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Publication Date

1-1968

Series Number

Bulletin 3547

Abstract

Rivers flowing to the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Timor Sea have been estimated by hydrologists to carry about three times the water transported annually over the Murray drainage system and the South Eastern slopes which, together, comprise the highly settled agricultural areas of South Eastern Australia.

In 1945, the North Australian Development Committee recommended research in the Ord-Victoria rivers region as a first step toward ultimate agricultural development of this Northern potential and, in 1946, the Kim- berley Research Station commenced operations under the joint control of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and the Western Australian Department of Agriculture.

Research carried out on the station showed cotton to be a sound com- mercial crop for the area and 1960 saw the commencement of construction on Stage 1 of the Ord Irrigation Project.

Commercial production commenced with five farmers in 1963 and in the 1967 season just completed 27 farmers harvested 11,800 acres for an aver- age yield of 1.6 bales of lint per acre. The present settlement of 27 farms fully utilises the water available from the present reservoir at Bandicoot Bar which is designed as a diversion structure for control of gravity supplies from the main reservoir still to be constructed some 30 miles upstream.

Number of Pages

34

Publisher

Western Australian Department of Agriculture

City

Perth

Keywords

Kimberley Research Station, Western Australia

Disciplines

Agribusiness | Agricultural Education | Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Beef Science | Environmental Monitoring | Horticulture | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Soil Science | Weed Science

Comments

Fourth progress report on activities at Kimberley Research Station, Kununurra, Western Australia. Previous reports were printed in the Journal of Agriculture of Western Australia in 1950, 1958 and 1965

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Bulletin No 3547 - Kimberley Research Station - Progress report 1968

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