Settlement Creek

The headwaters of the creek rise between Calvert Hills and China Wall in the Northern Territory and flows in a north easterly direction. It flows through mostly uninhabited plains country through Wollogorang Station then crosses the border into the northwest region of Queensland and later discharges into the Tully Inlet and then the Gulf of Carpentaria. As it flows through the savannah country it has carved out several waterholes that are critical habitat for many animals during the dry season.

During the wet season the creek is transformed when the waters breach the banks filling the floodplains create immense wetland areas.

A total of eleven tributaries flow into Settlement Creek, including Bullet Creek, Nine Mile Creek, One Mile Creek, Tom (Magira) Creek, Redbank Creek and Camel Creek. The creek also flows through a number of permanent waterholes such as Gudindjina Waterhole, Baladana Waterhole and Dijwalnguna Waterhole. The creek descends {{convert|303|m}} over its {{convert|142|km|adj=on}} course.

The catchment area occupies a total area of {{convert|15600|km2|sqmi|0}}{{cite web|url=http://www.southerngulf.com.au/page/The%20Land|title=The Land – Overview|access-date=31 May 2015|publisher=Southern Gulf Catchments|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411090436/http://www.southerngulf.com.au/page/The%20Land|archive-date=11 April 2015|df=dmy-all}} of which an area of {{convert|5494|km2|sqmi|0}} is in the Northern Territory and the rest in Queensland. The watershed is wedged between the watersheds for the Calvert River to the west, the Nicholson River to the south and east.{{cite web|url=http://www.lrm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/20809/map01.pdf|title=Drainage Divisions|year=2005|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401173613/http://lrm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/20809/map01.pdf|archive-date=1 April 2015|df=dmy-all}} The population living within the catchment area is less than 100. The catchment area is mostly devoted to pastoralism with many cattle stations. Other streams found in the catchment include James, Scrutton and Lagoon Creeks. Important wetlands found in the catchment include Wentworth Aggregation and sections of the Marless Lagoon and Southern Gulf Aggregation.

The creek has a mean annual discharge of {{convert|2720|GL|impgal USgal|sigfig=4}} per annum.{{cite web|url=http://www.track.org.au/sites/default/files/managed/file-attach/biblio/Silvas%20Socioeconomic%20profiles%2053.pdf|title=Settlement Creek (NT)|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=TRaCK}}

31 species of fish are found in the creek, including the glassfish, barred grunter, silver cobbler, milkfish, fly-specked hardyhead, treadfin silver biddy, golden goby goby, barramundi, oxeye herring, mangrove jack, chequered rainbowfish, bony bream, catfish, Hyrtl's tandan, freshwater longtom, seven-spot archerfish and the gulf grunter.{{cite web|url=https://research.jcu.edu.au/tropwater/fishatlas/Location/NT/settlement.htm|title=Settlement River catchment|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=Fish Atlas of North Australia}}

The traditional owners of the area are the Ganggalida and Gananggallanda peoples, who know the creek as Wollogorang, which in their language means "happy running waters".{{cite web|url=https://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/river-protection/settlement-creek|title=Settlement Creek|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=The Wilderness Society Australia}}

The creek was later named by George De Lautour in 1873 when he travelled from Townsville to Port Darwin overlanding 100 head of cattle. Upon reaching the creek he sent two of his party back to Burketown as he considered them useless in the bush.{{cite web|url=http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=18300|title=Place Names Register Extract – Settlement Creek|work=NT Place Names Register|access-date=30 May 2015|publisher=Northern Territory Government}}

The first Europeans to visit the area was the Ludwig Leichhardt expedition of 1845 from Queensland to Port Essington. The first pastoral leases were granted to settlers in 1881 when the Chisholm family took up Wollogorang Station in 1881.{{cite web|url=http://www.rgsq.org.au/17-138c|title=17°S 138°E Redbank Creek – Queensland by Degrees|year=2009|access-date=30 May 2015|publisher=Royal Geographical Society of Queensland}}

The river is prone to flooding following heavy rain events. In 2006 floodwaters from the creek and its tributaries closed the Carpentaria Highway, part of Highway One. The dirt road was closed for over a week and required major maintenance following the deluge.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/content/2006/s1596886.htm|title=Floodwaters cut Highway One|author=Francis, Adrienne|date=21 March 2006|access-date=30 May 2015|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}

In 2006 the creek was also earmarked by the Queensland government for declaration under the wild rivers legislation. Settlement Creek, Morning Inlet and the Gregory and Staaten rivers were all being considered for the extra level of protection with property owners being advised of the plan and given time to comment.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-01-30/more-time-for-wild-rivers-legislation-objections/788044|title=More time for wild rivers legislation objections|date=30 January 2006|access-date=30 May 2015|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} By 2007 all the waterways had been declared as wild rivers.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-07-17/govt-urged-to-name-far-north-wild-rivers/2504634|title=Govt urged to name far north 'wild rivers'|date=17 July 2007|access-date=30 May 2015|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}

{{stack|{{Portal|Water|Environment|Queensland}}}}

• {{Section link|List of rivers of Australia|Northern Territory}}
• {{Section link|List of rivers of Australia|Queensland}}

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{{Rivers of the Northern Territory |state=collapsed}}

{{Rivers of Queensland|state=collapsed}}

Category:Rivers of the Northern Territory

Category:Rivers of Queensland

Category:Gulf of Carpentaria

Category:North West Queensland