 million years are preserved in the sediments. The park contains several permanent creeks, waterholes, gorges, and sandstone ranges. Boodjamulla's ancient

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

s and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

s have been gradually stripped away over millions of years leaving behind rugged

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...

s, gorges, and rock outcrops. There are four main

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s contained with the park:

riverine A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

, alluvial flats, rocky hills, and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

plains. Lawn Hill Gorge, the primary attraction in the park, cuts through the sandstone plateau of the Constance Range, on the eastern extremity of the

Barkly Tableland The Barkly Tableland is a rolling plain of grassland in Australia. It runs from the eastern part of the Northern Territory into western Queensland. It is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory and covers , 21% of the Northern Terr ...

. The gorge has been carved out by Lawn Hill Creek, which flows all year and is fed by numerous freshwater springs from the limestone plateau to the west. The gorge is a rich oasis with cabbage palms and other tropical vegetation. Also located in the park are the Gregory River and O'Shanassy Rivers which flow all year round. The park contains of walking tracks. Indarri Falls at Lawn Hill National Park

Indarri Falls at Lawn Hill National Park

Environment

Flora

On the sandstone hills are spinifex,

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

s, eucalypts and grevilleas. Growing on the river plains are western bloodwoods and

mitchell grass ''Astrebla'' is a small genus of xerophytic (adapted to survive in an environment with little liquid water) grasses found only in Australia. They are the dominant grass across much of the continent. They are commonly known as Mitchell grass afte ...

. Paperbarks, river red gums, figs, ferns, pandanus and

cabbage palm Cabbage palm is a common name for several species of palms or palm-like plants: *'' Cordyline fruticosa'', a tropical tree native to Asia and Polynesia *''Corypha utan'', an East Asian fan palm (including Northern Australia) *''Euterpe oleracea'', ...

s are found along the creek and river banks. A diverse range of aquatic plants such as

waterlilies ''Water Lilies'' (or ''Nymphéas'', ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artistic p ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es,

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

s and bulrushes grow in the creeks.

Fauna

Freshwater

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...

s can be found in the gorge; however, they pose little threat because they prefer to stay away from humans. They may become aggressive if disturbed when mating or protecting their young. The park is home to the most easterly distribution of the nocturnal

rock ringtail possum The rock-haunting ringtail possum (''Petropseudes dahli''), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Australi ...

. Other animal species found in the park include the

rock-haunting ringtail possum The rock-haunting ringtail possum (''Petropseudes dahli''), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Aust ...

, agile wallaby,

olive python The olive python (''Liasis olivaceus'')
a

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

, wallaroo,

dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...

, and echidna. In the creeks are archerfish, the endangered

red-bellied short-necked turtle The red-bellied short-necked turtle (''Emydura subglobosa''), also known commonly as the pink-bellied side-necked turtle and the Jardine River turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is native to Australia and Papua N ...

s, northern snapping turtles as well as numerous fish species. Fishing in the national park is not permitted with the exception of Gregory River in the Riversleigh section. Lawn Hill and the surrounding regions are also inhabited by feral pigs which cause extensive damage to the land close by the creek systems.

Birds

The park is classified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as an

. It is home to more than 140 bird species, including the

buff-sided robin The buff-sided robin (''Poecilodryas cerviniventris'') is a small, diurnal, insectivorous, perching (passerine) bird in the family Petroicidae, a group commonly known as the Australo-Papuan or Australasian robins. It is also known as the buff- ...

, great bowerbird,

red-collared lorikeet The red-collared lorikeet (''Trichoglossus rubritorquis'') is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia (north-eastern Western Australia, northern Northern Territory and far north-western Queensland). It was previously ...

crimson finch The crimson finch (''Neochmia phaeton'') is a species of bird in the family Estrildidae. It is found throughout Northern Australia as well as parts of southern New Guinea. Crimson finches feature a distinctively bright crimson coat and are known ...

zebra finch The zebra finches are two species of estrildid finch in the genus ''Taeniopygia'' found in Australia and Indonesia. They are seed-eaters that travel in large flocks. The species are: Previously, both species were classified as a single species ...

, kestrel, spinifex pigeon, barking owl,

brolga The brolga (''Antigone rubicunda''), formerly known as the native companion, is a bird in the crane family. It has also been given the name Australian crane, a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithologist John Gould in his ''Birds of Austral ...

, budgerigars, and the

wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lon ...

. It supports a large population of the

Carpentarian grasswren The Carpentarian grasswren (''Amytornis dorotheae'') is a species of bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. The habitat of this sp ...

and small numbers of the painted honeyeater. The rare purple-crowned fairy-wren is the park emblem.

Management

Since 7 June 2022, the park has been jointly managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Waanyi people. At this time, there were five or six

Indigenous ranger The Indigenous ranger projects were introduced by the Australian Government in 2007 as part of its Working on Country program. Indigenous rangers are Indigenous Australians who combine traditional knowledge with conservation training in order to p ...

s, with the number expected to increase.

Access

The park is 100 km west of Gregory. From Mount Isa visitors travel along the Barkly Highway north. The easiest way to get to the park is via the Burke & Wills Roadhouse. The road is unsealed and may be impassable after rain. The wet season is from October to March. Because the park is so remote it is advised that visitors bring excess fuel, food and water.

Camping

Camping is allowed in two areas; Lawn Hill Gorge and Miyumba bush camp near the Gregory River. The Lawn Hill Gorge site provides toilets and showers. This site allows only one vehicle per camp site and is not suitable for caravans or vehicles larger than 4 m in length. Permits are required and bookings are essential from Easter to October.

References

External links

*
Aerial video footage of Boodjamulla and Lawn Hill Gorge
{{authority control National parks of Queensland North West Queensland Protected areas established in 1985 Important Bird Areas of Queensland Oases 1985 establishments in Australia Carpentaria tropical savanna