Mount Barney National Park is a national park in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

(Australia), 90 km southwest of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. It amalgamated the adjacent Mount Lindesay National Park in 1980. It is part of the

Scenic Rim The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located south of Brisbane agglomeration, straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. In 2021, the S ...

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

, identified as such by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

because of its importance in the conservation of several species of

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensat ...

birds.BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Scenic Rim. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-10-03.

Geography

Mount Barney Mount Barney is a mountain within the Scenic Rim Region in south-east Queensland, Australia. It lies approximately south-west of Brisbane, not far from the Queensland - New South Wales border, and forms part of the McPherson Range. It is a p ...

, Mount Maroon,

Mount May Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

and Mount Lindesay rise majestically above the surrounding farmlands in Mount Barney National Park on the Queensland/New South Wales border. These rugged peaks are the remains of the ancient

Focal Peak Focal or FOCAL may refer to: *Focal (lexicographical website), an Irish lexicographical website *FOCAL (programming language), a programming language for the PDP-8 and similar machines *Focal (HP-41), for programming HP calculators *FOCAL (spacecr ...

Shield Volcano which erupted 24 million years ago. Mount Barney (1359m) is the second-highest peak in south-east Queensland and has some very rare and unique plants. The town of

Rathdowney Rathdowney or Rathdowny () is a town in southwest County Laois, Ireland. It lies some 32 km southwest of Portlaoise in the Irish Midlands, at the point where the R433 regional road from Abbeyleix to Templemore is crossed by the R435 fro ...

is closest, 15 km to the northeast. The park is dominated by the grand twin peaks of

. Surrounding these

peaks Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...

are numerous mountains, steep

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

s, deep rock pools and much

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

forest. The park also contains the peaks of Mount Ballow, Mount Ernest, Mount Maroon and Mount May.

History

Mount Barney National Park and Mount Lindesay National Park were gazetted in 1947. In 1950, Mount Barney National Park was extended to include Mount May and Mount Maroon. In 1980, it was enlarged again incorporating Mount Lindesday National Park. In 1994, Mount Barney National Park became part of the

Gondwana Rainforests of Australia The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world. Collectively, the rainforests are a World Heritage Site with fifty separate res ...

(formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves) as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Accommodation

Bush camping is allowed at Mount May and Mount Barney. Restrictions apply during peak holiday times.

Flora and fauna

The park has extremely varied vegetation with open forests around the foothills of the peaks, subtropical rainforest above 600m, montane heath shrublands towards the summit of the peaks, cool temperate rainforest on the summit of

Mount Ballow Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

, and mallee eucalypt shrublands on Mount Maroon. Many rare and unusual plant species grow in the park including the endangered Maroon wattle, and the rare mallee eucalypt ''

Eucalyptus codonocarpa ''Eucalyptus codonocarpa'', commonly known as the bell-fruited mallee ash or New England mallee ash, is a flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a slender mallee with smooth, grey, yellow or brownish bark, lance-shaped to c ...

'', Mount Barney bush pea and Hillgrove spotted gum. Visitors to the park may notice the abundant

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

life due to their

bird song Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...

s. A few playful

platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal Endemic (ecology), endemic to Eastern states of Australia, eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypu ...

live in the park. The rainforest on Mount Barney provides critical

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

for the ''plumiferus'' subspecies of the

marbled frogmouth The marbled frogmouth (''Podargus ocellatus'') is a bird in the family Podargidae. The species was first described by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830. It is found in the Aru Islands, New Guinea and Queensland. Its nat ...

. This bird is listed as vulnerable. Nature Conservation (Special Status) Declaration 2005 p.11

Recreation

There are expansive views over the Border Ranges and Scenic Rim forests from the summit of Mount Barney. The mountain is an old

bushwalking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

destination by Australian standards and more than 30 routes lead to the summits of its East and West peaks. The majority of routes are not maintained by the Queensland State government and therefore navigational skills are mandatory, especially for first time visitors. The most challenging routes up Mount Barney include Logan's Ridge and Short Leaning Ridge. Peasants or South Ridge is a better choice for less experienced climbers. Allow plenty of time for the ascent and descent, which require between eight and ten hours, depending on the route and level of fitness. Walkers need navigational and bushwalking skills and sound

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate ...

. It is not unusual to meet climbers at all hours of the day and night, however prior knowledge of the area is required. A popular alternative to going up and down South Ridge is to ascend via South East Ridge and descend via South Ridge. Navigational equipment or local knowledge are required for this route. The benefit of ascending via South East Ridge is that the track incorporates the East Peak. From the East Peak the track drops down into the saddle area at the base of the West Peak. The West Peak can be incorporated into this walk at an additional 2 km (allow two hours). There are a few Class 4 walks around the base of the mountain that don't involve as much navigation over terrain. Nearby Mount Maroon is popular for

rockclimbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically an ...

. The first known climb to the summit of Mt Barney by a European was completed in 1828 by Captain

Patrick Logan Captain Patrick Logan (1791 – October 1830) was the commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1826 until his death in 1830 at the hands of Aboriginal Australians who objected to him entering their lands. As he had been hated by con ...

, by one of the hardest and most spectacular ridges on the mountain, named in his honour. Allan Cunningham and Charles Fraser were also in his company, however they did not reach the summit.

References

External links

Mount Barney National Park
{{National Parks of Queensland Protected areas established in 1947 Gondwana Rainforests of Australia Important Bird Areas of Queensland National parks of South East Queensland 1947 establishments in Australia Scenic Rim Region