Boomi
Encyclopedia
Boomi, Moree Plains Shire, New South Wales
, is a village located west of Goondiwindi
, Queensland
and north of Moree
, up on the border on the New South Wales side of the MacIntyre River
.
The average annual rainfall has been 22 inches (550 mm) but the recordings show that the pattern over the years has not been consistent. The. climate varies from long hot summers, when the temperatures can reach 43 °C and storms begin the summer rain often resulting in floods, to the winter months, which produce light rain and only occasionally result in floods. Cold nights in winter can go down to 0 °C causing frequent frosts, but the days are pleasant on the whole. Spring and autumn are short.
The feature of the area is its flatness, referred to as the "black soil plains", but really it has a mixture with grey/brown loam, interspersed with sand ridges.
It is a flood-prone region with the McIntyre River falling one foot per mile between Goondiwindi and Mungindi
, as it flows in a south-westerly direction. A flood peak at Goondiwindi can be expected a week later at the Kanowna gauge, seventy miles downstream. The McIntyre River has many tributaries; floods, flows and diversions affect and benefit the rich grazing and farming land.
The plains were once lightly forested with mainly gum, coolibah
, box
, wilga
, belah
, myall
, Cypress pine
and leopardwood
trees. Many of these early timbers were used for buildings and fences. The region is renowned for its good merino sheep with 21 micron wool and quality beef cattle. Although this is marginal, graziers have been able to diversify into farming. Large scale clearing has become broadacre farming, producing premium grade wheat
, oat
s, barley
and fodder crops.
Wildlife of the area, pig
s, kangaroo
s, emu
s and birds are bountiful and the rivers are a haven for fishing, especially cod
and yellow belly
.
Rivers and tributaries play important roles in the layout of the Boomi area. The headwaters of the McIntyre River system rise in the Great Dividing Range
between Guyra
and Stanthorpe
, and flow north west towards Goondiwindi, then veering west. The Boomi region is situated on the New South Wales
side of the McIntyre River between Goondiwindi, Queensland with Boggabilla
adjoining and Mungindi 170 kilometres downstream, straddling the border. In earlier years the MacIntyre River
was known as the Barwon River
at the source of the Boomi River
, but now reference is made to the Barwon River after the confluence with the Weir River. This book observes the change of name at the Boomi River junction.
The Weir River rises in south east Queensland and parallels the Barwon River for a short distance, north of the Boomi region from Bonanga, spilling over into the Barwon River, during flood flows, which it eventually joins, towards Mungindi.
The Gnoura Gnoura Creek branches out of the Boomi River at Boronga, running west before it flows into the Barwon River on Barra. The Boomi River is a tributary of the McIntyre and Barwon River junction. It meanders downstream, flowing back into the Barwon River south of Mungindi.
The Whalan Creek begins in the Boggabilla area, out of the McIntyre River. It then flows in a stream which, at times, forms into low swamps before becoming a larger waterway and running into the Boomi River, before the Boomi River meets the Barwon River.
Within these tributaries there are many lagoons, channels and gullies which are small, but carry a large volume of water during flood time: this is a river region. In most cases the tributaries provide the necessary stock and domestic water, supplemented on some holdings by bore drains or dams.
The Boomi area has steadily contributed to the pastoral wealth of the nation. There seems little doubt that it will continue to produce, as it has always done, - "Up on the Border".
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, is a village located west of Goondiwindi
Goondiwindi, Queensland
Goondiwindi is an Australian town of approximately 5,629 people. The town has an annual population growth of 1.4 percent. The name Goondiwindi derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "the resting place of the birds".-History:...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and north of Moree
Moree, New South Wales
Moree is a large town in Moree Plains Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Mehi River in the centre of the rich black-soil plains....
, up on the border on the New South Wales side of the MacIntyre River
MacIntyre River
The Macintyre River is a river in northern New South Wales, Australia, part of which forms the border with Queensland.The headwaters of the Macintyre River rise west of Guyra and south of Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands...
.
The average annual rainfall has been 22 inches (550 mm) but the recordings show that the pattern over the years has not been consistent. The. climate varies from long hot summers, when the temperatures can reach 43 °C and storms begin the summer rain often resulting in floods, to the winter months, which produce light rain and only occasionally result in floods. Cold nights in winter can go down to 0 °C causing frequent frosts, but the days are pleasant on the whole. Spring and autumn are short.
The feature of the area is its flatness, referred to as the "black soil plains", but really it has a mixture with grey/brown loam, interspersed with sand ridges.
It is a flood-prone region with the McIntyre River falling one foot per mile between Goondiwindi and Mungindi
Mungindi, New South Wales
Mungindi is a town on the border of New South Wales and Queensland in Moree Plains Shire. It possesses a New South Wales postcode. Mungindi sits on the Carnarvon Highway and straddles the Barwon River which is the border between New South Wales and Queensland...
