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Cited by 19Water and Land ManagementHistorical and Environmental StudiesAmerican Environmental and Regional History

Too much water: drainage schemes and landscape change in the sugar-producing areas of Queensland, 1920–90

Griggs, Peter Darryl·2018·Australian Geographer
DOI 10.1080/00049182.2017.1336965
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Abstract

Drainage schemes to reclaim land or improve the productivity of waterlogged land in Queensland’s sugar-producing districts occurred overwhelmingly between 1920 and 1990. To understand the motivations for and timings of these schemes the discussion begins by defining drainage, examining its purpose and establishing how drainage in the sugar-producing lands of Queensland occurred at different geographic scales and involved various combinations of structures and co-operative arrangements. Next, consideration is given to why poor drainage retards the growth of sugar cane and how better drainage improves yields and reduces disease outbreaks. The analysis then considers how floodplain topography and the presence of soils with poor internal drainage, combined with high to very high annual rainfall, contributed to drainage problems in the sugar-producing lands of Queensland. The fifth section contains an examination of what drainage activities occurred throughout the sugar-cane-growing lands of Queensland, particularly after 1950. The environmental consequences of these drainage activities such as the loss of freshwater wetlands and the creation of sites where weeds have flourished are considered in the final section. Three important themes in the environmental and agricultural history of Australia will be explored in this article: the role of the State; knowledge and technology transfer; and human mastery over nature and its environmental consequences.

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Crossref · 10.1080/00049182.2017.1336965

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24 of 24 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • These ditch networks are frequently associated with subsurface pipes, sluices, weirs, and pumps.

    “Frequently these networks are associated with subsurface pipes, sluices, weirs, and pumps [114][115][116] .”

    From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [114]

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 56

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Authors
Griggs, P. D.
Affiliations
Independent Scholar
Corresponding author
Griggs, Peter Darryl
ORCID
Griggs, Peter Darryl
Venue
Australian Geographer
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2017-07-11
Volume
49
Issue
1
Pages
81-105
ISSN
  • 0004-9182 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-3311
DOI
10.1080/00049182.2017.1336965
OpenAlex
W2734758828
Cited by
19
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3
FWCI
2.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Australian Geographer (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Water and Land Management
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Historical and Environmental Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › American Environmental and Regional History
Keywords
land drainage, sugarcane production, waterlogged land, landscape change, floodplain topography, internal drainage, rainfall, agricultural cooperatives, government role in agriculture, technology transfer, environmental history, agricultural history

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