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Johnny's
Pages
Old S.A.R.
Shunter's Memories
An off the job pursuit.
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Mount Gambier Blue Lake
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MOUNT
GAMBIER LAKES AREA
MARCH/APRIL 2003
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WHERE
IS MOUNT GAMBIER
in Australia
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City of Mount Gambier is located mid way between Adelaide
and Melbourne, just within the border of South Australia. The
streets and houses are built around the slopes of an extinct
volcano 27.37 kilometres from the sea, with the city
climbing almost to the lip of the famous Blue Lake, and the
outskirts extending on to the rich volcanic soil of the
surrounding plain. |
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... click on
small pictures to view a larger picture ...
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Gambier's mountain was named on 3rd December 1800 when
Lieutenant James Grant on board HMS Lady Nelson, sighted two
prominent peaks, one which was named Gambier's Mountain
after James Gambier, Lieutenant Governor at New Province in
the Bahamas. |
Mount Gambier and Lakes Area.
In
June 1839 Stephen Henty, a pioneer of Portland, Vic was
first white man to see Mount Gambier and the lake, climbed
it, and described it as "a
sight I can never forget......"
He returned with cattle in 1841. Huts were built for his
stockman near the Valley Lake and the cave gardens in the
centre of the city and stockyards were erected in the then
dry bed of Brownes Lake proving that the water levels have
been known to fall then rise again. Soon others
arrived, and one the brother of famous explorer Charles
Sturt, Evelyn Sturt, was issued with an occupation license
in 1844 for around 100 square miles of the country to the
north and west of Gambier's Mountain, which included Henty's
'squat', thus forcing him of his pioneer claim. Over the
next decade a steady stream of settlers arrived, mostly from
Tasmania, Victoria and Adelaide. |
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... click on
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BLUE
LAKE's COLOUR CHANGE
The
colour of the Blue Lake changes dramatically from grey to a
vivid blue over a few days in late November each year. Then,
after summer the colour gradually fades until the grey
winter appearance is resumed. The blue colour is not
isolated to Mount Gambier's Blue Lake, as there are several
similar lakes around the world (eg the Blue Lake at
Montezuma in Oregan, USA, which is also in a volcanic
crater).
Numerous theories have been put forward to explain the
colour change, but it is now considered to be a three-phase
process:
- Temperature
stratification occurs in the lake over the summer
months, with a layer of warmer water overlaying cooler
water.
- Precipitation
of calcium carbonate in the warmer part of the lake
during summer months, which removes any water-borne
impurities.
- The
absorption of all but the blue wavelengths of light by
the warm water in summer.
If the
lake was to become polluted, then the water purity could be
affected which in turn may affect the colour change seen
each year. |
The Blue
Lake 2007
(pic: Geoff
Donoghue)
These next pictures
taken March 2003
The
Turquoise blue colour in these pictures is exactly how it looks.
It's an incredible sight around 21st December when it's a full
colour change. |
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Both
views over Blue lake looking South West towards the
centennery Tower atop the Valley lake rim.
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Looking West over to Valley Lake. |
Looking North West, can just see city of Mt Gambier
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Looking North.
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Blue lake
pumping station.
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Looking North.
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Blue lake
pumping station.
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Pumping station looking from Bay Road
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Pumps
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At bottom of lake just above the water looking North East.
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The pumps on pontoon.
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You can see the blue tinge
against the underwater limestone.
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View from Blue Lake South Eastern Lookout
These pictures
taken April 2003
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Mt Shank another volcano to the south.
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This
zoomed shoot show the Cape Northumberland
Light
House at Port MacDonnell on the coast.
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small pictures to view a larger picture ...
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Leg of Mutton Lake
Overview of Leg
of Mutton lake
(pic: Geoff
Donoghue)
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Leg of Mutton Lake looking East
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Looking NW, can see the Leg of Mutton lake
has
dried up, actually the water table has dropped.
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... click on
small pictures to view a larger picture ...
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... click on
small pictures to view a larger picture ...
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