This is the only remaining Hoop Pine (Araucaria Cunninghamii) at John Oxley Reserve, Murrumba Downs, on the north bank of the North Pine River about 2km west of Petrie.
John Oxley came ashore here on 1 December 1823. He was impressed with many “fine cypresses” he saw there referring to the Hoop Pines. This was the first reference to the species, which was later cataloged by English botanist and explorer, Allan Cunningham.
The first settlers loved these huge trees for their long straight trunks which were ideal for ship masts or any buildings which required large quantities of long straight timber.
Today if you drive down Gympie Road, Strathpine, you’ll see the road lined with dozens of Hoop Pines on either side – a fitting tribute to this majestic tree, native to this area.
The purpose of this ride was to find a route from Kobble Creek up to Mt Glorious. There’s a road visible on Google Maps, but as we found out, it disappears into private property.
Due to recent rain, we had to cross a few flooded creeks. The bikes held up really well until the last crossing, when the current snapped my rear derailleur off.
The area around Kobble Creek is beautiful. In drier weather it would be a really pleasant ride, with some challenging hills greater than 17% gradient. When they’re not swollen, some of those creeks look like they’d be really fun to swim in too.
But to be honest, crossing flooded creeks is a pretty stupid thing to do. If you slip, it would be easy to be washed away or lose your bike. And even if you do make it across, there’s a good chance you’ll damage your bike.
Surveyor Martin Lavelle marked this tree in 1867 while he was surveying the Griffin area on the northern banks of the Pine River.
Surveyors often used natural features as reference points when preparing a plan of an area. When trees or stumps were used, they would cut a mark in the tree to make it easier to find by others.
This stump is known affectionately by locals as “Tom Petrie’s Stump”, probably because it marks the corner of a property that he purchased in 1870.
The surrounding area is being redeveloped from rural land into a housing estate. Happily, the developers have agreed to protect the tree, erect bollards around it, and place an informative marker near it so people can understand its significance.
Next time you see an old tree with a large triangle cut out of it, listen closely and you might hear the whisper of an old story.
The North Pine River is flooded at the moment from all the rain we’ve been having.
Some of the crossings are quite low, so I think I was being a tad optimistic this morning when I hoped I’d be able to ride over a few of them (I didn’t).
Makes you wonder what it was like in the old days before we had the dam upstream.
On my cycle back from Samford this morning, I thought I’d take a detour over Drapers Crossing that crosses the South Pine River through some idyllic dairy farmland.
The rickety bridge looks like it’s been there for ages, but the actual crossing has been in use much longer.
At 28 years of age, Jacob Draper an English migrant, built a slab cottage near here in 1869.
His land holdings grew, and his family eventually established a successful dairy farm. The family continued to operate successful dairy farms until well into the 20th century.
A sad reminder of the heartbreak faced by pioneering families in the district in the 1870’s. Bernard died aged 7 months. Half a year later, his twin, Ralph, died.
The twin boys must have been one of the first burials in the Bunya Cemetery, which was established in 1873.
I enjoyed cycling over “Bunya Crossing” this morning, and riding along the banks of the South Pine River.
Recent rain has given the river a generous flow, and I passed several spots which looked like they would be great for a swim.
“Bunya Crossing” crosses the South Pine River between Eaton’s Hill and Albany Creek.
This area was originally settled by James Cash around 1851. He gained freehold title in 1858, becoming the first freehold land owner in the district.
You can hike or cycle this area starting at Sargeant Reserve on Bunya Crossing Road, cross the river, and follow it mostly by pathways all the way down to the main bridge on South Pine Road at Cash’s Crossing.
Our family is lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Here’s a video I took with a mobile phone of one of my bicycle rides around the local area. I strapped my Nokia 95 to my handle bars, pressed the “record” button and started riding. It’s a bit shaky, and you can hear some heavy breathing when I ride up Grant Street, but it’s always a pleasant ride, and a great way to start the day.
Pine Rivers has some spectacular scenery along with some amazing history. The Hoop and Bunya Pines are gorgeous, the Lakes look fantastic, the D’Aguilar Range in the background is impressive. I’ve only just started to appreciate all of this, and highlights to me that if we’re not mindful, we can spend our time in wonderful places and often never see or appreciate the splendour that is staring us in the face.
So I tell everyone who’ll listen – get on a bike and have a look around the place where you live. Ask questions, find out about your local history. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
