It occurs on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, a few areas in the Northern Territory and in Papua New Guinea.

C. australasica can be propagated by division, and prefers to be well-watered in summer and allowed to dry in winter, in correspondence with Monsoonal patterns.

Flowers 15–20 mm, November to March in Queensland, normally yellow on a spike with pink, red, mauve or green bracts.

Aboriginal people in the Cape York Peninsula area traditionally roasted and ate the rhizomes of this plant.

[3][4] IUCN Red List status: not evaluated,[5][6] but very common and widespread in Queensland.