Bunya Mountains National Park
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Bunya Mountains National Park Queensland |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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 Bunya Mountains National Park
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| Nearest town or city | Bell, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 26°47′58″S 151°32′13″E / 26.79944°S 151.53694°ECoordinates: 26°47′58″S 151°32′13″E / 26.79944°S 151.53694°E |
| Established | 1908 |
| Area | 117 km2 (45.2 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Bunya Mountains National Park |
| See also | Protected areas of Queensland |
Bunya Mountains is a national park in Queensland, Australia. The park includes much of the mountain range called the Bunya Mountains. The park are encompasses the most westerly area of subtropical rainforest in southern Queensland and the largest population of bunya pines remaining in the world. It is situated 63 km northeast of Dalby or 58 km southwest of Kingaroy.
The park is known for its abundant wildlife, permanent waterfalls and spectacular views. The mild climate of the range means morning and evening temperatures are low. The park is accessed by a steep and winding roads and is well serviced with camping grounds, an extensive network of walking tracks and several picnic grounds.
The Wakka Wakka, Jarowair and Barrumgum tribes are the traditional owners for the bunya mountains and have inhabited and managed the mountains through traditional land-use management for thousands of years which included the cultural significant 'Bunya Feasts' which would see thousands of people from surrounding tribes from Queensland and New South Wales come to the bunya mountains for these gatherings. The Bunya grasslands are unique relics of a much cooler climate and have existed since the last ice age and have persisted due to regular burning by Indigenous people over many thousands of years. The balds are considered a cultural landscape and an enduring symbol of indigenous land management which still hold significance to Indigenous people today.
The arrival of European settlers saw the removal of indigenous communities off the Bunya Mountains ending active fire management by indigenous people from 1860s onwards.
During the 1860s the park was logged for red cedar, bunya pine and hoop pine and the Aboriginals were pushed out. European settlers began to visit the area and enjoy the scenery in the same decade.
The Bunya Sawmill opened in 1883. As the 9,112 hectare national park was declared in 1908, it makes it the second oldest national park in Queensland. A further addition to the park was donated by WA Russell MLA in 1927. Timber was still removed from the national park until about 1917. The last sawmill on the mountains closed in 1945.
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Wikipedia