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Albert River, send my love I bank woe, 2024

July 9 Yagurli Tag-along cultural tour

We’re in Moungibi (Burketown), Gulf Savanah country. Friday was rather special! We came here in the hopes of doing a few tours run by the local Gangalidda and Garawa peoples. We were in luck! We managed to join a 4WD cultural tag-along tour led by Brenton Yanner, Ranger coordinator and traditional owner of Burketown; Native title was recognised in 2015. He regaled us with stories for hours as we explored his homeland; it was totally engaging.

The aboriginal history of the 1800-1900s is very dark and Brenton only touched briefly on that. He took us to some of the European settlement landmarks, talked also a little about indigenous history, showed us some native plant species and told us how they were used. He gave examples of seasonal indicators for food collection and told us how traditional peoples lived and continue to live in the region.

You can see from this aerial shot (not mine) that Burketown is situated on an immense system of waterways, part of the Gumbamunda (Albert River).

We travelled about 50 km around a number of sites starting at the artesian bore which has created a diverse habitat and wetland for permanent and migratory birds and other wildlife. As kids the locals went hunting in these wet marshes for bush turkeys and other birds, wallabies, turtles and fish. This artesian bore was sunk over 120 years and 160,000 gallons per day have bubbled out of it since then. It’s hot at about 70C. We headed then on to the old wharf built in 1865 some 20 nautical miles from the ocean.

Early explorers to the area imagined that Burketown would be an excellent place from which to ship out cattle and cattle ‘products’, an excellent export location. In fact explorer Lort Stokes called the area ‘Plains of Promise’ (it must have been after the wet that he saw it before the grasses dried off). The collecting yards and meat processing ruins were rather grim testament to an unwise decision; these pix show some of the remains of the boiling down works. It seems that the venture was doomed to eventual failure - disease, cattle tick, fire, drought. Nearby on the Gumbamunda (Albert River) we saw the site of the Landsborough tree where explorer William Landsborough established a depot camp while searching for the missing Burke & Wills in 1862. He buried supplies near a tree and carved ‘Dig’ into it in case the explorers should happen upon it (it seems so far fetched to us now but no one knew where they were); the tree is no longer there but there’s signage.

Further along the river we stopped at the Albert River Bridge where a large Olive python is supposed to live. It and the King Brown snake are sacred as they are believe to be direct decendants of the Rainbow Serpent. Near the bridge, and scattered across the whole area, was evidence of what is called early season, pattern or mosaic burning. This burning practice is a cool light burn which creates safe zones for wildlife in the later bigger burns.

Flash new boat launch on the Gumbamunda (Albert River). Here Brenton talked a lot about crocodiles, such amazing ancient creatures. They discovered that one learnt to respond to tapping a bucket - it meant fishermen were cleaning out their bait and guts buckets, another they called Tripod because he had lost a leg. The locals know if the river is going to flood because the crocs build their nests on high ground away from the river. Like pelicans they know when water is coming. We are to return here Monday late afternoon to take a sunset cruise down this pristine river. More anon .....

#Burketown #Albert River