ABSTRACT

Chillagoe is a small town, about 150 km west of Cairns, in tropical north Queensland (see map in Australia entry). West of the Great Dividing Range, the perennial Walsh, Mitchell, and Palmer rivers drain the area to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The MitchellPalmer karst extends for 100 km between those two rivers, in remote terrain accessible only by minor tracks. The region has a tropical monsoonal climate, with an annual average rainfall of 830 mm, most of which falls in the short wet season from December to March. Daily maximum temperatures frequently exceed 38°C in the wet season and over 25°C in the dry season. The dominant vegetation of the area is savannah woodland, with Eucalyptus and Corymbia trees. The main land uses are extensive cattle grazing, and minor quarrying of the limestone for lime and building stone. Aboriginal occupation of the area dates back at least 20000 years, and many caves and overhangs have rock art and prehistoric occupation sites. Europeans settled the area in 1872, when alluvial and reef gold was discovered on the Palmer River. Today marble is quarried at Chillagoe. In spite of the remoteness of the area and the small local population, there is an active caving club that has documented the area and its caves. Tourist caves are well established, receiving between 10000 and 14000 visitors each year, and they have developed some specialized ecotourism programmes.