Mungo National Park and beyond (19_RG5)

The red and green 2019-5 The central feature of Mungo National Park is Lake Mungo, the second largest of the ancient dry lakes. The Mungo National Park is noted for the archaeological remains discovered in the park. The remains of Mungo Man, the oldest human remains discovered in Australia, and Mungo Lady, the oldest known human to have been ritually cremated, were both discovered within the park. They were buried on the shore of Lake Mungo, beneath the 'Walls of China', a series of lunettes on the South eastern edge of the lake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mungo_National_Park). In 1869 Gol Gol Station built the Mungo woolshed as its main shearing base. It was built out of termite-resistant Murray pine logs by Chinese labourers, using drop-log construction. In 1886, 29182 sheep were hand-shorn at Mungo shed and while it was built to accommodate 30 hand shearing stands, mechanisation in 1888 resulted in a reduction to 18 stands (http://www.visitmungo.com.au/downloads/mungo-book-1788-1901.pdf) which was further reduced at some point to 5. Shearing operations were powered by a stationary steam engine until the 1920s when the shed was converted to diesel. The shed is now part of Mungo National Park and located adjacent to the park interpretive centre.

Mungo woolshed on the edge of Lake Mungo

Mungo National Park-a great location for some astrophotography

Traversing Lake Mungo towards the Walls of China, the location of the ancient aborigional remains

Walls of China. Public access is limited to those taking tours to protect and respect the ancient human remains.

Walls of China-a harsh landscape

Walls of China-a weathered landscape from Red Top Lookout

Walls of China and Lake Mungo-120000 years ago Lake Mungo was the centre of a thriving society.

Mallee trunks-an indigenous plant species common to this region

Feral goats cause havoc to the pastoral industry, this device is located at a watering point and is used to trap the animals when they come down to drink (and the odd tourist). There is a lucrative international market for feral goats.

Sand dunes at Vigars Well on the Lake Mungo Circuit. The origional soak was well known to the local aboriginal tribes as a reliable water source. In the 1930s a well was sunk and the area used as a rest site and watering point for supply wagons servicing the pastoral stations.

The remains of wild life at a dried up soak.

Zanci Station homestead conveniences-Mungo National Park

A hard lie in-Zanci Station homestead

Zanci Station grader- critical for the upkeep of station roads and firebreaks

Zanci Station homestead chimney. To the left in the background is an underground room used to store and protect station food rations from the searing summer heat. The room was also a welcome escape for the human inhabitants looking for some cooling relief during summer.

Cypress pine tank stand. Cypress is resistant to termite attack, an invaluable trait when building infrastructure in the outback.

Zanci Station stables-again made from cypress pine

A straw or grass roof would have provided good insulation and cooling for the horses

Tough outback tree-a lot of history included in those lines

Following the Darling River north from Lake Mungo to Menindee and to Wilcannia.

Drying waterholes on the Darling River at Bindara Station

Thousands of hoof prints-presumably either feral goats or pigs looking for a drink

The milky way from the bottom of the very dry Darling River

Bindara Station campsite

Bindara Station woolshed, Menindee

The wool press, Bindara Station woolshed

Hand shears

The donkey, used to heat water for showering at the Bindara Station woolshed

Traversing a dry Darling River at Bindara Station, Menindee

The root system of the River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is incredible. After hand shearing, the wool was washed in the Darling before drying, packaging and shipping. Images from the 1800s show show this tree in all its glory.

Beautiful bark

Canoe tree. The aboriginal tribes that lived on the Darling would carefully strip the bark from the eucalyptus and form it into a canoe which was then used for trade along the Darling.

The opal mining town of White Cliffs is out in the desert about 200 km north of Menindee. Like most opal mining towns in Australia the landscape looks a demented gopher has been at work with piles of spoil dotting the landscape. Mechanisation has improved the lot of the opal miner although it must still be a pretty hard life. Many of the miners build underground houses to avoid the heat.

White Cliffs, New South Wales. The opals are found in the small hills.

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