The plateau is a 28 km2 (11 sq mi), 8 by 4 kilometres (5.0 by 2.5 mi). The name is from the Yugumbir language of the Wangerriburra Clan, a from Jambireen meaning wild lime tree, or dum/gom bireen meaning yam in a cliff.[3]
The Tamborine Mountain road network enables access to the plateau from four points in the surrounding lowlands, providing alternatives in case of flooding, other natural disasters, or planned maintenance works.
A group of roads provides access to the mountain community from various lowland localities. These roads ensure continuity of access in times of flooding or other natural disasters, and during planned maintenance activities.
History
Timber cutting at Tamborine Mountain in 1912
Tamborine Mountain was inhabited by Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years and, at the time of early British colonisation, it was in territory of the Wanggeriburra clan of the Yugambeh people. The origin of the name Tamborine comes from the anglicised version of the word Jambreen from the Yugambeh language.[7] The spelling also appears on early records as Tchambreem, Tamboreen and even Goombireen,[7] meaning "place of yams", and refers only to a specific vicinity within the modern day settlement of Tamborine. The actual mountain had a different name which appears to have not been recorded.[8][9]
By the late 1850s, most of the Wanggeriburra had been extinguished from the region through the cruel treatment of the colonists and the mass-shooting operations of the Native Police, particularly those conducted by Sub-Inspector Frederick Wheeler.[10][9]
Prior to British settlement, the mountain was covered with a diverse range of forest types.[7] Unlike the lower land surrounding the mountain, the thick scrub on the mountain was seen as a barrier to settlement so the mountain was not opened for selection until 1875.[11] However, the selectors were living in the surrounding area and being within 15 miles (24 km) of their selections were exempt from the requirements to live on their selections. Most did not develop the land and sold it once they were granted freehold.[12] In 1878 the first selectors settled on the mountain blocks: John O'Callaghan (deputising for William Walsh) and his nephew, E.H. O'Callaghan.[13] By 1886 most of the mountain had been selected but electoral rolls and church records suggest very few people were living on the mountain.[12]
On 30 January 1893 auctioneers Arthur Martin & Co offered 128 blocks of land, mostly 2-acre (0.81 ha) lots, in the St Bernard Estate, bounded by Alpine Terrace to the north and to the south by Power Parade, St Bernard Street and Siganto Street.[14] The lots were described as suitable for gentlemen's residences with "scenery unsurpassed in Australia" and for the shooter "turkeys, pigeons, wallabies and kangaroos abound".[15]
Tambourine Mountain Provisional School opened in February 1893 in a small cottage provided by William Geissman.[16][17] On 2 February 1900 it became Tambourine Mountain State School, later adopting the spelling Tamborine Mountain State School.[18][19]
Much clearing for agriculture took place, though efforts were made to protect the natural values of the area, with Witches Falls National Park (now part of the Tamborine National Park) being declared in 1908, the first in Queensland.[7] The Tamborine National Park is made up of 12 separate sections of land, mainly remnant rainforest, on the plateau and surrounding foothills. A tourist road to the mountain was opened in 1924.[13]
St Bernard State School opened on 27 January 1914.[20]
On 30 May 1926 a United Protestant Church was opened in Eagle Heights Road on land donated by Mrs SA Jenyns. It was built by Mr V Anderson. It was available for use by all Protestant denominations but legally owned by the Presbyterian Church. The church continued to be used in that way until the late 1960s. It was purchased by May and Henry Bishopp in 1982 and donated to the Tamborine Mountain Historical Society, who relocated the church to their Tamborine Mountain Heritage Centre at 53 Wongawallan Road (27°55′15″S153°12′17″E / 27.9208°S 153.2047°E / -27.9208; 153.2047 (United Protestant Church (relocated))).[21]
