Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Mt Poole

In the Corner Country, about 40 km south-south-west of Tibooburra. It is the only prominent feature on the otherwise featureless gibber plains. In 1844-45 Sturt's exploration party stayed here for 6 months because of a drought. James Poole died of scurvy on this expedition.

The explorers constructed an 'underground room' in Depot Creek, a tributary of Evelyn Creek, where there was a permanent waterhole. Having access to this water they survived the drought. To keep the men busy Sturt had them walk to Red Hill (Mt Poole) each day 'to give the men occupation and keep them in health', where they constructed a cairn. The only trees on the gibber plains in the vicinity of Mt Poole are river red gums lining the beds of the ephemeral streams. In the deeply-incised bed of Depot Creek the tree roots reach down to the water that flows beneath the surface along the stream beds.

Sources & Further reading

Mary E White, Running Down, Water in a Changing Land, Kangaroo Press, 2000

• Aridification of Australia
• Glacial Maximum
• Dunes