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| Aerial View of Mount Bauple Nat. Park |
Looming high on the landscape just to
the south of Tiaro is located an isolated mountain range known locally as
Bauple Mountain (Range). Originally its spelling and pronunciations varied
greatly before finally settling on today’s version. Historically it can be
found recorded as Bopple, Boppil, Bahpil, Boopal or Baphal[1].
Another very early reference called it Double Mountain, probably due to its
vista from the north when only two peaks are visible[2].
The
Mountain’s location fell on the traditional boundaries of two distinct Aboriginal groups. To the north and east were located the Butchulla (Badjala)
while the Kabi Kabi could be found to the south with their Dowarbara clan group
to the west; so resulted quite a number of native meanings and legends
associated with the mountain. One Butchulla story says the area derives its
name from an Aboriginal hero, Baphal, who was the mountain’s dreamtime guardian[3].
This being evidently had a small lizard as a companion[4].
Another story states that the name Bauple meant frilled lizard or a legendary
demon that took the form of a lizard[5].
Looking at the range from the east the reason for the resemblance is roughly
apparent.
One early narrative tells that the
mountain range was believed to be a terrifying place because of an unusual
being that lived there. This report from a traveller to the area in 1876 tells
of the native legend of a double-jointed, double-fronted Janus like Aboriginal
women, who dwelt there. Apparently she had an insatiable appetite and her moans
for more were to be heard by anyone who chose to go up the mountain and listen[6].
Why the Bauple Mountain, or Mount
Bauple to use its correct title, kept its Aboriginal name probably was due to
Andrew Petrie’s 1842 exploration trip up the Mary River near to today’s
Tiaro. One of the men accompanying Petrie was William K Jolliffe, who later
that year would set up a sheep station called Noomoo Wooloo just north of the Mountain for his employer, John
Eales. Petrie’s party, with the help of escaped convict David Bracewell (Wandi)
had recovered John Davis (Durramboi), also an escapee who had lived 13 years
with the Aborigines in the southern Wide Bay district. Later in that year Davis
guided Jolliffe and his party and sheep overland from the south to establish
the station. Davis would have known the local Aboriginal name for the mountain
and it seems that Petrie and Jolliffe referred to it by that name and so it is known
to this day.
Generally the whole range is called
Bauple Mountain but the range actually contains four prominent peaks so which
one is Mount Bauple?
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| Leichhardt's Map of Bauple Landscape (with south direction at top) |
When Ludwig Leichhardt was acquiring
his colonial experience before undertaking his later explorations, he visited
the station in 1843. While there on August 2 he climbed Mt Boople (as he wrote
it). Being scientifically trained he drew a number of the views and maps. One
was a plan of the lagoon (today’s Black Swamp at Tiaro) and the surrounding
topographical feature including the Bauple Mountain range. One view was of the
mountain from the station (at Tiaro) and others were from the top plus a cross
section of the mountain below[7].
His sketch names the peak on the northern end as Boople.
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| Leichhardt's Sketch of the Northern View of Boople |
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| Today's View of Boople |
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| Leichhardt's Sketch of a Cross Section through Boople |
To clarify this further by
researching early newspaper records, an 1876 article by a travelling
correspondent gave a good description of the village of Tiaro but of more
interest is where he places the actual peak called Mount Bauple. He said “The main street … runs north to south … and
its long perspective ends in the conical peak of Mount Baupol or Bopple or
Baupel, as it is indiscriminately spelt.”[8]
This then places the mountain in the late 19th century at the
northern end of the range.
Backing this up a 1906 map of the
range by government geologist Benjamin Dunstan shows the peak, with a height of
1,800 feet, in the same situation[9].
Interestingly this map also showed the highest peak on the range about halfway
along it and named it Beacon Peak, no doubt after a beacon set up there in the
late 19th century. It was actually about 1,900 feet in height.
Further to the south the other peak there was called Mt Gundiah.
However looking at a topographical
map of the range today shows that Mt Bauple is the name of the peak previously
referred to as Beacon Peak and just to the south of it a lower one is called Mt
Guyra while the previously named Mt Bopple and Mt Gundiah are now unnamed. So
when and why did these name changes occur?
In 1941 during the middle of World
War 2 northern Australia was under the invasion threat of the advancing
Japanese army and there was an urgent need for accurate topographical mapping
to be done for defence purposes. As part of the mapping project a Royal
Australian Survey Corps team climbed the highest peak of the range by a four
wheel drive vehicle (most likely via old logging tracks) for all but the last
250 yards to place a trigonometry point (beacon) there[10].
On the rocky knob they discovered a destroyed earlier beacon, the reason why
the summit was originally called Beacon Peak. They then identified the site
with a 4” (100mm) diameter RADC plaque set in concrete and four reference marks#. This peak they labelled on their
map as Mt Bauple. During the urgency of war no one seemed to question the
change of the name to this peak and so it has stayed until today.
The point south and slightly east of
the new Mt Bauple is labelled as Mt Guyra and is of more recent vintage. How or
why it is so named remains a mystery. The name does not seem to have any local
historical foundation. It appears to have originated after the range was gazetted
a National Park in 1935 to protect its scenic value[11].
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| Topographical Map of Mount Bauple Range |
Looking at the range
today it looks untouched but in reality it was selectively logged,
mainly for kauri and hoop pines, for many decades and even had graphite mines
on its lower slopes. The open forest with its vine forest understorey contains
a number of endangered and of concern native plants with perhaps the best known
being Macadamia integrifloria, the Macadamia
nut tree.
# The Reference Marks were identified as RM 1 - Drill
hole with four wings cut in rock, RM 2 - .303 cartridge case in concrete 0.25
metres below NS, RM 3 - Drill hole with four wings cut in rock and RM 4 - .303
cartridge case in concrete.
[1] Echoes of the Past – Tiaro State School 125th
Anniversary Publication 1995 p.5
[2] Commissioner Dr Stephen Simpson’s Journal of his
Excursion to the Bunya Country 1843
[3] National Trust of Qld - http://trusttrees.org.au/tree/QLD/Brisbane/Brisbane_City_Botanic_Gardens_Alice_Street_12
[4] O Miller, The Legend of Mount Bauple 2000
[5] Echoes of the Past – Tiaro State School 125th
Anniversary Publication 1995 p.5
[6] Brisbane Courier 21 October 1876 p.2
[7] The Leichhardt papers: Early Travels in Australia
during 1842-1844 pp.268, 272
[8] Brisbane Courier 21 October 1876 p.2
[9] B Dunstan, Graphite in Queensland 1906 Plate 1
[10] Survey Office, Lands department Qld - Station Summary
Bauple 009
[11] Mount Bauple National Park (Scientific) Management
Plan
Published with consent from Tony Clift. © AG (Tony) Clift November 2017
#Bauple #history #Leichhardt #Boople #pioneers #exploration
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