D'Aguilar National Park Brisbane

D'Aguilar National Park is a breathtaking escape from the city! Photo credit: Maxime Coquard © Queensland Government

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Nature, culture and history

    Image of subtropical rainforest which is just one of the vegetation types found in D'Aguilar National Park.

    Subtropical rainforest is just one of the vegetation types found in D'Aguilar National Park.

    Photo credit: © Queensland Museum

    Image of a Mount Glorious spiny crayfish.

    Mount Glorious spiny crayfish.

    Photo credit: © Queensland Museum

    Natural environment

    D'Aguilar National Park has a variety of habitat types including dry and wet sclerophyll forests, eucalypt woodland, subtropical rainforest, rocky outcrops and freshwater systems. In these habitats, more than 200 species of native animals are protected.

    Several near-threatened, vulnerable and endangered animals and plants have been recorded in the park.

    • Platypus have been sighted in the park along permanently watered creeks and waterholes.
    • The Mount Glorious spiny crayfish Euastacus setosus is found in only one creek system near Mount Glorious.
    • The spotted-tail quoll Dasyurus maculatus is a carnivorous marsupial that was once common in the D’Aguilar Range, but it has not been sighted for many years.
    • The Mount Glorious torrent frog (or southern dayfrog) Taudactylus diurnus only occurs beside mountain rainforest streams and waterfalls in areas of South East Queensland. It has not been seen since 1979.
    • Broad-leaved spotted gum Corymbia henryi has a very limited distribution in South East Queensland, but it grows plentifully in the park.
    • Other threatened plants such as the giant ironwood Choricarpia subargentea and the delicate native shrub Corchorus cunninghamii are also protected within the park.
    • Habitat for two vulnerable macadamia species overlaps in the park: the edible Queensland or bopple nut Macadamia integrifolia grows to the north and the inedible Maroochy or Gympie nut Macadamia ternifolia grows to the south on the slopes of Mount Nebo.

    Other unique and rarely found species occur in the park, including Hiller’s snub-nosed katydid Chloracantha hilleri, D’Aguilar Range assassin spider Austrarchaea raveni, and the newly discovered Mount Glorious water spider Ornodolomedes benrevelli.

    Culture and history

    Sacred country

    D'Aguilar Range and the surrounding areas hold significant cultural value for First Nations people.

    The eucalypt forest, rainforest pockets and creeks provide food, medicine and many other resources. Sacred sites include artefact scatters, bora rings, dreaming trails and traditional pathways.

    A changing land

    The first Europeans to enter the D'Aguilar Range area were farmers and timber-getters in the 1840s. Much of the country around the range was cleared for farming. Giant red cedar and hoop pine trees were felled and used as timber to build houses that still stand in Brisbane today.

    Around the 1860s, gold prospectors staked their claims on quartz-bearing rock in the hope of striking it rich. Despite their hard work, the mines produced only small amounts of gold and were abandoned in the 1950s. Remains of gold mine shafts can still be seen in the park today along the Golden Boulder track at Bellbird Grove.

    Protecting heritage

    The earliest timber reserves were gazetted in 1918 and extensive logging of hardwoods took place after World War II. In 1930, Maiala National Park was declared—the first national park in the D'Aguilar Range. Declaration of other national parks followed, including Jollys Lookout (1938), Manorina (1949) and Boombana (1950). Camp Mountain lookout was constructed in the 1970s.

    In 1977, through a partnership between the community, Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, the visionary concept of a 'park for the people' was born. This alliance was established to protect this expansive bushland area and preserve its values for the future.

    Our objective is to take advantage of the eminently suitable stretch of country for the benefit (relaxation and enjoyment) of the public…

    Brisbane Forest Park Bill 1977

    The declaration of D’Aguilar National Park in 2009 marked another important chapter in ensuring the park remains a place where people can walk, ride and appreciate the natural beauty of the protected bush on Brisbane’s doorstep.