Glasshouse Mountains - Did You Know?

Image Courtesy of Aero Power Flight School

 * In his Journal on 17 May, 1770 Captain James Cook wrote: "These hills lie but a little way inland, and not far from each other: they are remarkable for the singular form of their elevation, which very much resembles a glass house, and for this reason I called them the Glass Houses …". This is a reference to their appearance which reminded him of the glass furnaces in Yorkshire.

 *The Glass House Mountains are a series of eleven intrusive volcanic plugs, formed of rhyolite and trachtyte, lavas which hardened inside the vents of tertiary volcanoes, about 25-27 million years ago. The cooling of the mountains resulted in the formation of vertical columns which can be observed on Mount Beerwah, Mount Ngungun and Mount Coonowrin.

*Mount Beerwah is the highest peak at 555 metres. Coochin (235 m), Coonowrin (377 m), Ngungun (253 m), Elimbah (129 m), Beerburrum (278 m), Tibberoowuccum (220 m), Tunbubudla (293 m and 312 m), Miketeebumulgrai (199 m) and Tibrogargan (364 m) all are located within the Glass House Mountains National Park and some offer excellent opportunities for bushwalking, abseiling and picnicking. 


 * The Glass House Mountains were formed approximately 25-27 million years ago.

* Prior to European settlement the area around the Glass House Mountains was occupied by people from the Gubbi Gubbi Aboriginal language group.

* On 17 May, 1770 Captain James Cook became the first European to sight the volcanic plugs.

* In July-August, 1799 Matthew Flinders sailed up the Queensland coast. He explored the area for sixteen days and climbed Mount Beerburrum.

* Today the volcanic plugs are part of the Queensland National Parks. The area around the mountains, because of the rich volcanic soil, produces pineapples, papaws, strawberries, avocados and passionfruit, as well as vegetables and macadamia nuts.

NB:Information copied directly from the Aussie Towns site which contains other amazing links for exploration!