The Blackall Range is a mountain range

Mountain range

A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...

 in South East Queensland

South East Queensland

South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The first European explorer in the area was Ludwig Leichhardt

Ludwig Leichhardt

Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...

. It was named after Samuel Blackall

Samuel Blackall

Colonel Samuel Wensley Blackall was an Irish soldier and politician, who was the second Governor of Queensland from 1868 until he died in office in 1871....

, the second Governor of Queensland.

The Blackall Range dominates the hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...

, west of Nambour

Nambour, Queensland

The area now known as Nambour, was first settled in 1870. The town was then called Petrie's Creek. In 1890 the Maroochy Divisional Board was established...

. Maleny

Maleny, Queensland

Maleny is a small, scenic town north of Brisbane on the Blackall Range overlooking the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Nearby towns include Landsborough, Montville and Peachester...

, Mapleton

Mapleton, Queensland

Mapleton is a small town in Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland, with a population of around 2,000 people. It includes the Lilyponds, the Mapleton Tavern and historic Seaview House , and is well known for its 180 degree panoramic views of the Sunshine Coast.The town is located high on the...

, Montville

Montville, Queensland

Montville is a small town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, on the Blackall Range in Queensland, Australia, around 400 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Montville and the surrounding area had a population of 853.-Early settlement:...

 and Flaxton are the main settlements located on the range. The Stanley River

Stanley River (Queensland)

The Stanley River in Queensland is the main tributary of the Brisbane River. The Stanley River valley extends roughly 35 km westwards from the area south of Maleny to Kilcoy before veering southwards....

 rises from the southern slopes. Baroon Pocket Dam

Baroon Pocket Dam

Lake Baroon is formed by Baroon Pocket Dam, a dam constructed in 1988 on Obi Obi Creek, in South East Queensland. The two smaller creeks, Bridge Creek and Forbes Creek also provide inflows to the dam. The reservoir has a surface area of 400 ha, an average depth of 15 metres and holds some 60 000 ML...

 is a reservoir on Obi Obi Creek which drains the north west slopes of the range.

Mary Cairncross Reserve

Mary Cairncross Reserve

The Mary Cairncross Reserve is a conservation park located on the Blackall Range east of Maleny, Australia. Maleny is approximately north of Brisbane and west of Caloundra...

 marks the site of the first settler's house on the Blackall Range. Curramore Sanctuary

Curramore Sanctuary

Curramore Sanctuary is a 1.75 km² nature reserve in south-east Queensland, Australia, 75 km north-north-west of Brisbane on the western edge of the Blackall Range. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy...

, Mapleton Falls National Park

Mapleton Falls National Park

Mapleton Falls is a national park near the town of Mapleton, Queensland, Australia, 95 km north of Brisbane.-See also:* Protected areas of Queensland*...

 and Kondalilla National Park

Kondalilla National Park

Kondalilla is a national park in the Blackall Range of South East Queensland, Australia, 91 km north of Brisbane. William Skene founded this area on his property while searching for lost cattle. He named it Bon Accord before gifting it to the Queensland Government who renamed it Kondalilla...

 are also located on the range. Numerous lookouts on the range provide excellent views towards the coast. One of the best is located at Howells Knob, a mountain which rises 561 m above sea level. With its spectacular views, natural beauty and an established tourist industry providing accommodation, restaurants, art galleries and specialty shops, the Blackall Range is a popular tourist destination.

Rich timber resources in the area attracted timber-cutters in 1860s. The last logging on the range occurred in 1939. The Blackall and Bunya Mountains

Bunya Mountains

The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The mountain range forms the northern edge of the Darling Downs near Bell and Dalby. The mountains are south of Kingaroy and just to the south west of Nanango...

 ranges are the only two locations where the bunya pine

Araucaria bidwillii

Araucaria bidwillii, the Bunya Pine, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the genus Araucaria, family Araucariaceae. It is native to south-east Queensland with two small disjunct populations in northern Queensland's World Heritage listed Wet Tropics, and many fine old specimens planted in New...

 species of tree is found naturally.

Activities by community groups with the support of the Queensland Government succeeded in recognising the range with iconic status, meaning the area is given greater environmental protection. In mid 2008 iconic status was confirmed, making the Blackall Range the third such declaration in Queensland after Noosa

Noosa, Queensland

The Shire of Noosa was a Local Government Area located about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia...

 and Port Douglas

Port Douglas, Queensland

Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...

.

External links

• Blackall Range: Nature, culture and history