#tibrogargan

"The glass house mountains story

Tibrogargan and his wife, Beerwah had nine children, from Coonowrin the eldest down to the youngest, now known as Wild Horse Mountain.

Because Beewah was heavily pregnant, Tibrogargan asked Coonowrin to look after his brother and sisters. But Coonowrin was easily distracted and wasn't paying attention when a large wave swept the baby Wild Horse away. Fortunately. Tibrogargan saved his little son but he and Beerwah were sad about Coonowrin's behaviour and cried tears that formed little creeks.

When Coonowrin saw this he was so ashamed he decided to show his family that he could be a responsible grown-up. He went to the country of the Maroochy people to steal one of the women of that group. But Ninderry, the headman of the Maroochy people, was waiting for Coonowrin and attacked him with his mighty club. Coonowring was lucky to escape with a crooked neck.

Coonowrin's family were impressed with his brave attempt, and welcomed back their young hero.

Glasshouse Mountains

These peaks are found in Australia’s Glasshouse Mountains National Park, near the ocean coastline in Queensland, Australia. From left to right in this photo, the peaks are named Mt. Tibberoowuccum, Mt. Tibrogargan, Mt. Beerwah, Mt. Coonowrin, and Mt. Ngungun. The area received the name Glasshouse Mountains from James Cook in the 18th century, but each peak retains an originalaboriginal name relating to the story told about the area.

In the tale, Tibrogargan, the largest peak, was the father of tribes in the area, and Beerwah, the next largest peak, was the mother. When Tibrogargan perceived that a flood was about to strike the area, he asked his son Coonowrin to escort his mother to high ground, but Coonowrin panicked and deserted her. When Tibrogargan learned of this, he struck Coonowrin, leaving him with a crooked head, and placed him behind his mother so that Tibrogargan would never have to see him again. When the other members of the family learned of this incident, they cried, leading to the streams that drain the area.

The mountains were a meetingplace for many tribes that lived in the area, with early reports suggesting thousands could gather here at one time. Starting in the 19th century however, the land was logged and these meetings were cleared out. The trees growing here today were replanted starting in the 1930s.

The mountains are all igneous in origin. They are volcanic plugs or laccoliths – volcanic rock that got close to the Earth’s surface but that did not erupt. Some even show columnar jointing up close. The molten rock solidified at depth, and as the surrounding landscape eroded, the strong igneous rocks began to stand tall above the surrounding landscape. These rocks have been dated to be 25 million years old, and they form an age-progressive trend with other igneous rocks in Queensland that have been used to argue for the existence of a hotspot traveling beneath Australia between 35 and 25 million years ago.

-JBB

Image credit: David Molloy https://flic.kr/p/26AF5CM

22.

One day, Tibrogargan was gazing out to sea and noticed a great rising of the waters. Hurrying off to gather his younger children, in order to flee to the safety of the mountains in the west, he called out to Coonowrin to help his mother Beerwah, who was again with child.

Looking back to see how Coonowrin was assisting Beerwah, Tibrogargan was greatly angered to see him running off alone. He pursued Coonowrin and, raising his club, struck the latter such a mighty blow that it dislodged Coonowrin’s neck, and he has never been able to straighten it since.

When the floods had subsided and the family returned to the plains, the other children teased Coonowrin about his crooked neck. Feeling ashamed, Coonowrin went over to Tibrogargan and asked for his forgiveness, but filled with shame at his son’s cowardice, Tibrogargan could do nothing but weep copious tears, which, trickling along the ground, formed a stream that flowed into the sea. Then Coonowrin went to his brothers and sisters, but they also wept at the shame of their brother’s cowardice. The lamentations of Coonowrin’s parents and of his brothers and sisters at his disgrace explain the presence of the numerous small streams of the area.

Tibrogargan then called to Coonowrin, asking him why he had deserted his mother. Coonowrin replied that as Beerwah was the biggest of them all she should be able to take care of herself. He did not know that she was again pregnant, which was the reason for her great size. Then Tibrogargan turned his back on his son and vowed that he would never look at him again.

Even today Tibrogargan gazes far out to sea and never looks around at Coonowrin, who hangs his head and cries, his tears running off to the sea. His mother Beerwah is still heavy with child, as it takes a long, long time to give birth to a mountain.     (Ref Glasshouse Country Community Website)

  Yesterday was drizzly so off we set for a Sunday drive on Saturday. Leaving Woody Point we drove out to Dayboro, over Mt Mee, out to Woodford, up to Maleny and stopped off at the Glasshouse Mountains on our way home.