History

History of Carnarvon Station

Carnarvon Station is part of an area of the Great Dividing Range known as the Central Queensland Sandstone Belt. Within the weathered rock bands of this area is the visible record of 200 million years of history, starting when Australia was still part of the Gondwana land mass. Around this time, Carnarvon was at the western end of a large basin which later became inundated by the sea. Much of the sandstone deposits of the area were formed as the sea encroached and then retreated.

About 35 million years ago, sections of the sandstone belt were subjected to volcanic activity. Through immense pressure, molten magma was forced up through faults and fractures in the sandstone deposits to the surface, forming basalt. Subsequent erosion has produced the major features of the landscape, and decomposing basalts have produced the rich black and red soils common in the area.

The whole central highlands area of central Queensland is significant to Aboriginal people. There are many sites of cultural importance to Aboriginal people on the property - ranging from rock art sites to burial places. Carnarvon Station is known as Bidjara country and it is believed Aboriginal people were present here for, at the very least, 18,000 years before European settlement.

The Bidjara people are the Traditional Owners of the Reserve and the surrounding area within the region of the Warrego headwaters.  Archaeological evidence verifies that this area has been occupied by Aboriginal people from at least 18,400 years prior to European settlement.  There are significant Aboriginal Sites scattered throughout the area, including caves, paintings and quarry sites.  The lives of these people changed dramatically with white settlement of the region from 1845.

White settlement (further detailed in Smith 2003) dates back to the early years of the colony of Queensland (Walsh 1999).  Sir Thomas Mitchell first explored the area of the Warrego River where Carnarvon is situated on his expedition to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1845-46. 

Settlers were encouraged to venture out under Government incentive schemes.  The Reserve appears to have been grazed from the early days of settlement.  The Queensland Crown Lands Act of 1884 created a consolidation of 11 Carnarvon Runs, creating the Carnarvon Station of today.  The purchase of Carnarvon Station by Bush Heritage occurred in 2001, resulting in the ongoing management of the Reserve for conservation purposes.