Glass House Mountains National Park is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 70 km (43 mi) northeast of Brisbane. It consists of a flat plain punctuated by volcanic plugs, the cores of extinct volcanoes that formed 27 million to 26 million years ago. The mountains would once have had pyroclastic exteriors, but these have eroded away.

Origin of name

The Glass House Mountains were named by Captain James Cook as he sailed north up the coast of what is now Queensland in 1770 as part of his epic voyage aboard his ship HM Bark Endeavour. They were so called as the shape of the mountains reminded him of the huge glass furnaces (glasshouses) back in his native Yorkshire.

Mount Beerwah is the highest peak within the park at 555 m (1,821 ft). Mount Coonowrin 377 metres is the second highest and Mount Tibrogargan at 364 m (1,194 ft) is the third highest. Walking tracks normally allow access to the summits of Mount Beerwah and Mount Tibrogargan (although Mount Beerwah summit track is closed as of April 2009), however climbing Mount Coonowrin is prohibited due to the danger of rock falls.

Flora

The peaks support a diverse range of habitats including montane heath and shrubland, open forest and woodlands and small rainforest patches on some peaks. The montane heath is particularly rich in threatened and endemic species many of which can be found nowhere else on earth. The Glasshouse Mountains Tea Tree Leptospermum leuhmanii is restricted to the peaks and is notable for its beautiful smooth orange bark. The Mount Beerwah Mallee Red Gum Eucalyptus kabiana is also endemic and is named after the local Aboriginal Tribe and traditional owners the Kabi Kabi (pronounced Gubbi Gubbi). Other endemic plants include Gonocarpus effusus, Grevillea hodgei, Westringia grandifolia and Leptospermum oreophyllum.

Aboriginal legend

In the Aboriginal legend the mountains are members of a family with the father being Mount Tibrogargan and the mother Mount Beerwah. All of the other mountains are sons and daughters with the eldest being Mount Coonowrin.

Tibrogargan, the father, observes that the sea is rising and asks that Coonowrin the eldest son help their pregnant mother to safety. Terrified, Coonowrin instead flees. Infuriated by his sons cowardice Tibrogargan pursues him and strikes him so hard that he dislocates Coonowrin's neck.

Once the danger passes Coonowrin feels tremendous guilt for his actions and asks his father, brothers and sisters for forgiveness but all wept with shame. This is said to explain the many small streams that flow through the area. Tibrogargan turned his back on Coonowrin and gazes out to sea refusing to look at his son Coonowrin who continues to hang his head in shame and weeps.

credited to wikipedia