Ethabuka Reserve
Encyclopedia
Ethabuka Reserve is a 213,300–hectare
nature reserve
in Central West Queensland
, Australia
, 157 km north-west of Bedourie
, 336 km south-west of Boulia
and 639 km south of Mount Isa
. It lies at the northern end of the Simpson Desert
with its western boundary bordering the Northern Territory
. It is owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
(BHA), by which it was purchased in 2004.
from 1910, though it was not taken up until 1946. It was operated as a beef cattle station
until acquisition by BHA.
and the associated swales
, with clay and gibber
floodplains. It contains the nationally significant Pulchera waterhole, a semi-permanent wetland
fed by the ephemeral Mulligan River. Vegetation communities include Gidgee
woodland
s.
, Forrest's Mouse
, Spinifex Hopping Mouse
, Brown Desert Mouse
and Sandy Inland Mouse
. Reptiles include the Woma Python. Threatened bird species recorded are the Australian Bustard
, Yellow Chat
, Painted Honeyeater
and Chestnut Quail-thrush
. The reserve is part of the Simpson Desert Important Bird Area
(IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International
for its importance in conserving suitable habitat for Eyrean Grasswren
s.
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in Central West Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 157 km north-west of Bedourie
Bedourie, Queensland
Bedourie is a small town located in the Channel Country of western Queensland, Australia, lying on Eyre Creek. It is located 1600 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane, and 200 kilometres north of Birdsville. At the 2006 census, Bedourie and the surrounding area had a population of 142...
, 336 km south-west of Boulia
Boulia, Queensland
Boulia is a town in Central West Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately by road south of Mount Isa, and lies on the Burke River, which was named after the explorer Robert O'Hara Burke who passed through the area with the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860. The township was gazetted in...
and 639 km south of Mount Isa
Mount Isa, Queensland
-Culture and sport:The local theatre group, the Mount Isa Theatrical Society, or MITS, often holds plays and musicals, at least once every few months or so....
. It lies at the northern end of the Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
with its western boundary bordering the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. It is owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It purchases land, assessed as being of outstanding conservation value, from...
(BHA), by which it was purchased in 2004.
History
Ethabuka was offered as a pastoral leasePastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
from 1910, though it was not taken up until 1946. It was operated as a beef cattle station
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
until acquisition by BHA.
Landscape
Ethabuka is characterised by dunefieldsDune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
and the associated swales
Swale (geographical feature)
A swale is a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy. The term can refer to a natural landscape feature or a human-created one...
, with clay and gibber
Desert pavement
A desert pavement is a desert surface that is covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size.-Formation:Several theories have been proposed for their formation...
floodplains. It contains the nationally significant Pulchera waterhole, a semi-permanent wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
fed by the ephemeral Mulligan River. Vegetation communities include Gidgee
Acacia cambagei
Acacia cambagei, commonly known as Gidgee , Stinking wattle or Stinking gidgee is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found primarily in semi-arid and arid Queensland but extends into the Northern Territory, South Australia and north-western New South Wales. It can reach up to 12 meters in height...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s.
Fauna
Ethabuka is rich in desert wildlife. Mammals recorded on the property include the MulgaraMulgara
Mulgaras are the two species in the genus Dasycercus. They are marsupial carnivores, closely related to the Tasmanian Devil and the quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex bush of central Australia. They are 12.5–22 cm long with a 7–13 cm tail. They are nocturnal but occasionally...
, Forrest's Mouse
Forrest's Mouse
Forrest's Mouse or Desert Short-tailed Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia....
, Spinifex Hopping Mouse
Spinifex Hopping Mouse
The Spinifex Hopping Mouse , also known as the Tarkawara or Tarrkawarra, occurs throughout the central and western Australian arid zones, occupying both spinifex-covered sand flats and stabilised sand dunes, and loamy mulga and melaleuca flats.The population fluctuates greatly: in normal years it...
, Brown Desert Mouse
Brown Desert Mouse
The Desert Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
and Sandy Inland Mouse
Sandy Inland Mouse
The Sandy Inland Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
. Reptiles include the Woma Python. Threatened bird species recorded are the Australian Bustard
Australian Bustard
The Australian Bustard, Ardeotis australis, is a large ground bird of grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is also commonly referred to in Central Australia as the Bush Turkey, particularly by Aboriginal people.The male is up to ...
, Yellow Chat
Yellow Chat
The Yellow Chat is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Painted Honeyeater
Painted Honeyeater
The Painted Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Grantiella.It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests...
and Chestnut Quail-thrush
Chestnut Quail-thrush
The Chestnut-backed Quail-thrush or Chestnut Quail-thrush is a species of bird in the Cinclosomatidae family. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.-References:...
. The reserve is part of the Simpson Desert Important Bird Area
Simpson Desert Important Bird Area
The Simpson Desert Important Bird Area comprises some 22,848 km2 of land in the Simpson Desert region of south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia...
(IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
for its importance in conserving suitable habitat for Eyrean Grasswren
Eyrean Grasswren
The Eyrean Grasswren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
s.