About the land

The land is located in the Southern Brigalow Ecological Zone, which stretches over the southern part of Queensland. The summer temperatures are high, but in the winter months. Frost periods are common. The yearly rainfall is highly variable, usually between 500 to 750 mm per year. Our site is located in the alluvial plains of the Brigalow Zone and has relatively fertile clayey and sandy soils.

The natural vegetation is dominated by Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), a silvery wattle that forms open forests and woodlands. Other common trees include Cypress pines (Callitris glaucophylla), Belah (Casuarina cristata) and poplar box (Eucalypthus populnea). The area has important, but highly threatened biodiversity, including 320 species of birds and 65 species of mammals. Characteristic animals include the kangaroo, koala, kookaburra, and the cockatoo.

The traditional owners of the area include various tribal groups of Aborigines. These groups inhabited the land for thousands of years in relative harmony with nature, using the area mainly for grazing and hunting. The area is still dissected by a large number of traditional Aboriginal walking paths connecting cultural sites and areas that traditionally had abundant food availability.

The exploration of the region by white settlers began in the 1820s, and most of the region was settled by around 1870. Settlement was almost always followed by cutting of the valuable timber trees (in particular the Cypress pines) and clearing of the woodland to establish grazing lands. Currently, most of the land has been severely modified by man, with only patches of natural vegetation remaining.