 |
click thumbnails for larger versions
| |
| 
| The Diamantina Shire is located in far western Queensland and covers an area of 94,690 square kilometres. To put that in perspective, the shire is roughly the size of Tasmania or almost twice the size of Denmark in Europe. The environment is extremely arid and areas of the shire are desert, with the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert bordering the shire on the west. The shire sees very little rain, only about 100mm per year, but once every five to ten years floodwaters from heavy rains in the north of Australia make their way to the region via a network of inland rivers and streams. Here, the floodwaters disperse across the usually dry floodplains to create thousands of channels of water in the sandy ground. It is this phenomenon that gives the region its name 'The Channel Country'.
When the floods occur, they move millions of megalitres of water, causing the shire to be almost completely inundated for up to three months at a time. The slow flowing floodwaters deposit new soil along the channels and, as the water recedes, the previously dry dusty plains are transformed into vast fields of grasses and wildflowers. Whilst the flooding can be inconvenient and even dangerous at the time it takes place, the cattle industry benefits greatly from its long-term consequences. A single flood can result in up to 2 years of edible growth on land used for cattle grazing.
In July/August 2009, I undertook a project for the Diamantina Shire Council to document the growth period following the floods that had occurred earlier in the year and the way in which the desert areas transform into masses of wildflowers. Please enjoy these images from the Diamantina Shire.
| |
| |
