Granite Belt, Queensland
Encyclopedia
The Granite Belt is an area of the Great Dividing Range
in south-east Queensland
, Australia
, centred around the town of Stanthorpe
. The cool, high country of the granite belt is found to the south of the Darling Downs and north of the New England Tablelands
.
The area gains its name from the predominantly granite
rocks that distinguish it from other areas that make up much of south-east Queensland. The Granite Belt is known for its spectacular flowers, and produces virtually all of Queensland's $40 million apple
crop from one million trees grown by 55 orchardists.
The area is also known as the Southern Downs. Including the town of Warwick
, the region has a population of 32, 600 people. The area lies within the Southern Downs Region local government area. The major river in the region is the Condamine River
, a tributary of the Murray River
.
, which makes it the coolest part of Queensland. This, and its relatively low rainfall, has made it attractive for viticulture
. Winter months can be very cold on the Granite Belt, and night-time frost
is very common. Bleak overcast conditions on rare occasions bring hail, sleet
, and snow. Situated at between 450 m (1,476.4 ft) to 900 m (2,952.8 ft) above sea level
, the altitude
is the main controlling factor for the climate. The elevation creates a climate of four distinct seasons on the Granite Belt.
The area is a popular tourist destination, particularly for the short-break drive market from Southeast Queensland/Northern New South Wales. The boom in wine tourism
has been a key driver, and while winter is popular, the region benefits from being a cool contrast to coastal humidity in the summer.
, Amiens, Ballandean,Glen Aplin, Passchendaele, Thulimbah, Pozieres, and Wallangarra
, in the south at the border with New South Wales. Liston is a small village in New South Wales that is considered part of the Granite Belt.
The area is Queensland's premier wine
region and home to the Queensland College of Wine Tourism. Many of the fifty-plus wineries in the region have enjoyed significant success with Shiraz
, Cabernet Sauvignon
, Merlot
and Chardonnay
for some years. Recently Verdelho
has performed very well and many wineries are experimenting with alternative grape varieties, including Nebbiolo, Sangiovese
and Petit verdot
.
Part of the Granite Belt is reserved as Girraween National Park, which features granite outcroppings such as the Pyramids, and an abundance of fauna and flora. ('Girraween' can be translated as "place of flowers" in the Aboriginal language from which it is taken). The latter are particularly in evidence in spring, when wildflowers explode into evidence. The area is home to at least 800 species of flowering plants. The botanical group known as the Stanthorpe Rare Flower Consortium has been established as a result of the region's significant floral heritage. Some of these plants include ground orchids, rock roses
, pea-flowers and native bluebell
s.
Further east towards the coast is the Bald Rock National Park
and Boonoo Boonoo National Park
. Towards the west of the district is the Sundown National Park
.
The granite
boulders of the region attract rock-climbers, and bush-walkers like to explore the little-known Underground River.
in 1827. Cunningham's Gap
was named after him.
Agriculture was established in the region during the 1860s. During the following decade, mining of gold, copper and tin brought permanent European settlement to the district.
In 1881 the railway to Warwick was extended to Stanthorpe and then to the border in 1887, when Wallangarra was established.
The countryside around the Granite Belt, after World War I
, was given to some returning soldiers as gifts or payment for their services in the war. As such, many of the rural districts are named after battles that took place in France, such as Amiens and Pozieres
. These places were, at one point, rather busy and well-populated, but as Stanthorpe grew and returned soldiers grew frustrated with farming, the districts eventually died as many families left. In some places, where there were once Blue Nurse outposts and many stores, all that remain are small primary schools, while in other districts the post-war past remains only in the name.
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
in south-east Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, 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...
, centred around the town of Stanthorpe
Stanthorpe, Queensland
Stanthorpe is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia. The town lies on the New England Highway near the New South Wales border 223 km from Brisbane via Warwick, 56 km north of Tenterfield and 811 m above sea level. The area surrounding the town is known as the Granite Belt...
. The cool, high country of the granite belt is found to the south of the Darling Downs and north of the New England Tablelands
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
.
The area gains its name from the predominantly granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rocks that distinguish it from other areas that make up much of south-east Queensland. The Granite Belt is known for its spectacular flowers, and produces virtually all of Queensland's $40 million apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
crop from one million trees grown by 55 orchardists.
The area is also known as the Southern Downs. Including the town of Warwick
Warwick, Queensland
Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Local Government Area. In 2006 the town of Warwick had a population of 12,562....
, the region has a population of 32, 600 people. The area lies within the Southern Downs Region local government area. The major river in the region is the Condamine River
Condamine River
The Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, Australia...
, a tributary of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
.
