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My posting relates to emu sightings in
Queensland. Having been barred access to the 'nominal but not actual'
Blackbraes National Park in central North Queensland, we headed south-west
towards the Great Basalt Wall National Park. We had passed through the area to
the north of the GB Wall 2 years ago and I noted emus at Cuba Plains
Station; this time we skirted west and south of the GB Wall and again
encountered emus.
On arriving home I began to transfer these and
previous sightings onto a map and it became clear that most of my emu
sightings in Queensland were concentrated in two areas; the Torrens Creek -
Aramac & Barcaldine area of Central Queensland, and an area from west
of Charters Towers (20*S) north to Jervoise Station (18*47' S 144* 51'E).
Along with another sighting near the Burdekin Dam earlier this year, this
suggests the following:
- sightings are at elevations of 70-120 metres
ASL
- none of the sightings were in recently burned
areas.
Historically emus were reported at the Townsville
Town Common and I have 2 records of an emu (possibly a pet!!) seen from
Highway 1 at St Margerets Creek 35km south of Townsville in 1995-6.
However both of these areas have been subject to frequent fires in the
last few years, which a flightless bird would have found hard to escape and
foraging areas much reduced.
Though my records are scratchy, try as I may I
cannot recall seeing an emu on any of my trips west of Torrens Creek (along
the Flinders Highway), or in the Southern Gulf Plains. Perhaps Bob Forsayth at
Mount Isa can comment? Also, I lived in the Brisbane area from 1991-93,
travelling regularly as far west as Warwick and north to the Burnett, but can't
recall ever seeing an emu.
Alex Appleman
Townsville
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