Long Gone But Not Forgotten

---

On Saturday 6th August we awoke to a pleasantly warm morning. We didn’t need the heater that had been put to good use the previous morning – there was a little bit of cloud about so no real chill in the air. Today was to be a leisurely day after the exertions of yesterday’s mine tour. We had a few places we wanted to visit but our main aim today was to find our way to Lake Moondara for a picnic lunch. First, though, we went back to the Visitor Centre where there was a section we hadn’t visited – The Riversleigh Centre. Riversleigh is in a remote part of Queensland 250 kms north west of Mt Isa and covers about 80 square kms. It is world famous for its fossils – one of the richest mammal fossil sites in the world with fossil records dating back 15-20 million years. So much so that it is now a World Heritage Site and fossils continue to be found regularly. They reveal and support all the information we know about ancient animals – particularly dinosaurs. The Riversleigh Centre houses a magnificent exhibition of how extinct animals that roamed the earth millions of years ago would have appeared. There was also a brilliant audio/visual presentation with contributions from the likes of David Attenborough. It was a fascinating exhibition and well worth spending some time there.

Another “museum” of sorts was to be our next visit. We wanted to see the Underground Hospital that was constructed by volunteer miners just prior to the Japanese attack on Northern Australia in WWII. It was a precautionary construction as there were fears that normal hospitals would be targetted during the war. So over a 13 week period, several underground wards were constructed and equipment transferred from other hospitals. The conditions were very spartan and crude but would have catered for all medical requirements and even included a maternity section. As it happened, the hospital was never used “in anger” and has remained as a symbol of Australian wartime resistance and is now a big tourist attraction.

The weather was still glorious when we emerged from the underground hospital and toured the more modern (but still old by Aussie standards) outdoor reception area which was also stacked with memorabilia, old fashioned equipment and photographs.

Our next stop was a few kms out of town – it was Lake Moondarra. This man-made lake was constructed in 1958 when the Leichhardt River was dammed to provide a water supply to the ever expanding city of Mount Isa. It’s a popular recreational area with boating and swimming activities taking place. We drove to a splendid lookout from where we had great views over the dam and when we walked to the highest point we looked down on an area used by families for picnics. We had our own picnic whilst sat in the shade on a seat overlooking the lake – a perfect spot. High above us Whistling Kites circled around but I don’t think they were after our sandwiches!

Back at the caravan park we chatted to some neighbours who had recently ‘sold up’ and were now permanently on the road. Later in the evening we strolled over to listen to Lyall and Trish who perform every Saturday at the caravan park. Lyall sang a variety of old songs that most people knew and could join in with and he told a few yarns as well. His father had been a policeman covering a large and remote area of northern Queensland inhabited only by aborigines so his childhood had been unusual to say the least. Trish accompanied Lyall occasionally on a tambourine and a “rhythm stick”. We all played a tune on a comb and paper, did the Hokey Cokey (sitting down version) and generally passed a very pleasant hour and a half. They were extremely entertaining. Lyall had a ‘Button Box’ which was similar to Graham’s Melodeon so he stayed on at the end and had a play with Lyall accompanying him on his base box. We’d had it in mind to go back to the Irish Club that night but time was going on so in the end I cooked an omelette.

We’d spent a delightful couple of days in and around Mount Isa and as it says in the guide book “it is a remarkable place but most of all a place which believes in itself”!

---

Photos

A mum and baby Diprotodont
their fossil became cemented to the riverbed to be retrieved 30 million years later

A Bullockornis like this lived in the area until 26,000 years ago
he was a giant flightless bird

Palorchestes was a large marsupial not like any animals now alive
it lived about 20,000 years ago

Proud of their champions
Mt Isa welcomes you with this huge poster