Culture and History

My Country, My People © Cynthia Farr Baruŋgam

First Nations people lived in this area, carefully managing and using its rich natural resources for thousands of years. Known as ‘Woonoongoora’ in the Yugambeh language, the mountains of Lamington National Park are sacred and spiritual, places to be nurtured and respected.

The Yugambeh family groups are identified as the Wangerriburra, Birinburra, Gugingin, Migunberri, Mununjali, Bollongin, Minjungbal and Kombumerri. They shared language, ceremonies, celebrations and economic exchange.

This kinship group used both the open forest and rainforest. Evidence of their occupation has been found in various parts of the park, including the ‘Kweebani’ (cooking) cave near Binna Burra. It is believed a traditional pathway passed through the southern section of Lamington National Park.

The first European record of the McPherson Ranges was by Logan, Fraser and Cunningham, who saw the rugged mountainous area from Mount Barney's peak in 1828. The first Europeans to traverse the area were surveyors Francis Edward Roberts and Isaiah Rowland. Between 1863 and1866 they surveyed the Queensland–New South Wales state border along the highest peaks from Point Danger to Wilsons Peak. Bilin Bilin and members of his family and community carried equipment and identified trees and animals. Many landmarks were named using First Nations peoples' words. The Border Track in Lamington National Park follows part of the survey party’s original route.

The arrival of Europeans changed the First Nations peoples' lifestyle forever. By the 1870s, a battle had developed between those seeking to clear more land and those wanting to preserve valuable areas of southern Queensland's subtropical rainforest. Timber-getters spearheaded the onslaught in the search for cedar—‘red gold’. Agriculturalists followed, eager to farm the rich soil where rainforests had thrived. In 1878, the dream of Lamington National Park began. Inspired by Yellowstone in the USA becoming the world’s first national park, local identity Robert Collins became an expert on the McPherson Ranges and fought for the mountains and their grand forests to be conserved.

By the century’s end, most of the red cedar, crows ash and white beech trees had been harvested from the area surrounding what is now Lamington National Park and the coastal lowland rainforest had been destroyed. Other forces were gathering and a 20-year battle to conserve the precious rainforest remnants of the McPherson Ranges was underway.

In 1906, the Queensland Parliament passed a State Forest and National Parks Bill, and in 1908, the first Queensland National Park was declared at Witches Falls, Tamborine Mountain. In 1911, Romeo Lahey, a Canungra man, joined the struggle and energetically lobbied, lectured and petitioned for a national park. Lahey’s joining the campaign was timely as Robert Collins was to die in 1913, aged 70, before his dream for Lamington became reality. Lamington National Park was finally declared in 1915.

Although Lahey favoured ‘Woonoongoora’, the Yugambeh name for a local mountain, the park was named in honour of Queensland Governor Lord Lamington.

Development of the park’s facilities started in earnest in the late 1930s, with the Border Track and Coomera circuit among the first tracks completed.