The Mary Cairncross Reserve is a conservation park located on the

Blackall Range The Blackall Range is a mountain range in South East Queensland, Australia. The first European explorer in the area was Ludwig Leichhardt. It was named after Samuel Blackall, the second Governor of Queensland. The Blackall Range dominates the ...

east of

Maleny Maleny (pronounced ''mah-lay-knee'') is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. At the , the locality of Maleny had a population of 3,959 people. Maleny was a timber town ...

, in the Sunshine Coast Region,

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 , establishe ...

, Australia. Maleny is approximately north of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

and west of

Caloundra Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town and the southernmost town in the Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland, Australia. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is accessible from Landsborough ...

. The reserve is positioned in the mountain rainforests of the Maleny region overlooking the

Glass House Mountains The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of thirteen hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 metres above sea level, but the most identifiable of a ...

Geology

The Region holds many of the large predominate landforms in

, the most recognisable is the Glass House Mountains. The Glass House Mountains were formed thousands of years ago when the outer layer of soil and rock eroded from the extinct volcanic summit. The dirt and soil located in the region is very rich and healthy, due to the high quantity of volcanic rock decomposed in the soil. Volcanic rock contains high amounts of nutrients.

History

The Cairncross Reserve was given to the Landsborough Shire Council in 1941 by three Thynne sisters. They named the reserve after their mother, Mary Thynne (née Cairncross, born in 1848).

Sunshine Coast Regional Council The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra and the Shires of Maroochy and Noosa. It cont ...

manages and maintains the reserve along with the volunteers that staff the Thynne Natural History Education Centre daily. The reserve was created to protect the flora and fauna of the Maleny region.

The Rainforest

The 55-hectare reserve consists of subtropical rainforest. These types of rainforests are mainly located in the north-east parts of Australia. The Cairncross reserve has an area of 530,000 square metres and reaches a peak canopy of 440 m. The main species of tree is the Australian red cedar. Strangler figs and fungi are some of the environmental elements that the rainforest needs to survive. The

red-legged pademelon The red-legged pademelon (''Thylogale stigmatica'') is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to ...

can be found at the park.

Biodiversity

Plants found in the reserve include 107 species of tree, 30 herbs, 50 vines, 3 palms, 21 species of fungi and 26 kinds of shrubs. Animals include 139 birds including the

wompoo fruit-dove The wompoo fruit dove (''Ptilinopus magnificus''), also known as wompoo pigeon, is one of the larger fruit doves native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics Subspecies There are generally 7-8 recognised subspecies, ...

brown cuckoo-dove The brown cuckoo-dove (''Macropygia phasianella'') is a dove in the genus ''Macropygia'' found in Australia from Weipa and Aurukun in the north to Bega in the south, and most inland at Atherton and Toowoomba. It is sometimes called the "brown ...

, tree-creepers, thornbills, scrub-wrens,

green catbird The green catbird (''Ailuroedus crassirostris'') is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which soun ...

as well as 11 different marsupials, 3 bats, 20 lizards, 14 snakes and 14 frog species.

Facilities

The reserve contains a Rainforest Discovery Centre, walking tracks, a car park, barbecue and a cafe. The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre building was opened in 2017 by the Governor of Queensland, Paul de Jersey AC. The building was designed by Maleny-based Building Designer, Norman Richards building design + interiors in collaboration with Brisbane-based Guymer Bailey Architects. The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre has received the following awards: * 2018 Australian Institute of Architects QLD Chapter - Harry Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture * 2018 Australian Institute of Architects QLD Chapter - Commendation for Public Architecture * 2018 Australian Institute of Architects - Sunshine Coast Region Award * 2018 EDA Award for Economic Development Initiative * 2017 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects State Award - Tourism Category * 2017 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Finalist National Award - Tourism Category * 2017 QMBA Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Environmental Management * 2017 QMBA Award for Tourism and Leisure Facilities up to $10m * 2017 IPWEAQ Excellence Award for Innovation

References