lake mungo
Lake Mungo is not only one of the great pilgrimages for many Australian photographers, but also for anyone interested in natural history, geomorphology, indigenous history, pastoral history, or just the great outdoors. Mungo National Park is a must for any traveller. In theory it is nothing more than the remnants of an ancient lake (completely dry and with ancient sand dunes running 20+ km along one side) in the middle of the New South Wales outback. In reality it is one of the most significant anthropological and archaeological sites in the world.
see also.... Lake Mungo Colour Photography
| With the iconic and culturally significant natural structures of the Walls of China (which hold evidence of continual indigenous habitation stretching back over 40,000 years) to the wonderful dunes and homesteads which show a slice of European pastoral history.
The whole area photographs superbly in both colour and black and white... but the monochrome images can tell a different tale about the land. Lake Mungo, located in Mungo National Park, is one of 17 dry lakes which constitute the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area (1981). The Lake last experienced permanent water over 10,000 years ago and has recorded continuous indigenous habitation for 40,000+ years - making it the site of the oldest known human occupation in Australia. From the lake, Aboriginal people gathered mussels, fished for Murray cod & golden perch, hunted wallabies & rat kangaroos and collected Emu eggs. Over time, prevailing winds that blow across the dry lake bed collected sediment and deposited it on the western shore forming an elevated bank that extends almost 20km's along the side of the lake. The transposed lake bed layers of sedimentary sands and clays that form the ridge, known as 'The Walls of China', have in turn then been then been eroded by wind and rain to form the spectacular Lunette. As the lunette erodes, it reveals the secrets of the past; ancient fireplaces, indigenous burial sites, fossilized remnants of extinct species like Thylocene and short-faced kangaroo as well as wonderful specimens of contemporary species. Mungo National Park also affords the visitor a glimpse into the European past of the area as it was an operational sheep station prior to becoming a National Park and many buildings from the era remain. Lake Mungo (and Mungo National Park) is a jewel of Outback NSW and is located about 1 hours drive from Wentworth and Mildura. |
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