Scrub

On 17 April 1835 botanist Richard Cunningham wandered into the scrub, west of the Bogan River, and never returned. He was travelling with Thomas Mitchell’s expedition to the Darling River and, when south of present day Nyngan, Cunningham strayed from the main group. Over the following days members of Mitchell’s party found traces of Cunningham – footprints, a saddle and bridle, a whip, one glove and a piece of paper cut with the letters ‘N. E.’. Following Cunningham’s trail was difficult because the country would change between grassed plains, soft earth and thickets of white cypress pine, she oaks and dense vegetation. The Bogan River marks the transition between rich alluvial soils of the plains to its east, and older sandy red soils to its west. In some places the change is abrupt, but in other places there is a mix of black and red soils, shifting clays and sandy rises, and gilgais and cowals that hold water long after rain or a fresh in the river. The red country supports semi-arid woodlands of mulga, poplar box, kurrajong, wilga, myall and budda.