History of Flinders Peak:
While exploring Moreton Bay in 1799, Matthew Flinders simply noted 'a high peak' on the south-western skyline. In 1828, explorer Allan Cunningham referred to 'the high peak of Captain Flinders'. Over time, the mountain became known as Flinders Peak. Indigenous people called it Booroongapah meaning 'meeting place' or 'a corroboree'.
The Peak district turned to timber milling in the 1870s after a cotton industry decline rapidly. Extensive forests in the Flinders Peak, Wooloman, and Milbong areas meant mills prospered. Teamsters worked the mountain. As many as 16 bullock teams hauled logs from Mount Blaine and Flinders Peak to mills in and around Peak Crossing. Rockton was the first big mill but in 1900 it was sold and moved to Beaudesert. The Peak Crossing mill, near the northern end of the Peak Crossing School grounds, prospered in 1889 under Richard Jackson and Charles O'Brien. From 1906, it was owned and managed by the Stacey family before it was moved to Brisbane in 1921. Then the industry declined and was not profitable again until World War II when seven mills produced timber for the defence forces and associated industries.
Flinders Peak, Mount Perry, and Mount Blaine, Ivory's Rock and other nearby prominent landmarks are remnants of major volcanic activity across the region about 25 million years ago. They are plugs and smaller dykes of intrusive trachyte, exposed over time by eroding of the surrounding Marburg sandstone. Some geologists believe the top of Flinders Peak may have been a small volcano.
Conservation Estates were purchased to protect the most significant environmental areas in the City. Contained within the parks are intact creek catchments, scenic backdrops and vistas, rare and threatened plants and animals and artefacts of indigenous and European cultural significance. Areas managed for nature conservation fulfil important environmental and social functions.
They provide safe homes for natives plants and animals.
They help keep air and water clean
They provide places for retention of historical and cultural sites and practices
They provide opportunities to interact and learn about the natural environment
They provide sustainable nature based recreation opportunities.
Animals of Flinders Peak:
The Brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) was adopted by the Ipswich City faunal emblem in 1998 to help raise awareness of this species. Once widespread in the mountain areas of eastern Australia, the brush-tailed rock wallaby now occurs only in a few scattered populations. The species is declared 'vulnerable' under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Due to Voluntary Conservation Agreements (VCAs) and voluntary acquisition of habitat, under the Ipswich Enviroplan Progam, the remaining populations of this vulnerable species are being protected in Ipswich.
The Greater Glider (Petauroides volans) is an elusive nocturnal marsupial that feeds on eucalyptus leaves and nests in large hollows provided only by large eucalyptus. A mature eucalypt forest is therefore important to sustain a range of species such as the greater glider.
Micro-bats (Insectivorous bats) are insectivores feeding on up to 500 insects an hour - an average of one every seven seconds. By each such a large amount of food each night, these energetic mammals help maintain a balanced ecosystem. Four species of micro-bats are known to occur in our conservation estates. By ensuring these little bats have homes in our suburbs, we reduce the need to use insect spray.
The Common dunnart (Sminthopsis murina) is a mouse-sized marsupial that is found most commonly in woodland, open forest, and heathland. A nocturnal species, it rests during the day in a cup-shaped nest of dried grass and leaves built in a fallen hollow log, a clump of grass or a grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea). It eats only insects such as beetles, roaches, cricket larvae, and spiders.
The Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto) are commonly found feeding within Conservation Estates playing a vital role in regenerating native forests. Due to their nocturnal feeding habits and extensive feeding ranges, flying foxes are able to pollinate tree species that produce most of their nectar at night and are less likely to be pollinated by day-feeding birds and bees. Because they can carry large fruit from rainforest trees over considerable distances, flying foxes play an important part in seed dispersal, assisting our rainforests to stay healthy and viable. Flying foxes inhabit residential areas only when their habitat is reduced or gone. By conserving and extending remaining patches of favourable habitat, we can reduce the need for co-habitation between flying doxes and humans.
The Noisy PItta (Pitta versicolor) is an elusive bird about 17-20cm high, preferring to inhabit the patches of vine forest and eucalypt forest in and around Flinders Peak and Mount Goolman.
The Yellow-footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes) is a bold, mouse-sized tree-dwelling marsupial that feeds mostly on insects but is happy to eat anything from flowers and nectar to small birds and even house mice.
The large nesting mounds of the Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami) are made by the male bird and can reach 1m high and 4-5m in diameter. The nest is kept at a constant 33deg.C while the varying number of eggs incubates. Females will visit several male nests and can lay up to three times her body weight in eggs in one season. A large egg allows for an advanced chick that claws its way to the surface of the nest over a day. After the chick emerges, it begins to search for food with no help from its parents.
Native plants of Flinders Peak:
The Eerwah plum (Pouteria eerwah) is an endangered tree that makes it home in drier rainforests and reaches a height of 15m. It produces edible red or black 5cm fruit in summer to winter. These were eaten by indigenous communities that travelled through the area. They may have played a major part in the species' distribution as many plants are found along known travelling routes.
Lloyd's native olive (Notelaea lloydii) is a shrub that grows up to 2m in well-drained slopes in the Boonah area. This tree was discovered in the 1980s by local botanist Lloyd Bird who has spent much of his life in Ipswich.
The Slender milkvine (Marsedenia coranata) is a slender twining wine that grows up to 3m on rocky hillsides and ridges. Pale yellow or greenish-yellow flowers 4mm across are produced in summer.
Introduced plants (weeds) of Flinders Peak:
Some ornamental and native plants introduced into the Ipswich district in the past for their beauty or resilience are now recognised by the State Government, local governments, and community conservation organisations to be adversely affecting our natural environment. Some plants spread very readily, have aggressive growth, and very few natural predators or controls. These become environmental weeds by invading areas of native vegetation, competing with native species for moisture, nutrients, light and space. This invasion is modifying the natural ecosystem and threatening local native plants and animals. Native plants become smothered and native animals lose their homes and food supply. Careful selection of alternative species will reduce this threat to our unique and beautiful natural environment.
Source: Ipswich City Council.
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