New research shows that some of the deepest lakes on K'gari, the world's largest sand island, vanished around 7500 years ago even though the period was generally rainy.
Scientists from the University of Adelaide examined sediment cores from the island's oldest lakes and found layers missing between 7500 and 5500 years ago. This gap indicates the lakes had no standing water during that time.
Associate Professor John Tibby said the lakes had existed for 35000 to 55000 years yet dried out unexpectedly in a wetter era after the last Ice Age. Co-author Dr Harald Hofmann from CSIRO suggested shifting south-east trade winds may have steered rainfall toward nearby Minjerribah instead.
The lakes hold deep cultural meaning for the Butchulla people and are known as the Eyes of K'gari. Study co-author Conway Burns described them as sacred waters that connect present generations to ancestors and Country.
The findings were published in the Journal of Quaternary Science in 2025.