, as it flows in a south-westerly direction. A flood peak at Goondiwindi can be expected a week later at the Kanowna gauge, seventy miles downstream. The McIntyre River has many tributaries; floods, flows and diversions affect and benefit the rich grazing and farming land.
The plains were once lightly forested with mainly gum, coolibah
Eucalyptus coolabah
Eucalyptus coolabah is a eucalypt of riparian zones and is found throughout Australia from arid inland to coastal regions. The plant is commonly called coolibah or coolabah, the name being a loanword from the Indigenous Australian Yuwaaliyaay word, gulabaa.Propagation is dependent on periods of...
, box
Eucalyptus populnea
Eucalyptus populnea, commonly known as Poplar box or Bimble box is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found in central and coastal Queensland to northern New South Wales. It can reach up to 25 meters tall and forms extensive open-forest communities in arid and sem-arid regions...
, wilga
Geijera
Geijera is a genus in the Rutaceae family with approximately 8 species of shrubs and small trees native to Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. The one most known to horticulture is G. parviflora, better known as the wilga. Another species, G. paniculata is known as axebreaker, due to its hard...
, belah
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
, myall
Acacia pendula
Acacia pendula is a species of wattle which is native to Australia. It is a tree which grows up to 10 metres in height and is pendulous in form with grey green narrow phyllodes which are about 10 cm in length....
, Cypress pine
Callitris
Callitris is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae . There are 15 species in the genus, of which 13 are native to Australia and the other two native to New Caledonia. Traditionally the most widely used common name is cypress-pine, a name shared by the closely related genus Actinostrobus...
and leopardwood
Flindersia
Flindersia is a genus of 14 species of tree in the family Rutaceae. They are native to the Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia.They are cultivated and planted for both timber and as a street tree...
trees. Many of these early timbers were used for buildings and fences. The region is renowned for its good merino sheep with 21 micron wool and quality beef cattle. Although this is marginal, graziers have been able to diversify into farming. Large scale clearing has become broadacre farming, producing premium grade wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, oat
Oat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and fodder crops.
Wildlife of the area, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s and birds are bountiful and the rivers are a haven for fishing, especially cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and yellow belly
Golden perch
The golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, is an Australian native freshwater fish, primarily of the Murray-Darling river system. It is not a true perch of the genus Perca....
.
Rivers and tributaries play important roles in the layout of the Boomi area. The headwaters of the McIntyre River system rise in the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
between Guyra
Guyra, New South Wales
-References:...
and Stanthorpe
Stanthorpe, Queensland
Stanthorpe is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia. The town lies on the New England Highway near the New South Wales border 223 km from Brisbane via Warwick, 56 km north of Tenterfield and 811 m above sea level. The area surrounding the town is known as the Granite Belt...
, and flow north west towards Goondiwindi, then veering west. The Boomi region is situated on the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
side of the McIntyre River between Goondiwindi, Queensland with Boggabilla
Boggabilla, New South Wales
Boggabilla is a small town in the far north of inland New South Wales, Australia in Moree Plains Shire. In 2006, the town had a population of 647 people....
adjoining and Mungindi 170 kilometres downstream, straddling the border. In earlier years the MacIntyre River
MacIntyre River
The Macintyre River is a river in northern New South Wales, Australia, part of which forms the border with Queensland.The headwaters of the Macintyre River rise west of Guyra and south of Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands...
was known as the Barwon River
Barwon River (New South Wales)
The Barwon River flows through New South Wales, virtually as a continuation of the Macintyre River / Border Rivers system, before joining with the Culgoa River to form the Darling River...
at the source of the Boomi River
Boomi River
-References:...
, but now reference is made to the Barwon River after the confluence with the Weir River. This book observes the change of name at the Boomi River junction.
The Weir River rises in south east Queensland and parallels the Barwon River for a short distance, north of the Boomi region from Bonanga, spilling over into the Barwon River, during flood flows, which it eventually joins, towards Mungindi.
The Gnoura Gnoura Creek branches out of the Boomi River at Boronga, running west before it flows into the Barwon River on Barra. The Boomi River is a tributary of the McIntyre and Barwon River junction. It meanders downstream, flowing back into the Barwon River south of Mungindi.
The Whalan Creek begins in the Boggabilla area, out of the McIntyre River. It then flows in a stream which, at times, forms into low swamps before becoming a larger waterway and running into the Boomi River, before the Boomi River meets the Barwon River.
Within these tributaries there are many lagoons, channels and gullies which are small, but carry a large volume of water during flood time: this is a river region. In most cases the tributaries provide the necessary stock and domestic water, supplemented on some holdings by bore drains or dams.
The Boomi area has steadily contributed to the pastoral wealth of the nation. There seems little doubt that it will continue to produce, as it has always done, - "Up on the Border".