INTO THE SIMPSON DESERT FOR ACACIA PEUCE
Participants: Jon Luly (JCU), Joe Holtum (JCU), Emma Gyuris (JCU), Emma’s bloke Barry, Peter Holtum (UQ)
Australia’s tallest desert tree, Acacia peuce or the waddy tree, is known only from three populations at the outskirts of the Simpson Desert. There have been unsubstantiated claims of A. peuce growing among the dunes of the Simpson Desert, west of Birdsville, Queensland. Jon Luly identified some putative A. peuce from aerial photographs.
In 2017 we went looking for Jon’s trees, driving to Birdsville and the Simpson via Winton and Boulia
….. the trees were not A. peuce…we cooked the motor of the new JCU Triton 4WD…we limped home via Mt. Isa. It was still a great trip… and we had camel pies in Birdsville.
Emma’s bloke Barry, PJ Holtum, Emma Gyuris and Jon ‘ferret’ Luly 
Silly prick… 
The doomed Triton 
Ferricrete-capped mesa at Cawnpore Hills. A magic spot. 
View from the Cawnpore Hills mesa. 
Acacia peuce stand near Birdsville. Gibber in the foreground and linear sand dune to the rear. 
Campsite by Acacia peuce. 
Mature Acacia peuce (waddy tree). 
Juvenile, pencil-shaped Acacia peuce. 
The road to Birdsville. 
Reducing tyre pressure for the trek across the Simpson Desert. 
Crossing the Simpson 
A salt lake in the low spot between dunes. 
Need to check whether a car or bike is coming from the other side of the dune. 
Jon at the wheel – no problems! 
Water from the Great Artesian depths is hot!! 
Not many nesting sites! 
A forlorn, despairing Jon Luly staggers through the Simpson, unsuccessfully searching for Acacia peuce. 
Acacia peuce is not there! 
Future public servant 
The oasis that is Birdsville.
Joe Holtum's Science Site 