The Lower Course of the Burdekin River in QueenslandAuthor(s): G. Elphinstone DalrympleSource: Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 7, No. 1 (1862 - 1863),p. 2Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of BritishGeographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1799478 .

Accessed: 14/05/2014 10:34

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Wiley and The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) are collaborating withJSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.165 on Wed, 14 May 2014 10:34:36 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

2 EXAMINATION OF THE LOWER BURDEKIN RIVEK. [S-ov. I0, 1862. 2 EXAMINATION OF THE LOWER BURDEKIN RIVEK. [S-ov. I0, 1862.

EXHIBITIONS. Portrait of WIr. 3IlcDouall stllal t, the Australian Explorer, 2 boat-models found in the centre of Australia by that discoverer; Medallion Portlait of the late AIr. WY. J. A;Vills, and P;stol belonging to the same gentleman; specimens of Australian woods; and several Planispheres artd Maps, by the Che+7alier Ignazio Tilla, were e2hibited.

The PRESIDENT stated that durinC the recess a large map of Australia had been prepaled; which, while enablincr the names of the principal rivers and toxvns to be seen from all parts of the room, would ill some sort be worthy of the remarkable explorations which were taking place throuChout that immense portion of our possessions. He conCratulated the Society lllJon the session beinr opened with papels on that vast continent. It was a continent to which, as a geoCrapher, he had always attached the greatest interest. He admired the Australian colonist for his zeal and Vit,OUI-, and particlllally for his loyalty and attachment to the old country. He made this observation becavlse, somehow or otller, it ha(l recently become the fashion to talk of " secession." It was onltT amonC a few people, it was true, still the qllestion had been rnooted; btlt he knew pel fectly well, from constant communication with friends in Australia, that there was not in any part of the British domi- nions a people more attached to the Crown alld to their mother country than the Atlstralians. IIe hoped, indee(l, that the day was fal distant when these glorious colollies should be sepalated from us. The papers to be read in the course of the evening wollld include a communication from Sir Henly Baily; and as there were many distinCuished Australian gentlemell irl the loom-tas-o or more of them who are or hale been Govelnors of these great c()lonies-he hoped to hear an ample discussion of the subject.

The Papers read were-

I. The Lower Course of the Burdekin Siver in Qt6eensland. By G. ELPHINSTONE DALRYMPLE, Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Kennedy ir)istrict.

THE author has now completed his examillation of the Lower Burdekin River, eaztending from Ijeichhal dt's Station in s. lat. 20? 37', E. long. 147" to its mouth in Upstart Bay, s. lat. 19? 42', :E:. long. 147? 30', including a course of 110 miles. The river is undivided until 15 miles from the sea, when a laerge branch leaves it on the northern bank, and enters Upstart Bay on the east slde of Bowling Green delta; a second similar branch is gilren off a fesv miles lower down. The Burdekin is not a navigable river, for even boats cannot ascend it more than 9 miles frola the sea. The general character of its bed consists in large reaches of wat;er, alternating with sweeps o? red sand, and connected by a shallow stream of 50 feet in width. The whole of the lower Burde,kin runs through a richly prassed open forest of the finest pastoral description.

EXHIBITIONS. Portrait of WIr. 3IlcDouall stllal t, the Australian Explorer, 2 boat-models found in the centre of Australia by that discoverer; Medallion Portlait of the late AIr. WY. J. A;Vills, and P;stol belonging to the same gentleman; specimens of Australian woods; and several Planispheres artd Maps, by the Che+7alier Ignazio Tilla, were e2hibited.

The PRESIDENT stated that durinC the recess a large map of Australia had been prepaled; which, while enablincr the names of the principal rivers and toxvns to be seen from all parts of the room, would ill some sort be worthy of the remarkable explorations which were taking place throuChout that immense portion of our possessions. He conCratulated the Society lllJon the session beinr opened with papels on that vast continent. It was a continent to which, as a geoCrapher, he had always attached the greatest interest. He admired the Australian colonist for his zeal and Vit,OUI-, and particlllally for his loyalty and attachment to the old country. He made this observation becavlse, somehow or otller, it ha(l recently become the fashion to talk of " secession." It was onltT amonC a few people, it was true, still the qllestion had been rnooted; btlt he knew pel fectly well, from constant communication with friends in Australia, that there was not in any part of the British domi- nions a people more attached to the Crown alld to their mother country than the Atlstralians. IIe hoped, indee(l, that the day was fal distant when these glorious colollies should be sepalated from us. The papers to be read in the course of the evening wollld include a communication from Sir Henly Baily; and as there were many distinCuished Australian gentlemell irl the loom-tas-o or more of them who are or hale been Govelnors of these great c()lonies-he hoped to hear an ample discussion of the subject.

The Papers read were-

I. The Lower Course of the Burdekin Siver in Qt6eensland. By G. ELPHINSTONE DALRYMPLE, Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Kennedy ir)istrict.

THE author has now completed his examillation of the Lower Burdekin River, eaztending from Ijeichhal dt's Station in s. lat. 20? 37', E. long. 147" to its mouth in Upstart Bay, s. lat. 19? 42', :E:. long. 147? 30', including a course of 110 miles. The river is undivided until 15 miles from the sea, when a laerge branch leaves it on the northern bank, and enters Upstart Bay on the east slde of Bowling Green delta; a second similar branch is gilren off a fesv miles lower down. The Burdekin is not a navigable river, for even boats cannot ascend it more than 9 miles frola the sea. The general character of its bed consists in large reaches of wat;er, alternating with sweeps o? red sand, and connected by a shallow stream of 50 feet in width. The whole of the lower Burde,kin runs through a richly prassed open forest of the finest pastoral description.

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.165 on Wed, 14 May 2014 10:34:36 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions