Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) is a National Park located in

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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, 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 ...

and east of

Weipa Weipa () is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly invol ...

in the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

, Queensland. Within the National Park is the Iron Range (Lockhart River Resources Reserve), Scrubby Creek mining site and the

Aboriginal Shire of Lockhart River The Aboriginal Shire of Lockhart River is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. Geography It is on the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula and consists of a single locality, Lockhart River (which is shared with the Shir ...

. During World War II several

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

units were stationed in the area.

Birds

The park is part of the 6,205 km² McIlwraith and Iron Ranges 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 ...

(IBA), identified as such 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 ...

because it is one of the few known sites for the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

buff-breasted buttonquail. The IBA also supports an isolated population of

southern cassowaries The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf c ...

as well as populations of

lovely fairywren The lovely fairywren (''Malurus amabilis''), or lovely wren, is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to northeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropic ...

s, silver-crowned friarbirds,

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

, yellow-spotted, white-streaked and

banded honeyeater The banded honeyeater (''Cissomela pectoralis'') is a species of honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae with a characteristic narrow black band across its white underparts. It is endemic to tropical northern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics ...

s, and

white-browed robin The white-browed robin (''Poecilodryas superciliosa'') is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is endemic to north-eastern Australia. Its natural habitats are forest, woodland and scrub, often near water. It formerly included the buf ...

s. As well as these, the

eclectus parrot The eclectus parrot (''Eclectus roratus'') is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea and nearby islands, northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimor ...

subspecies ''Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi'' is confined to the Iron and McIlwraith Ranges of eastern Cape York Peninsula.

Other Wildlife

The national park is a hotspot for flora and fauna, with over 1800 species recorded in the area. Notable species include the

green tree python The green tree python (''Morelia viridis'') is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. First described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872, it ...

spotted cuscus The common spotted cuscus (''Spilocuscus maculatus''), also known as the white cuscus, is a cuscus, a marsupial that lives in the Cape York region of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands. Names It is known as aklang or gabi in the ...

, bare-rumped sheathtail bat, and

estuarine crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been liste ...

. The park represents one of the most diverse protected areas in Australia for butterflies, ants, ferns, orchids and palms. In fact, 60% of Australia's butterflies are found in Kutini-Payamu National Park. Making the area a popular tourist destination for wildlife enthusiasts.

History

Airbases

In March 1940,

Val Augenson Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...

of the Department of Civil Aviation inspected a possible site for an Emergency Landing Ground for the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF). He reported to the RAAF that a suitable all-weather Emergency Landing Ground could be built in the area. On about 18 April 1942,

Walter Maiersperger Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

, the Commanding Officer of 33 Bomb Squadron of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

22nd Bomb Group, carried out an aerial reconnaissance flight over the Iron Range area. He had been tasked with surveying coastal airfields in Queensland that would be suitable for operation of the

B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in t ...

s used by the 22nd Bomb Group. Air Commodore Lukis, Air Officer Commanding, North East Area, reported on 28 May 1942, that Pilot Officer Trench, RAAF had inspected the countryside near

Portland Roads Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...

(also known as Weymouth Bay), with Colonel Mills and Captain Herman G. Cox of the USAAF. Their first attempt to fly to the Iron Range area from Coen was not successful. An engine failed in their Rapide and they returned to Coen. After being repaired they took off the next morning and landed on a beach at low tide a few miles south of Portland Roads. As the plane slowed upon landing on the soft sand the Rapide swung towards the sea. The tips of the propeller started to thrash in the water but the skilful pilot was able to turn the aircraft back onto the beach. The inspection party reported to Lukis that there were good jetty facilities at Portland Roads but that there was no suitable site for an aerodrome near the jetty. They reported that a fairly extensive site just to the west of Iron Range and east of the Claudie River was suitable for the construction of several airfields. On 7 June 1942, an advance party of the US

46 Engineer General Service Regiment The 46th Engineer Battalion ("Steel Spike") is a military engineer unit in the United States Army that was formally established in 1917. Mission On order, the 46th Engineer Battalion deploys to command, to control, and to execute combat and/or ...

and 26 Operational Base Unit RAAF boarded the SS Wandana in

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

headed for Portland Roads. 26 OBU arrived at Portland Roads and established radio communications with Townsville on the evening of 10 June 1942. A few weeks after his initial visit, Jim Trench returned to the Iron Range area with Colonel Mills and observed two American Battalions of Pioneer Engineers busily building the Iron Range runways. They managed to build two 7,000-feet runways and thirteen miles (21 kilometres) of sealed taxiways within three months. On 14 June 1942, Companies A, B and C of the 46th Engineers boarded the MS Dona Nati at Townsville and arrived at Portland Roads on 16 June 1942. Headquarters and Service Company (H & S Company) of the 46th Engineers left Townsville on 10 July 1942 and arrived at Portland Roads on 12 July 1942. On 27 October 1942, Headquarters Detachment of the 46th Engineers left Townsville and arrived at Iron Range on 29 October 1942. The 90th Bombardment Group arrived in Queensland in early November 1942 with their forty-eight (48) B-24D Liberators
variant D
. They were initially based as follows at Iron Range, 16 km inland from the port facility of Portland Roads:

Sections and units during World War II

According to Peter Dunn,
Accessed May 2006. the following sections were situated at Iron Range: * 2 Section, 2 Australian Survey Company * 3rd Portable Surgical Hospital (US Army) * 5th AACS * 13 Garrison Battalion 1 Aust Army, CMF * 13 Australian Gun (less A, B & C Company) * 15th Weather Squadron * 18th Station Hospital (US) * 18th Station Hospital (US) * 22nd Bomb Group * 26th AA Battery * 26 OBU (RAAF) * 28 Service Squadron (US) * 36 Australian AA Battery Workshops Section, Cape Direction * 36 Australian Supply Depot Pl * 43rd Bomb Group * 46 Engineer Regiment (US) * 61 Service Group & 46 (EGS) * 90th Bomb Group * 197th Coastal Artillery (AA) Regiment * 387th Port Battalion (US) * 404 Signal * 1909 Ordnance * AASC 4 Australian DID, Cape Direction * Attached Detachment 200 Supply Depot (AIF) * Australian 446 - 447 Heavy AA Gun Static * Australian 136 Coastal Artillery Searchlight Company * Australian Army Airway Radio Range and Communication Station * Allied Works Council * Carrier Pl, 51 Australian Infantry Battalion * Civil Construction Corps (CCC) * D Section, 2/4th Australian Dental Unit * Detachment 1 Australian Army AA Pool Under Command CA Artillery Portland Roads * Detachment 2/1 Australian Field Butchery Company * Detachment 2/109 Australian General Transport Company * Detachment 3 Company Queensland AA & CA Signals * Detachment 8 Australian Field Baker * Detachment 19 Australian Field Bakery * Detachment 21 Australian Field Bakery (AIF) * Detachment 56 Australian Comp. AA Regiment Workshop (LE) * Directorate of Air Transport * HQ 36 Australian AA Battery * Main Roads Commission (MRC) * Portland Road Battery * Port Detachment "A" * RAAF AASC Station Base and Weather Station * RAAF Key Communication Centre * US 5 Air Force Command

References

External links

Iron Range National Park DERM Website

Iron Range Airbase Book ''Carved In The Cape York Jungle'', by Michael Musumeci
{{National Parks of Queensland National parks of Far North Queensland Military history of Australia during World War II Protected areas established in 1977 Important Bird Areas of Queensland 1977 establishments in Australia Iron Range, Queensland Queensland in World War II