No. 19 Lands of the Isaac–Comet Area, Queensland

Abstract

The Isaac–Comet survey area covered 42,900 km² and identified 28 land systems each with between two and seven land units making a total of 126 complex units (see Evolving Approaches to Land Classification and Report No. 39 ).

The survey was requested by the Queensland Government to improve the information available for areas of new pastoral and agricultural activity and prospecting for oil and minerals. This was the first of several surveys of ‘brigalow belt’ lands earmarked for more intensive development.

The land system descriptions in the report include block diagrams that show the position and arrangement of land units. Tabular information describes their area and distribution, landforms, soils, vegetation and a ‘land class’ including kind and degree of topographic, edaphic and/or hydrological limitations.

Individual chapters describe:

1. Climate — principal controls and general characteristics
2. Geology — generic and structural aspects related to the land systems
3. Geomorphology — landform type, evolution and occurrence in land systems
4. Soils — seven major groups and 33 families and their distribution in the land systems
5. Vegetation — characteristics and distribution of nine types
6. Grasses — characteristics and utilization of 11 pasture lands
7. Land Use — climate and soil factors in pastoral and agricultural use

Map 1 — Isaac–Comet area, Queensland, Australia, Land Systems by R Story, RW Galloway and RH Gunn. Scale 8 miles to 1 inch. CSIRO Land Research Series No. 19, 1967.

Map 2 — Isaac–Comet area, Queensland, Australia. Four maps on sheet, each 16 miles to 1 inch: Geology and Geomorphology by RW Galloway; Soils by RH Gunn; Vegetation by R Story; Pasture Lands by R Story. CSIRO Land Research Series No. 19, 1967.

The maps were digitised by the Queensland Government with permission of CSIRO. Access to the digital files can be obtained from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water.

Editor's Note: Vegetation communities in which brigalow is dominant and co-dominant are now listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Major coal resources have since been developed and the area encloses the important coal-mining centre of Blackwater, and a number of small towns. Its attractions include the Carnarvon National Park.The Emerald irrigation area includes alluvial clay plains within the survey area.