94 THE BTJRDEKIN VALLEY. 



Among the rivers flowing to the east coast of Aus- 

 tralia, the Burdekin with 53,500 square miles is second 

 only in catchment area to the Fitzroy, which drains 55,600 

 square miles. These two rivers possess a certain amount 

 of similarity in their systems, the complexity of which, 

 as well as their magnitude compared with the other Pacific 

 streams, has drawn the attention of students of Austrahan 

 physiography. 



Of the large area occupied by the Burdekin basin, 

 the writer is only 'acquainted with that portion which Hes 

 within the Charters Towers and Ravenswood goldfields. 

 This, however, includes the Burdekin falls and gorge, 

 where the river passes through the Leichhardt Range* 

 as well as portion of the so-called peneplain upstream 

 from the falls, these two features being the ones to which 

 most attention has been given.* 



The Charters Towers and Ravenswood goldfields 

 consist mainly of granite, and possess an undulating surface 

 whose monotony is broken by occasional " monadnocks '* 

 of more resistant rocks or by flat- topped '' mesas " of a 

 sandstone which, in places, presents lateritic affinities. 

 The undulating country descends gradually to the water 

 courses which thus occupy wide and shallow valleys, con- 

 ve5ring the impression of great maturity in the cycle of 

 erosion. 



In streams of great maturity, however, one naturally 

 expects to find great mdths of alluvial flats, but the 

 Burdekin has, considering its magnitude, deposited very 

 little alluvium. 



Another feature not altogether consistent with an 

 advanced stage in the cycle of erosion, is formed by the- 

 rocky bars over which the river passes in not infrequent 

 falls of up to 4 or 5 feet. 



*W. Poole, Xotes on the Physiography of North Queensland, A.A.A.S., 



1909. 



C. Hedley. A Study of Marginal Drainage. Pres. Address, Linnean 

 See, N.S.W., 1911. 



G. Taylor, Physiography of Eastern Australia. Commonwealth 

 Bureau of Meteorology. 



J. V. Danes, Physiography of North- Eastern Australia. Royal 

 Bohemian Society of Sciences, 191 L 



