© 2007 Glasshouse Bushwalkers Club Inc.

Made by Serif

The traditional land owners of this area is the Gubbi Gubbi tribe, which had land from the north of the Brisbane River to the Mary River.  The Glasshouse Mountains had significant meaning to these people who believed that the spirits of the dead resided on the mountains and to climb them was taboo.

All through the area can be found evidence of aboriginal culture.  Some ridge-tops in the area produce axe and spear heads; there are midden heaps along the Moreton Bay coast; and axe grinding grooves, the best example of which is those in the creek bed near the Rocky Creek Scout Camp at Landsborough.  The D'Aguilar Highway follows, for the most part, the route taken by the people to travel to the Bunya Mountains for the gatherings held every three years.

Legend of the Glasshouse Mountains

The European history goes back to 1770 with Captain James Cook discovering the mountains and Captain Matthew Flinders exploring them.

More European History...

The Australian continent is a remnant part of one of the oldest continents of Earth, Pangaea, which included what is now India, Antarctica, South America, and Africa.  With the break-up of Pangaea,  Australia headed in a northerly direction and is still moving north today.  About 65 million years ago, Australia started moving over a hot spot, with vulcanism in North Queensland.

About 20 - 25 million years ago, Australia had moved sufficiently north for the hotspot to be about the Queensland - New South Wales border area.  This produced vulcanism which formed the Glasshouse Mountains, the Tweed Shield volcano (Mount Warning), Focal Peak (Mount Barney), and the Main Range.  Except for the Glasshouse Mountains, these formations are now part of the “Scenic Rim” of south-east Queensland and New South Wales border area.

This hot spot is now approximately below Bass Strait between Victoria and Tasmania.

Erosion since the vulcanism has produced the peaks of the Glasshouse Mountains, sitting on a low plain with the surrounding ranges being the original land surface.

The history of the declaration of national parks in the area is found by clicking the link.