Bunya Mountains
A small creek in thenational park
Highest point
Peak	Mount Kiangarow
Elevation	1,135 m (3,724 ft)
Geography
Bunya Mountains Location in Queensland
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Range coordinates	26°50′S151°33′E / 26.833°S 151.550°E /-26.833; 151.550
Geology
Rock age	Jurassic
Rock type	Shield Volcano

TheBunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of theGreat Dividing Range in southernQueensland. Themountain range forms the northern edge of theDarling Downs in the locality also calledBunya Mountains nearBell andDalby. The mountains are south ofKingaroy and just to the south west ofNanango. The range is the remains of ashield volcano which was built fromnumerousbasaltlava flows about 23-24 million years ago.^[1]

In 2009 as part of theQ150 celebrations, the Bunya Mountains was announced as one of theQ150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Natural attraction".^[2]

The range rises to an average elevation of 975 m; however the two tallest mountains on the range,Mount Kiangarow andMount Mowbullan, rise to over 1,100 m.^[3] Slopes facing the north east are part of theBurnett River catchment, those on the south east make up part of theBrisbane River catchment, while those facing the south west belong to theCondamine River catchment and ultimately the Murray-DarlingRiver system.

The mountains are covered with ancient conifer rainforest that co-exists with a number of other unique natural features - 'balds' which are opengrasslands including some that contain raregrass species,^[4] vine, and sclerophyll forests.

Parts of the forest were once logged for various timbers includingred cedar,bunya pine andhoop pine. However, most of the peaks are completely uncleared and covered inforest as the range was too steep for earlytimber clearers. The mountains are home to the largest naturalBunya pine forest in the world.^[4]

The Bunya Mountains and neighbouring areas were the focus of major gatherings of Indigenous Australians fromSouth East andCentral Queensland to north east New South Wales. The gatherings occurred during the seasons when the bountiful nuts of the bunya pine ripened, from December through to March, and especially during 'bumper crops' which appeared to occur about every three or four years. These were evidently the largest and widest-attended Indigenous gatherings in Australia.^[5] Climbers would use a strong vine around their waist and the tree, which can be up to 1.5 m in width and up to 50 m tall, to reach the nuts.^[6] Members of the guest tribes were not allowed to climb or collect nuts from the tree.^[3] Apart from feasting on bunya nuts, participants engaged in a variety of intertribal activities: games and sports, ceremony, trade, knowledge exchange, the arrangement of marriages and the settling of disputes. 1902 was the final known gathering on the range.^[6]

Indigenous groups such as theWakka Wakka,Githabul,Kabi Kabi,Jarowair,Gooreng Gooreng,Butchella,Quandamooka,Barrangum,Yiman andWilli Willitraditional owners have continued cultural and spiritual connections to the Bunya Mountains to this day, a number of strategies including the use oftraditional ecological knowledge have been incorporated into the current management practices of the national park and conservation reserves with the Bunya Murri Ranger project currently operating in the mountains.^[5][7]

Much of the area is protected as theBunya Mountains National Park, the state's second oldest National Park, being established in 1908.^[4] There are manypicnic spots,walking tracks, lookouts and a fewcamping grounds on the range, as well as a variety of cottage and group accommodation facilities for families, friends, and school camp groups. Along the walking tracks, which lead to lookouts that offer views of the surrounding countryside, flora such as ferns andstaghorns, as well as the unique Bunya Pine, can be seen. Waterfalls add to the scenic beauty.

In the small patches of cleared land that are used by tourists, colourful birds such asAustralian king parrots androsellas can be seen. Fauna such aswallabies,scrub turkeys,koalas,echidnas andpossums may be seen. The uniqueBunya pine is known for its Bunya nuts which were a favoured food of localAustralian Aboriginals.

The mountains have a highland subtropical climate that is significantly cooler and wetter than the surrounding plains. Heavy winter frosts and even light snow occasionally occur on the highest peaks, while in summer, the mountains experience frequent heavy storms which contributes to the lushrainforest.

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.

• List of mountains in Australia
• List of volcanoes in Australia

• Media related toBunya Mountains at Wikimedia Commons

• Volcanoes of Queensland
• Tourist attractions in Queensland
• Darling Downs
• Wide Bay–Burnett
• Great Dividing Range
• Shield volcanoes of Australia
• Q150 Icons

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