Valley of Lagoons

The north-eastern slopes of Boulder Mountain are the origin of the Burdekin River. Downstream the river forms part of the eastern and southern boundary in four separate sections. Douglas Creek, a tributary of the Burdekin, also rises in the area.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

There is a {{convert|36.4|km2|sqmi|0|adj=on}} area of wetlands{{cite web |year=2014 |title=Valley of Lagoons DIWA nationally important wetland |url=http://wetlandinfo.ehp.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/diwa-wetland-valley-of-lagoons/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016044237/http://wetlandinfo.ehp.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/diwa-wetland-valley-of-lagoons/ |archive-date=16 October 2014 |access-date=12 October 2014 |publisher=Queensland Government}} is on a basaltic plateau covered by an inland flood plain that hosts several large off-channel lakes that provide a permanent aquatic habitat. The area is DIWA listed and is a valuable habitat for fish and waterbirds.{{cite web |date=18 August 2014 |title=Upper Burdekin River |url=http://wiki.bdtnrm.org.au/index.php?title=Upper_Burdekin_River |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025083316/http://wiki.bdtnrm.org.au/index.php?title=Upper_Burdekin_River |archive-date=25 October 2014 |access-date=11 October 2014 |publisher=NQ Dry Tropics}} The area contains a major basalt feature - the 7000 year old Kinrara lava flow{{Cite journal |last=Cohen |first=Benjamin E. |last2=Mark |first2=Darren F. |last3=Fallon |first3=Stewart J. |last4=Stephenson |first4=P. Jon |date=April 2017 |title=Holocene-Neogene volcanism in northeastern Australia: Chronology and eruption history |url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/134886/9/134886.pdf |journal=Quaternary Geochronology |language=en |volume=39 |pages=79–91 |doi=10.1016/j.quageo.2017.01.003 |archive-date=1 October 2020 |access-date=30 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001123235/http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/134886/9/134886.pdf |url-status=live }} - with many springs emanating from a number of locations which in turn drives permanent water flow through the area, the condition of the wetland is good.

Valley Of Lagoons has the following mountains (from north to south):

• Boulder Mountain ({{coord|-18.7045|145.7359|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Boulder Mountain}}), risiing to {{convert|787|m}} above sea level{{Cite web |date=12 November 2020 |title=Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125215033/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |access-date=25 November 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{cite QPN|3985|Boulder Mountain|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Noname Hill ({{coord|-18.7066|145.3526|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Noname Hill}}) {{convert|656|m}}
• Basalt Hill ({{coord|-18.7620|145.5630|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Basalt Hill}}) {{convert|592|m}}
• Black Mountain ({{coord|-18.7798|145.6523|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Black Mountain}}) {{convert|538|m}}{{cite QPN|2899|Black Mountain|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Claro ({{coord|-18.8609|145.7384|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Claro}}){{cite QPN|7338|Mount Claro|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Jimmy ({{coord|-18.8696|145.6028|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Jimmy}}) {{convert|579|m}}{{cite QPN|17224|Mount Jimmy|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Grey ({{coord|-18.9172|145.7847|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Grey}}) {{convert|559|m}}{{cite QPN|14873|Mount Grey|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Dora ({{coord|-18.9268|145.6128|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Dora}}) {{convert|545|m}}{{cite QPN|10371|Mount Dora|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• The Bluff ({{coord|-18.9822|145.7335|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=The Bluff}}) {{convert|467|m}}
• Mount Lyall ({{coord|-19.0091|145.4554|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Lyall}}) {{convert|510|m}}{{cite QPN|20282|Mount Lyall|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Dudley ({{coord|-19.0244|145.5023|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Dudley}}){{cite QPN|10730|Mount Dudley|mountain in Charters Towers Region|access-date=25 November 2020}}

Part of Girringun National Park is in the north of the locality, extending into neighbouring Wairuna, Garrawalt, and Wallaman.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

The land use is grazing on native vegetation.

Gugu Badhun is an Australian Aboriginal language of North Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Charters Towers Region, particularly the localities of Greenvale and the Valley of Lagoons, and in the Upper Burdekin River area and in Abergowrie.{{Cite SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/65|title=Gugu Badhun|author=|date=|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|access-date=28 January 2020}}

Ludwig Leichhardt and his team were the first Europeans to explore the area on 4 May 1845 on his expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington (now Darwin). Leichhardt was very impressed with the area saying:{{Citation | author1=Leichhardt, Ludwig | title=Journal of an overland expedition in Australia, from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845 | date=1847 | publisher=T. & W. Boone | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8502324 | access-date=24 March 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324062947/http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8502324 | archive-date=24 March 2014 | url-status=live }}

"About five miles north-west by west from our camp, we discovered an en extensive valley with large lagoons and lakes, and a most luxuriant vegetation, bounded by blue distant ranges, and forming the most picturesque landscape we had yet met with. A chain of lagoons connected by a reedy brook followed the outlines of the table land, along the foot of its steep slopes. ... Water, grass, hills, mountains, plains, forest land; all the elements of a fine pasturing country, were here united."

Leichhardt uses the term "valley of lagoons" several times in his book, presumably the origin of the name.

Based on Leichhardt's favourable reports, George Elphinstone Dalrymple explored the area in 1859.{{cite web|title=Cardwell|url=http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/cardwell|work=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|access-date=25 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324094908/http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/cardwell|archive-date=24 March 2014|url-status=live}} Dalrymple was part of the company that established the Valley of Lagoons Station in 1862 after the area was opened up by the government. A partnership formed between Walter Jervoise Scott, his brother Arthur, Dalrymple and Robert Herbert (then Premier of Queensland) financed the acquisition of the leasehold. The partnership became Scott Bros, Dalrymple & Company with Dalrymple acting as manager.{{cite web|url=http://archivescollection.anu.edu.au/index.php/valley-of-lagoons-station|title=Archives - Valley of Lagoons Station|date=29 August 2011|publisher=Australian National University|access-date=10 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218142528/http://archivescollection.anu.edu.au/index.php/valley-of-lagoons-station|archive-date=18 December 2014|url-status=live}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Valley Of Lagoons had a population of 48 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32961|name=Valley Of Lagoons (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Valley Of Lagoons had a population of 39 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32930|name=Valley Of Lagoons (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

There are no schools in Valley Of Lagoons. The nearest government primary schools are Mount Fox State School in neighbouring Mount Fox to the east and Greenvale State School in neighbouring Greenvale to the south-west, but some students may be too distant to attend these schools. There are no secondary schools nearby either; the alternatives are distance education and boarding school.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Valley of Lagoons, Queensland}}

• {{cite web|title=Cardwell|url=http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/cardwell|work=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland}} (covers history of Valley of Lagoons)
• {{cite news|last=Kernot|first=Jim|title=Valley of Lagoons Landcare example|url=http://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/news/agriculture/cattle/general-news/valley-of-lagoons-landcare-example/23884.aspx|newspaper=Queensland Country Life|date=15 November 2000}}

{{Charters Towers Region}}

Category:Charters Towers Region

Category:DIWA-listed wetlands

Category:Localities in Queensland