Queensland Road Trip

In the evening Mark came and picked us up from our Hotel and took us on a tourist drive to Mt Coot-tha Reserve (also known as Mt Coot-tha Forest) which is a 15-minute drive west of the Brisbane CBD. Mt Coot-tha is a Brisbane icon forming a backdrop for the city and is Brisbane City Council's largest natural area. It contains more than 1600 hectares of open eucalypt forest, rainforest gullies and creek lines. Mt Coot-tha Reserve adjoins the south-eastern section of D'Aguilar National Park. These two natural areas include up to 40,000 hectares of forest and feature spectacular views, seasonal creeks and waterfalls.

The views of the city are spectacular. Whilst there we also had a lovely dinner at the cafe.

Now for some History

Before the establishment of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony at Brisbane Town in 1824, the Mt Coot-tha area was home to the Turrbal Aboriginal people.

From the early days of the colony, residents travelled to Mt Coot-tha for the views. A lone, large eucalypt was left after clearing the top and the area named One Tree Hill. In 1873 the forests were declared a timber reserve to supply timber for railways.

In 1880 a large part of the mountain became a reserve for a public park and named Mt Coot-tha, a derivation of the Aboriginal word 'kuta' meaning honey.
In 1919 the lands transferred to Brisbane City Council. The park expanded in 1920 under Mayor William Jolly.

Gold was prospected and mined at Mt Coot-tha intermittently from 1890-1950. The ore quality was very low and only small amounts of gold extracted.

During the Second World War, the reserve became a military base and served as a mine storage and assembly depot.

Thank you Mark for taking us on the tour it was lovely catching up.Read more