Lake Murphy Conservation Park, Qld
We can highly recommend camping at Lake Murphy Conservation Park for a night or two. This Conservation Park, managed by Queensland National Parks, is accessed via the Leichhardt Highway, turning west about 18km north of the town of Taroom. From here, it’s a further 12.5km in total. The last 10.5km into Lake Murphy camping area is dirt and a little rough in just a few places, but no problem at all when driving to conditions.
The lakebed is perched, filled by nearby Robinson Creek only when it overflows with water after heavy rains. When full, the lake is home to many water birds, with some even breeding here. Sadly, the lake was almost dry for our visit, but we really enjoyed the walks and wildlife here, especially the birds. Our favourites were the Apostlebirds, Pied Butcherbirds and the shy Painted Wallabies.
Campsites are well maintained and situated in a large open area which is nicely flat and accessible to RVs during dry weather. There are picnic tables, fire pits/barbeques and very clean long-drop toilets. There is also a large day use area here. Pre-book online via the Queensland National Parks Booking Service. Campers do need to bring their water and there are no showers available at this campsite. Domestic animals are not permitted into Lake Murphy Conservation Park. Take all your rubbish out with you as there are no bins provided. All in all, this is fantastic campsite and a credit to Queensland National Parks.
There are two walks for visitors:
Lake Access Track: Grade 3 – 300m one way to the lake.
Lake Murphy Circuit: Grade 3 – 4km return. This track is through open woodland, and features iron bark trees and many Livistona cabbage palms (Dawson palms). Well into the walk, the track follows Robinson Creek through river red gums and more woodland before heading back toward the picnic area.
Some related history:
Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt and his party camped here on their journey north from then Jimba Station (now Jimbour) to Port Essington, which is 300km north of Darwin’s location). This expedition commenced in October 1844, and after travelling on horseback for almost 4,800km, the group reached their destination in December 1845.
Interestingly, in 1848 Leichhardt commenced a second expedition intending to travel from the Darling Downs in the east to Perth in Australia’s west. A station owner and some workers farewelled the party, then mysteriously they were never seen again. Around the year 1900 an Aboriginal stockman found a brass plate and a burned gun which were wedged into a bottle tree with the letter ‘L’ carved on its trunk. This find was in the Sturt Creek region and suggests that the group made it as far as Western Australia. Leichhardt was aged 35 at the time of his disappearance.
Ludwig Leichhardt named Lake Murphy after one of his expedition party. John Murphy was aged just 15 when he joined Leichhardt’s expedition and it was said that he was a very useful member of the group.
Twelve-year-old John Murphy was on board a ship bound to Australia with his family in 1841 when he first met Ludwig Leighhardt, another passenger. It seems he got caught up in the romance of adventure that went with exploring the unknown areas of Australia.
Upon returning home to Sydney following the expedition, his parents did not allow him to join any further trips. He later qualified as a surveyor and an artist. Sadly, John Murphy died aged just forty.
