Whites Hill
Encyclopedia
Whites Hill is a hill and public reserve situated in Holland Park
in Brisbane
’s South East. The reserve covers an area of 53 acres (21.5 hectares) bound by the surrounding suburbs of Camp Hill
, Coorparoo
, Carina Heights
and Mount Gravatt East
. The site is popular with locals, with the reserve offering many sporting and recreational facilities.
Brisbane City Council sought to acquire the land for development in 1924, offering Bob White ₤22000 for its sale. He declined and lived out his days on the property. Upon his death in 1927, the land was sold to the council for less than half the original offer. With clear views of the Greater Brisbane Area from its peak, Whites Hill became an ideal observation post during the Second World War
. The house remained on the land until 1964, where it was torn down after repeated acts of vandalism forced the council to condemn the residence.
Soon after, the land was developed into a reserve. An area of land was set aside for a public park, which includes a playground area, barbecue and toilet facilities and a sizeable area of parkland. Further development from the 1980s to present day has seen sporting clubs for Cricket
, Soccer and Touch Football
become established within the reserve. Kilometres of walking track also snake through the reserve, most notably to a reconstructed lookout on Whites Hill that provides excellent views of the Brisbane CBD and the lookout on Sankey's Mountain that looks out towards the coast.
The reserve was also the site of the Whites Hill Landfill
and Recycling
Facility, which closed in 1994 in favour of a larger facility in the Brisbane suburb of Chandler
. Portions of the reserve near Pine Mountain have also been used as a quarry. Through community action however, much of that land has been rehabilitated. A whites family reunion is held every five years.
population throughout the reserve. There are also echidna
s, elf skink
s and swamp wallabies
.
The reserve's vegetation consists of Tallowwood
, Grey Gum
, Brush Box, Queensland Blue Gum and White Mahogany with small instances of Rainforest
. The reserve is prone to potentially catastrophic bushfires during the summer months; given many residences (some in the multi-million range) border the dry bushland. The Brisbane City Council actively practices anti-bushfire methods, such as sacrificial back burning. This involves burning selected sections of bushland to inhibit the spread of potentially damaging fires in the event of an emergency. The reserve is also dotted with a number of fire trails.
Holland Park
Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London, England.Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
’s South East. The reserve covers an area of 53 acres (21.5 hectares) bound by the surrounding suburbs of Camp Hill
Camp Hill, Queensland
Camp Hill is a largely residential suburb in the south-east of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 4 km from the Brisbane central business district and, as its name suggests, is elevated and commands fine views of the CBD. It has an area of 4.6 square...
, Coorparoo
Coorparoo, Queensland
Coorparoo is a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located approximately four kilometres from the city. Surrounding suburbs include Camp Hill, Holland Park, Greenslopes, East Brisbane, Norman Park and Seven Hills.-Aboriginal history:...
, Carina Heights
Carina Heights, Queensland
Carina Heights is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is south-east of the CBD. Surrounding suburbs include Camp Hill, Holland Park, Mount Gravatt East, Carina and Carindale.Carina Heights is named after the neighbouring suburb Carina.-External links:**...
and Mount Gravatt East
Mount Gravatt East, Queensland
Mount Gravatt East is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located southeast of the central business district.Named after Mount Gravatt, a nearby landmark, the suburb was first gazetted in 1967....
. The site is popular with locals, with the reserve offering many sporting and recreational facilities.
History
Whites Hill is named after the White Family, who, in 1873, acquired 53 acres (21.5 hectares) of land surrounding the 120m elevation now known as Whites Hill. It was here where the White’s built their dream home, whose grandeur proved popular with the locals. Soon, the house was opened to the public where, as well as tea and meals, a spectacular view of Brisbane city was offered. Later, a camera obscura was constructed. It projected the Brisbane skyline onto a horizontal, circular, slightly concave table about 3 meters in diameter. This, as well as the installation of a music machine, made the house ideal for functions, with many weddings and parties taking place.Brisbane City Council sought to acquire the land for development in 1924, offering Bob White ₤22000 for its sale. He declined and lived out his days on the property. Upon his death in 1927, the land was sold to the council for less than half the original offer. With clear views of the Greater Brisbane Area from its peak, Whites Hill became an ideal observation post during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The house remained on the land until 1964, where it was torn down after repeated acts of vandalism forced the council to condemn the residence.
Soon after, the land was developed into a reserve. An area of land was set aside for a public park, which includes a playground area, barbecue and toilet facilities and a sizeable area of parkland. Further development from the 1980s to present day has seen sporting clubs for Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Soccer and Touch Football
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
become established within the reserve. Kilometres of walking track also snake through the reserve, most notably to a reconstructed lookout on Whites Hill that provides excellent views of the Brisbane CBD and the lookout on Sankey's Mountain that looks out towards the coast.
The reserve was also the site of the Whites Hill Landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
and Recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
Facility, which closed in 1994 in favour of a larger facility in the Brisbane suburb of Chandler
Chandler, Queensland
Chandler is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia south-east of the CBD.Chandler was named after Sir John Beals Chandler and is a semi-rural suburb and not yet heavily developed or subdivided.-External links:** *...
. Portions of the reserve near Pine Mountain have also been used as a quarry. Through community action however, much of that land has been rehabilitated. A whites family reunion is held every five years.
Environment
Whites Hill Reserve is characterised by a topographical ridge that extends from Pine Mountain through to Whites Hill (the highest elevation on the reserve at 120m). The reserve plays host to a range of local wildlife with a 1981 survey finding 58 species of bird, 1 of mammals and 4 species of reptiles. Today, there is also known to be a scattered koalaKoala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
population throughout the reserve. There are also echidna
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
s, elf skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s and swamp wallabies
Swamp Wallaby
The Swamp Wallaby is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This wallaby is also commonly known as the Black Wallaby, with other names including Black-tailed Wallaby, Fern Wallaby, Black Pademelon, Stinker , and Black Stinker...
.
The reserve's vegetation consists of Tallowwood
Tallowwood
Tallowwood is a native Eucalypt species common in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It grows in forests near the coast on moderate to fertile soils in a protected, sunny position. Tallowwood is drought and frost tender....
, Grey Gum
Grey Gum
Eucalyptus punctata, commonly known as Grey Gum, is a large tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, native to South East Queensland and eastern New South Wales, where it specialises in poor soils such as Sydney sandstone. Its leaves are one of the favoured foods of the koala...
, Brush Box, Queensland Blue Gum and White Mahogany with small instances of Rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. The reserve is prone to potentially catastrophic bushfires during the summer months; given many residences (some in the multi-million range) border the dry bushland. The Brisbane City Council actively practices anti-bushfire methods, such as sacrificial back burning. This involves burning selected sections of bushland to inhibit the spread of potentially damaging fires in the event of an emergency. The reserve is also dotted with a number of fire trails.