Climate
The Granite Belt is further distinguished by its elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
, which makes it the coolest part of Queensland. This, and its relatively low rainfall, has made it attractive for viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. Winter months can be very cold on the Granite Belt, and night-time frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
is very common. Bleak overcast conditions on rare occasions bring hail, sleet
Sleet
Sleet refers to two distinct forms of precipitation:*Rain and snow mixed, snow that partially melts as it falls. *Ice pellets, one of three forms of precipitation in a US-style "wintry mix", the other two being snow and freezing rain. The latter is referred to as sleet mainly by the United States...
, and snow. Situated at between 450 m (1,476.4 ft) to 900 m (2,952.8 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, the altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
is the main controlling factor for the climate. The elevation creates a climate of four distinct seasons on the Granite Belt.
The area is a popular tourist destination, particularly for the short-break drive market from Southeast Queensland/Northern New South Wales. The boom in wine tourism
Wine tourism
Wine tourism refers to tourism whose purpose is or includes the tasting, consumption or purchase of wine, often at or near the source. Wine tourism can consist of visits to wineries, vineyards and restaurants known to offer unique vintages, as well as organized wine tours, wine festivals or other...
has been a key driver, and while winter is popular, the region benefits from being a cool contrast to coastal humidity in the summer.
Towns
The town of Dalveen is in the north of the Granite Belt. Other villages include ApplethorpeApplethorpe, Queensland
Applethorpe is a settlement in the Australian state of Queensland. Applethorpe is well-known for the production of apples.The town is positioned on the New England Highway just north of Stanthorpe in the Granite Belt region at an elevation of 872 m. There is a railway station on the Southern...
, Amiens, Ballandean,Glen Aplin, Passchendaele, Thulimbah, Pozieres, and Wallangarra
Wallangarra, Queensland
Wallangarra is a village on the border between Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. It is the third most southerly town in Queensland, 258 km south west of Brisbane. Wallangarra is on the Queensland side of the border and Jennings is on the New South Wales side...
, in the south at the border with New South Wales. Liston is a small village in New South Wales that is considered part of the Granite Belt.
Attractions
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
region and home to the Queensland College of Wine Tourism. Many of the fifty-plus wineries in the region have enjoyed significant success with Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
for some years. Recently Verdelho
Verdelho
Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine...
has performed very well and many wineries are experimenting with alternative grape varieties, including Nebbiolo, Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
and Petit verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
.
Cistaceae
The Cistaceae is a small family of plants known for its beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom...
, pea-flowers and native bluebell
Bluebell
-Plants:* genus Hyacinthoides** Common Bluebell ** Spanish Bluebell * genus Mertensia** Virginia Bluebell * Scottish Bluebell...
s.
Further east towards the coast is the Bald Rock National Park
Bald Rock National Park
Bald Rock National Park is a national park in northern New South Wales, Australia, just north of Tenterfield on the Queensland border. On the other side of the border the national park continues as the Girraween National Park....
and Boonoo Boonoo National Park
Boonoo Boonoo National Park
Boonoo Boonoo National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 571 km north of Sydney and 26 kilometres north east of Tenterfield off Woodenbong Road....
. Towards the west of the district is the Sundown National Park
Sundown National Park
Sundown is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 198 km southwest of Brisbane. The parks contains spectacular gorge country and a number of peaks higher than 1,000 m.-Landforms:...
.
The granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
boulders of the region attract rock-climbers, and bush-walkers like to explore the little-known Underground River.
History
The district was first explored by Allan CunninghamAllan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
in 1827. Cunningham's Gap
Cunningham's Gap
Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and the Fassifern Valley in Queensland, Australia. The Gap is the major route over the Scenic Rim. The Cunningham Highway was built to provide road transport between the two regions.It is situated in Main Range...
was named after him.
Agriculture was established in the region during the 1860s. During the following decade, mining of gold, copper and tin brought permanent European settlement to the district.
In 1881 the railway to Warwick was extended to Stanthorpe and then to the border in 1887, when Wallangarra was established.
The countryside around the Granite Belt, after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was given to some returning soldiers as gifts or payment for their services in the war. As such, many of the rural districts are named after battles that took place in France, such as Amiens and Pozieres
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
. These places were, at one point, rather busy and well-populated, but as Stanthorpe grew and returned soldiers grew frustrated with farming, the districts eventually died as many families left. In some places, where there were once Blue Nurse outposts and many stores, all that remain are small primary schools, while in other districts the post-war past remains only in the name.
See also
- Regions of QueenslandRegions of QueenslandThe Regions of Queensland refers to the geographic areas of the Australian state of Queensland. Due to its large size and decentralised population, the state is often divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region varies somewhat in terms of its economy, population,...
- Storm King DamStorm King DamSituated just a few kilometers from Stanthorpe, Queensland. Storm King Dam offers some good angling opportunities for Murray Cod, Yellowbelly & Silver Perch....
- Tourism in AustraliaTourism in AustraliaTourism is an important industry for the Australian economy. In the financial year 2009/10, the tourism industry represented 2.6% of Australia's GDP at a value of approximately A$34 billion to the national economy. Domestic tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry, and was...