Mount Coot-tha Forest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Coot-tha Forest
Mt Coot-tha Forest, 2012
Location	Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Mount Coot-tha, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Mount Coot-tha Forest, Mount Coot-tha Reserve
Type	state heritage (landscape)
Designated	4 September 2007
Reference no.	602446
Significant period	1870s
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Mount Coot-tha Forest is a special forest area near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a great place for outdoor fun and offers amazing views of the city. This forest is also called Mount Coot-tha Reserve. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 September 2007 because of its important history.

Discovering Mount Coot-tha's Past

Mount Coot-tha Forest is part of the Taylor Range, which is a group of hills behind Brisbane. It's the most famous spot to see Brisbane and the areas around it. You can see the city, Moreton Bay, Stradbroke Island, and distant mountains. Since the 1870s, people have used this area for many things. It was a place for cutting timber, a lookout point, a recreation area, and even for gold mining. It was also a military site and is now used for television broadcasting. Today, it's mostly a place for picnics and outdoor activities. It's also home to several TV stations.

Early Explorers and Naming the Range

In 1823, explorer John Oxley first named this area the Glenmorrison Range. Later, in 1828, other explorers like Allan Cunningham visited Mount Coot-tha. They called it Glenmoriston's Range or Sir Herbert Taylor's Range. A botanist named Charles Fraser wrote about the many types of trees he found there. He also said the view was "extensive and very grand."

Why Mount Coot-tha Was Important

After Brisbane became a free settlement in 1842, Mount Coot-tha was highly valued. It was a great spot for views and had fresh water streams. The area was first known as One Tree Hill. This was because all the trees on the hill were cleared except for one large gum tree. In 1865, someone wanted to buy land on One Tree Hill. But the government refused, saying it was needed for surveying. They also noted that people from Brisbane often used it for recreation. This shows that Mount Coot-tha was important for its views and recreation from early on.

Gold Mining Attempts

In 1860, people looked for gold in the area. The government even funded an expedition. But they didn't find much gold. Despite this, some gold prospectors kept trying. The first gold claim in Mount Coot-tha Forest was recorded in 1894. It wasn't a big success. Gold prospecting continued off and on until the early 1950s, but no major gold was found. You can still see some signs of these attempts today, like old shafts and a trolley line.

From Timber to Public Park

The Taylor Range had good timber. So, in 1873, One Tree Hill was made a reserve for railway purposes. This was to make sure there was enough timber for the railway from Ipswich to Brisbane. In 1880, the timber reserve was cancelled. The area then became a Reserve for a Public Park. One Tree Hill, along with about 1,500 acres of bushland, became a public recreation area. In 1883, the site was renamed Mount Coot-tha. This name is thought to come from the aboriginal word ku-ta, which means native honey.

Growing Popularity and Access

A group of trustees looked after the Reserve. They built fences and roads. In 1884, about 9,000 visitors came to the area in just a few months. This shows how popular it was. Mount Coot-tha Forest became even more popular after 1900. That's when Queensland introduced the Saturday half-holiday. This was the start of the weekend as we know it. More free time meant more people visited recreation areas.

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive's History

The main road up Mount Coot-tha is Sir Samuel Griffith Drive. At first, people just walked up the mountain, creating a track. By the 1870s, some people were driving up with horses and carriages. When it became a public park in 1880, the track was improved. It became a winding road that went in a circle around Mount Coot-tha. This was popular for walkers, buggies, and early cars. This road became Sir Samuel Griffith Drive. It was named after Sir Samuel Griffith, who was a trustee and a two-time Premier of Queensland. By the 1920s, it was a favorite scenic route for car trips and rallies.

The Mount Coot-tha Lookout

Looking at the view has always been the most popular activity at Mount Coot-tha. In 1886, a shelter and water tank were built at the lookout spot. In 1901, a special dial was added to help visitors identify things in the panorama. A small timber kitchen was built in 1912, and a larger kiosk in 1918. This kiosk became the basis of the one you see today. During World War II, the lookout was used by the military. After the war, more improvements were made, including a circular drive and a raised viewing platform.

J.C. Slaughter Falls and Simpson Falls

Before World War I, two dams were built on East Ithaca Creek, in the area now called J.C. Slaughter Falls. These dams were a popular picnic spot. They were also loved by bird-watchers and artists. One dam was destroyed by a flood in 1916, but the area remained beautiful. The surviving dam was removed later. In 1974, J.C. Slaughter Falls Park was opened after many improvements. It was named after J.C. Slaughter, a city administrator. A similar park was developed in the West Ithaca Creek area in the late 1970s. It was named after Captain Henry George Simpson, an early landowner.

Council Takes Control

In 1919, the group of trustees stopped managing the Reserve. Control was given to the Toowong Town Council. In 1925, the Queensland Parliament created a single local government for Brisbane. This meant the new Brisbane City Council took over Mount Coot-tha. The first elected mayor, Sir William Jolly, promised to improve the city's parks. Under his leadership, the Mount Coot-tha Reserve grew by over 1,000 acres. Sir William Jolly later said that securing Mount Coot-tha was one of his greatest achievements.

