Mount Cordeaux is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

near

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 ...

, Australia and rises 1,135 m. It lies to the immediate north of

Cunninghams Gap Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and the Fassifern Valley in Queensland, Australia. The Gap is the major route over the Main Range along the Great Dividing Range, between Warwick and Brisbane. ...

in the

Main Range National Park The Main Range is a mountain range and national park in Queensland, Australia, located predominantly in Tregony, Southern Downs Region, southwest of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (formerly k ...

. It is known to the Aboriginal People as Niamboyoo, however, the meaning is unknown. It appears that early usage on names for the mountain varied, as a 29 September 1897 report in the ''Warwick Examiner and Times'', refers to "the well-known Cunningham's Gap, with its twin sentinel peaks, Coonyinirra and Niamboyoo". In 1927, the mountain was considered 'unclimbable'."Climbers of Mt. Cordeaux", The Brisbane Courier, 24 September 1924, page 16. Now a series of graded trails leads to a lookout just below the summit, 'Bald Rock' look-out and camp, a Palm Gorge and the Gap Creek Water Fall. From the summit of Mt. Cordeaux other

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 ...

peaks can be seen, as can the

Fassifern Valley Fassifern Valley is a valley of the Scenic Rim in South East Queensland. Towns found in the valley include Harrisville, Kalbar, Roadvale, Warril View and Aratula. Fassifern Valley is known as a carrot-producing area, as well as for growin ...

below and the Mistake Range to the north east. Walkers should be aware that there are hazardous, sheer cliffs along the tracks. The first European to discover and name the mountain was Allan Cunningham in 1828. It was named after William Cordeaux who was the assistant to Sir Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor-General. Vegetation on the lower parts is mostly rainforest. In higher areas montane

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

and grasstrees are found. The giant rock lily grows well on the slopes of Mount Cordeaux. The forest is mostly devoid of large red cedar, hoop pine, carabeen, pigeonberry, tulip oak or purple laurel, as Timber-getters in the early 1900s had harvested most of the area of Cunninghams Gap and Goomburra. The first pioneers thought to have climbed to the peak of Mt. cordeaux are a party of five, on 29 December 1910. The party was composed of Mr. T.B. Roscoe of Brisbane, Mr. James H. Bell of Maryvale, and three of Mr. Bell's sons. To commemorate the successful climb "T.B.R.", "J.H.Bell", and the date was carved into the summits rock with a tomahawk. This history is disputed as Mr. M.T. O'Connor of Tallebudgera and W.M. Garland of Boonah were reported to have conquered the summit on 30 February 1910. They reported observing marks on trees indicating the use of ropes which led them to believe that the summit had already been climbed. However, an earlier report by the latter climber reports their climb to be December of that year.

Gold Mining History

On the current path to ascend the summit of Mt. Cordeaux can be seen the remains of three mining attempts: a horizontal tunnel, a shaft, and an open cut trench. The latter two remains are presently fenced. On 20 February 1933, the lease holders of the mining operation applied for exemption from working conditions to construct a traffic-able road to the lease. At that time a 'considerable amount of work' had been conducted."Mt. Cordeaux Leases", The Brisbane Courier, 21 February 1933, page 18.

References

{{Reflist Cordeaux Main Range National Park

Gold Mining History

See also

References