In 1930 land was purchased at 2–4 Geissmann Street on the corner with Main Street (27°55′26″S153°11′07″E / 27.9238°S 153.1853°E / -27.9238; 153.1853 (Tamborine Mountain Presbyterian Church (former))) as a site for a Presbyterian church. A stump capping ceremony was held on 31 January 1931. The Mount Tamborine Presbyterian Church church officially opened on Saturday on 20 June 1931. The total cost of the land and the building was £450.[23] The manse was located at 29 Griffith Street.[24] By 1972 the growing congregation was too large for the church and so it was decided to purchase a 1-acre (0.40 ha) nearby site at 34–36 Main Street (27°55′27″S153°11′07″E / 27.9242°S 153.1854°E / -27.9242; 153.1854 (Tamborine Mountain Presbyterian Church)). The United Protestant Church was closed in March 1972 and sold for $10,000 to Mr E Tannock to fund the new church with the bell and its tower being removed to incorporate into the new church. The manse in Griffith Street was also sold to raise funds. The new church was consecrated on 3 May 1975 by Reverend Colin Kay.[25] A hall was erected at the rear of the new church in 1980.[26] The church on Geissmann Street was sold to fund a new manse.[27] The congregation continued to grow and the church building was extended to double its size and add other amenities. The extended church was officially opened on 14 November 2010.[28]
On 25 September 1990, 11 people were killed and 38 injured when a bus overturned and rolled down a slope on Henri Robert Drive. Most were senior citizens from a social club in Newcastle, New South Wales.[29][30][31] A coronial inquest did not support the laying of criminal charges in relation to the incident.[31]
The Tamborine Mountain Campus of Helensvale State High School opened in 1999 with approximately 150 students in Years 8 and 9. It became Tamborine Mountain State High School in January 2001.[20][32]
In the 2016 census Tamborine Mountain had a population of 7,506 people.[1]
Heritage listings
Tamborine Mountain has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Tamborine Mountain attracts many tourists to "Gallery Walk" along Long Road, a street devoted to art galleries, cafes and souvenir shops.[4] Other tourism-heavy areas include Main Street, two one-way roads with cafes, library, fuel, hardware stores, newsagent, the Zamia Theatre, various other shops, and the Tamborine Showground Markets, held every second Sunday of the month. A shopping centre including a SupaIGA supermarket was opened in 2011, and expansion plans were lodged in 2023.[46]
The Glow-Worm Caves are a man-made attraction which opened to visitors in March 2006.[47] They are located in one of the many wineries on the mountain. There are several fine dining locations.[48]
Tamborine Mountain is well known for walking tracks winding through rainforest regions and occasionally past cliffs or waterfalls. The most well-known ones are the Curtis Falls rainforest track and the Knoll. The Palm Grove walk is a 30-minute downhill trek to a massive fallen fig tree (blown down by storms in 2013) through a vast skyline filled with 30-metre (98 ft) tall palms. The track passes mountain streams, a waterfall and wildlife. The Botanic Gardens are found in Eagle Heights.[49]
Climate
The climate is a subtropical highland climate (Cfb, according to the Köppen climate classification), with the annual rainfall of about 1,550 mm[4] falling mainly between December and March. Temperatures vary between maxima of 17 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer, and are usually 5 °C to 7 °C degrees cooler than the surrounding lowlands. Winters are usually dry and sunny, with cool maximum temperatures; however, the temperature rarely drops below freezing due to the thick forest cover.[citation needed] With its fertile red volcanic soil and high rainfall, the plateau produces rich crops of avocados, kiwifruit, passionfruit, rhubarb, apples and mangoes.[citation needed] The Mountain receives an average of 102.9 clear days, annually.[50]
^BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tamborine Mountain. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.orgArchived 10 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine on 30 October 2011.
^Perry, Harry (1923). Pioneering, the life of the Hon. R. M. Collins. Brisbane: Watson Ferguson.
^"Logan and Albert". The Queenslander. Vol. X, no. 5. Queensland, Australia. 18 September 1875. p. 6. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Classified Advertising". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLIX, no. 10, 934. Queensland, Australia. 30 January 1893. p. 8. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Tambourine Mountain". The Week. Vol. XXXV, no. 891. Queensland, Australia. 20 January 1893. p. 24. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Arbor Day". The Week. Vol. XXXV, no. 907. Queensland, Australia. 12 May 1893. p. 18. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"History". Tamborine Mountain State School. 3 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
^"History". Tamborine Mountain State School. 3 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
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