Mount Coot-tha During World War II

During World War II, Mount Coot-tha Forest was used by the military. It became a storage and assembly depot for mines. Water from the creeks was redirected for military use. Soldiers from the US Navy and the RAAF were based there. The main camp was near the present Hoop Pine picnic area. In 1944, the facility was moved to Darwin. Work continued on the buildings until 1945. The area was cleaned up starting in late 1946. You can still see some military features today. These include concrete slabs, drains, and footbridges. Some concrete slabs are now used as floors for picnic shelters. There's also a "Detonator Locker" hidden in a hillside.

Television Towers on the Mountain

The 1950s brought television to Australia. By 1959, Channel Nine and Channel Seven started broadcasting in Brisbane. The Brisbane City Council allowed them to build transmission towers on Mount Coot-tha. Later, two more towers were built for Channel Ten and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The towers for the commercial stations are on private land. The ABC tower is on land owned by the Brisbane City Council. These towers are very visible from many parts of Brisbane, especially at night with their blinking lights. The towers themselves are not part of the heritage listing.

Wildlife and Nature in the Forest

Besides its many uses by people, Mount Coot-tha Forest is a natural home for plants and animals. Its varied landscape creates different habitats for many species. This includes three rare types of owls: the Powerful owl (Ninox strenua), Masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), and Sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa).

Mount Coot-tha Forest has a long and varied history. It has been a timber reserve, a lookout, a recreation spot, a gold mining area, a military site, and a broadcasting site. Today, it's mainly used for recreation and picnics. It also continues to be a site for television broadcasting.

Exploring Mount Coot-tha Forest

Mount Coot-tha Forest is one of Brisbane's biggest natural areas. It has over 1,500 hectares of open eucalypt forest. It's only about a 15-minute drive from Brisbane's city center. The forest is located about 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. It borders suburbs like Enoggera, The Gap, and Toowong. You can get to it mainly by roads like Sir Samuel Griffith Drive.

Plants and Trees of the Forest

The plants in Mount Coot-tha are mostly dry eucalypt forest trees. These include Spotted gum, Grey gum, Forest red gum, and Narrow-leafed ironbark. You'll also find different types of wattle trees, like Brisbane Golden Wattle. Grass trees are common in the undergrowth. The ground is mostly covered with native grasses like Kangaroo grass and Blady grass.

Driving the Sir Samuel Griffith Circuit

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive is a two-lane road that circles the outer edge of Mount Coot-tha. It winds through the open forest and offers changing views of the city. It's a well-known tourist drive. It also gives access to many picnic areas and lookout points within Mount Coot-tha Forest.

Remnants of the Past

You can still find signs of past activities in the forest:

• Gold Mining: Look for parts of a wooden trolley line, an old well, and concrete bases from mining equipment.
• World War II: You might see concrete slabs, creek crossings, and footbridges. These were installed by the military. There's also a "Detonator Locker" built into a hillside. It's made of curved corrugated iron and has a manufacturer's stamp from Ohio, USA.

The ABC broadcast tower and its related buildings are not part of the heritage listing.

Why Mount Coot-tha Forest is Special

Mount Coot-tha Forest was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 September 2007. This means it meets certain important criteria.

Showing Queensland's History

Mount Coot-tha Forest shows how important recreation, scenery, and nature became to the people of Queensland. People have used it as a lookout since 1828. Its growing popularity shows how leisure time became more common. It also reflects the rise of car travel. The area has been enjoyed by the public since Brisbane's early days. It also shows different ways land was used in Queensland's history. These include surveying, timber cutting, gold mining, and military activities.

Rare Parts of Queensland's Heritage

The old gold mining remains in Mount Coot-tha Forest are a rare part of Queensland's history. Gold prospecting was once common, but finding evidence of it so close to Brisbane is unusual. These remains are the only physical proof of the attempts to start a gold industry here.

Learning About Queensland's Past

The gold mining remains can teach us about the types of activities that happened in Mount Coot-tha Forest. This helps us understand how the area was used over time.

Its Beautiful Scenery

Mount Coot-tha Forest is important for its beauty. It's a famous landmark in the city. It offers amazing views in every direction. The mountain itself also provides beautiful views, especially from the city.

Strong Community Connection

The people of Brisbane have valued Mount Coot-tha Forest for its recreation, scenery, and natural environment since early European settlement. The Saturday half-day holiday in 1900 made leisure activities even more popular. The picnic areas and walking tracks show that people have enjoyed recreational activities here since the late 1800s. The area is popular with many groups, including scouts, bushwalkers, runners, and mountain bike riders.

Linked to Important People

Mount Coot-tha Forest has a strong connection to former Queensland Premiers. Sir Samuel Griffith was one of its trustees. Sir William Jolly, during his time as mayor in the 1920s, helped greatly to keep and expand Mount Coot-tha Forest. He played a key role in making sure the area would be preserved for everyone to enjoy in the future.