Josephine Falls, Queensland

On the way north from Townsville to Cairns we stopped at a beautiful little national park set back into the hills behind the sugar cane fields- Josephine Falls. While the water looked too cold for us there were plenty of hardy, albeit younger, people taking their chances. (There were plenty of warning signs, stating that people had been killed or seriously injured as the river can rise at any time, the stream is cold and rocks slippery! Flash flood are common!) The walk in through lush tropic rainforest was delightful and Amelia thoroughly enjoyed stretching her legs and running ahead on the excellent paths.

 

Typical "Queenslander" house, with plenty of height for air circulation

 Harvesting

 

 Slippery rocks

A few brave souls testing the water!

Josephine Falls on Mount Bartle Frere has special significance to the aboriginal people of the area; the Noonguynbudda Ngadjon-jii, particularly due to the convenience of seasonal food sources and fresh water. Gungas (shelters) were made of palm fronds, ginger leaves and branches. Life for these people traditionally revolved around the seasons, the animals and the forests although this was interrupted when Europeans arrived. This place is considered their spiritual home and they moved around the mountainside regularly. The noticeboards were informative and explained the commitment of the Noonguynbudda Ngadjon-jii to the land and seasons...

“Our people ate nuts, fruit, tubers, fish, scrub turkeys, eggs, possums and carpet snakes. They buried nuts underground at camps when there were plenty around and dug them up when they were out of season.”

“Our people knew what time of year to eat wildlife, when they were fat enough to eat and not breeding. Everything was centred around the seasons. In the time of the jigaru (thunderstorms), moongarra (Australian bush turkeys/ scrub turkeys) began nesting  and everybody looked forward to a change of diet to bumboo (turkey eggs). When certain trees flowered it was time to catch fish, Our people knew about food by reading the seasons”

“When the men went hunting, they always asked permission of the animal spirits first before killing animals for food. They only took what they needed. All families had animal totems they wouldn’t hunt. Our old people never killed animals in their breeding season and never killed female animals”

It rains here about 250 days a year resulting in between 5-8 metres annually and at times 12 metres on the summit. This was evident on the day we arrived as the cloud obscured our view of the summit and it was much cooler than Townville or Cairns.

Mount Bartle Frere was named in 1873, after the then president of the Geographical Society in London. Shortly after Palmerston (explorer and prospector) and his associates discovered gold on the upper Russell river and its tributaries, prompting a short gold rush. (The gold has hard to find and conditions harsh). Many miners left after a short time, few with decent findings. From the turn of the 20^th century, industry took over, with mining, agriculture, farming and timber harvesting dominating traditional lands. The early settlers thought of the land as hostile jungle and wanted to “put it to good use”. Many of the traditional owners moved in the western parts of their lands, while some gained employment as miners, farmers or timber workers, while the women went into domestic services. Attitudes slowly changed and in 1921, parts of the Bellender Ker Range, including Mt Bartle Frere were declared national park.

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