| Mount Dromedary / Gulaga | |
|---|---|
| Mount Dromedary | |
 Mount Dromedary / Gulaga fromBarunguba / Montague Island | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 806 m (2,644 ft)[1][2] |
| Coordinates | 36°18′S150°02′E / 36.300°S 150.033°E /-36.300; 150.033[3] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Dromedary / Gulaga Location inNew South Wales | |
| Location | South Coast region ofNew South Wales, Australia |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Igneous extinct volcano |
| Last eruption | 60 million years ago |
Gulaga,dual-named asMount Dromedary and also referred to asMount Gulaga, is amountain located in thesouth coast region ofNew South Wales, Australia. It rises above the village ofCentral Tilba and is within theGulaga National Park. At its highest point, it measures 806 metres (2,644 ft)above sea level.
Najanuka / Little Dromedary Mountain, also dual-named, lies 6.37 km (3.96 mi) to the south-east, and both mountains are of great significance to the localAboriginal people, theDhurga-speakingYuin people. The area features the southernmostsubtropical rainforest in New South Wales.[4]
Gulaga is the place of ancestral origin within the mythology of theYuin people, the Aboriginal people of the area. Gulaga itself symbolises the mother and provides a basis for Aboriginal spiritual identity; the mountain as well as the surrounding area holds particular significance for Aboriginal women. For the Yuin people it is seen as a place of cultural origin. The mountain is regarded as a symbolic mother-figure providing the basis for the people's spiritual identity.[5][6] Gulaga, the mother, has two sons:Barunguba, also known as Montague Island, and Najanuka, named Little Dromedary by Europeans. The story tells that her second son was not allow to go far from home, as his elder brother did, and that Gulaga can see both of her sons in the distance.[7]
The first Europeans to sight the mountain were the crew ofCaptain Cook's ship,HMSEndeavour on 21 April 1770.Endeavour passed the mountain at a distance of 24 km (15 mi) offshore. Cook named it "Mount Dromedary", as its figure reminded him of the hump of a camel.[8]
In the mid-1800s Mount Dromedary, became a prominent site ofgold mining. Rev. W.B. Clarke first found traces ofalluvium gold in Dignams Creek in 1852. Gold mining then became a common activity in the area. A significant amount of gold was found in deposits along streams coming from Gulaga's slopes. Between 1878 and 1920 approximately 603 kilograms (1,329 lb) of gold was found in its slopes. Near the crest of Gulaga, reefs were discovered in 1877 that allowed for gold mineralisation. Thesepyrite-rich veins, ranging in size from 15 to 45 centimetres (5.9 to 17.7 in), were mined by the Mount Dromedary Gold Mining Company mainly between 1878 and 1910.[9]
In May 2006 the Gulaga National Park, incorporating the formerWallaga Lake National Park, was handed back to itstraditional owners, theYuin people, in a historic agreement signed by theNSW Environment Minister and the Yuin people.[10][11][12] The agreement also includedBiamanga National Park, which incorporates Mumbulla Mountain, the "men's mountain".[6]
After a period of community consultation from mid-2021,[13] The mountain was officially assigned thedual names of Gulaga and Mount Dromedary on 30 November 2021. Signage would place Gulaga first and the European name underneath it,[14] reflecting the importance of theDhurga language, history and traditions. At the same time, Little Dromedary Mountain was dual-named Najanuka / Little Dromedary Mountain, and the islandBarunguba / Montague Island.[7]
When Gulaga / Mount Dromedary was once anactive volcano, part of a complex covering about 40 km2 (15 sq mi), with the first of several eruptions occurring about 94 million years ago during the Mid Cretaceous. Its eruptions formed both Najanuka / Little Dromedary to the east and Baranguba/ Montague Island. Back then it would have been nearly 2,000 m (6,600 ft) higher than its current 797 m (2,615 ft) above sea level, with foothills stretching toTuross Head. What remains today is the inner core of the original volcano. It has been dormant since end of theCretaceous (65 million years ago).[9]
Gulaga is thus anigneous rock complex, known as Mount Dromedary Igneous Complex. It comprises a group of igneous andextrusive rocks of theShoshonite association. There are alsoOrdovician sediments to the east and west of the villages of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba. The mountain is composed ofbanatite ("a rock of intermediate composition betweenquartz diorite andquartz monzonite". There is an outer layer ofmonzonite around the banatite core main core of Gulaga, probably emplaced by the vertical movement of magma which created intrusion into the surrounding Ordovician sediments. There aredykes within the complex, mainly composed ofdolerite or quartzfeldspar.[9]
At its highest point, Gulaga measures 806 metres (2,644 ft)above sea level.[1][2]
Gulaga is located within the 4,673-hectare (11,550-acre) Gulaga National Park and the area serves as a site for public activity as well as a place of significance for the Aboriginal peoples. The national park provides walkways along the mining roads, which provide views of the coastal lakes. The hike from Tilba to the summit is approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi); taking about a half a day to complete. Though it is steep in a few places along the way, it is a fairly leisurely hike, requiring no special hiking equipment.[5][15]
Access to the park is approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north ofBermagui. The lakes can be accessed by boat, which can be rented from Regatta Point or Beauty Point.[10]
Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under aAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
