Mount Gibraltar

Mountain in Australia

Mount Gibraltar is located in New South Wales
Mount Gibraltar
Mount Gibraltar
Location in New South Wales
LocationSouthern Highlands, New South Wales, AustraliaGeologyAge of rock150 million yearsClimbingFirst ascent(by European), John Wilson, 1798

Mount Gibraltar (Aboriginal: Bowrell) is a mountain with an elevation of 863 metres (2,831 ft) AHD  that is located in the Southern Highlands region, between Bowral and Mittagong, in New South Wales, Australia. Further west is Berrima.[1]

Location and features

The mountain is locally known as 'The Gib', and is in the form of a ridge, rather than an obvious conical peak. The western extremity of the ridge is commonly pointed out as the mountain itself. 'The Gib' is primarily a residential area with a large nature reserve at its peak.

The first European to climb the mountain, in 1798, was explorer John Wilson. He learned from local Aborigines the name 'Bowrell', which meant 'a high place'. Surveyor Sir Thomas Mitchell also climbed Mount Gibraltar.

  • 'The Gib' is thought to have been formed from a collapsed volcanic core, which pushed through the local Hawkesbury Sandstone beds about 150 million years ago.
  • The western slopes were previously the site of a granite quarry which mined the volcanic trachyte; the quarry closed in 1986. The site can be reached by a walking track beginning near Bowral Swimming Pool.
  • The peak is 863 metres above sea-level.
  • It is part of the range forming the watershed between the Wingecarribee/Wollondilly and Nattai rivers. The range to the north of Mt Gibraltar was formerly called the Merrigong Range[2] and the range to the south-east, the Mittagong Range.
  • The peak area includes the Mount Gibraltar Reserve.
  • The Reserve was acquired by Alderman Joshua Stokes, in 1919. A large stone construction, bearing a memorial plaque to Stokes, is a feature of the Reserve.
  • The Reserve vegetation is a rare remnant of a volcanic soil community. A prominent tree species is Eucalyptus fastigata (Brown Barrel).[3]
  • The Reserve has been the subject of a Landcare Bush Regeneration Program since 1994, with the aim of eliminating introduced species such as Privet, Barberry, Ivy, Honeysuckle, Banana Passionfruit, Inkweed and others.[4]
  • The Landcare group has also compiled a complete Site Species List.
  • 'The Gib' has three lookout points over Bowral and Mittagong.
  • On a clear day 'The Gib' can be seen from Echo Point in Katoomba which is approximately 70–80 km away, although many people confuse it with the nearby, conical Mount Jellore.
  • On a clear day you can make out the Sydney skyline.
  • The exposed, rocky area of the peak is the site of several telecommunications and broadcasting towers, including Telstra microwave transmission links.
  • The residential area of Mount Gibraltar includes some of the most highly priced real estate in the Southern Highlands.

The former Mount Gibraltar Trachyte Quarries Complex was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 December 2013.[5]

Railway

The Main South Railway skirts Mount Gibraltar at its western foothills, passing through a tunnel under Evans Street, Bowral.[6] The original tunnel was single track, but it was replaced in the 1920s by a double track tunnel.

Gallery

  • Mount Gibraltar images
  • Western extremity, looking eastwards from Welby.
    Western extremity, looking eastwards from Welby.
  • Inner Bowl Picnic Area
    Inner Bowl Picnic Area
  • Dense stands of timber, Inner Bowl
    Dense stands of timber, Inner Bowl
  • Telecommunications towers
    Telecommunications towers
  • Igneous rock exposed at peak
    Igneous rock exposed at peak
  • Memorial to Joshua Stokes
    Memorial to Joshua Stokes
  • Mount Gibraltar trachyte quarry

References

  1. ^ Robert Montgomery Martin (1850). The British Colonies: Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources. Tallis. p. 472. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  2. ^ Map of New South Wales, 1825. National Library of Australia obj-240482149
  3. ^ Much of the above info. comes from the Visitors' Guide.
  4. ^ "Proust Bushland Services - providing quality, best practice ecological restoration services to a range of land managers to assist in restoring degraded environments". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010
  5. ^ "Mount Gibraltar Trachyte Quarries Complex". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01917. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  6. ^ Bayley, W. A. 1975. Picton-Mittagong Main Line Railway. Bulli: Austrail. ISBN 0-909597-15-4 p.39.

External links

  • Geology of area
  • Gibraltar Endangered Ecological Community Listing
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Coastal mountain ranges
(not part of the
Great Dividing Range)
Mid North Coast
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  • South Brother (487 m or 1,598 ft)
  • North Brother (476 m or 1,562 ft)
Allyn, Barrington
& Mount Royal
  • Brumlow Tops (1,586 m or 5,203 ft)
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  • Ben Bullen
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Gibraltar and Sugarloaf
Blue Mountains
  • Coricudgy (1,255 m or 4,117 ft)
  • unnamed peak (1,189 m or 3,901 ft)
  • Pomany (1,109 m or 3,638 ft)
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  • Boyce (1,093 m or 3,586 ft)
  • York (1,061 m or 3,481 ft)
  • Victoria (1,059 m or 3,474 ft)
  • Banks (1,049 m or 3,442 ft)
  • Tomah (1,016 m or 3,333 ft)
  • Wilson (1,008 m or 3,307 ft)
  • Kings Tableland (1,000 m or 3,281 ft)
  • Narrow Neck Plateau (1,000 m or 3,281 ft)
  • Bell (998 m or 3,274 ft)
  • Castle Cliff (986 m or 3,235 ft)
  • Solitary (950 m or 3,117 ft)
  • Hay (944 m or 3,097 ft)
  • Podgers (890 m or 2,920 ft)
  • Irvine (850 m or 2,789 ft)
  • Debert (840 m or 2,756 ft)
  • Camp Cave (800 m or 2,625 ft)
  • Warrigal (760 m or 2,493 ft)
  • Notts (750 m or 2,461 ft)
  • Harris (736 m or 2,415 ft)
  • Centre (620 m or 2,034 ft)
  • Hall (617 m or 2,024 ft)
  • Gibson (608 m or 1,995 ft)
  • Scorpion (558 m or 1,831 ft)
  • Linda Rock (599 m or 1,965 ft)
  • Cookem (569 m or 1,867 ft)
  • Gospers
  • Bedford
  • Cameron
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  • Erskine
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  • Monundilla
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Illawarra
  • Bells (803 m or 2,635 ft)
  • Knights Hill (709 m or 2,326 ft)
  • Noorinan (663 m or 2,175 ft)
  • Saddleback (600 m or 1,969 ft)
  • Wanyambilli Hill (564 m or 1,850 ft)
  • Kembla (534 m or 1,752 ft)
  • Burelli (531 m or 1,742 ft)
  • Kembla West (512 m or 1,680 ft)
  • Brisbane (469 m or 1,539 ft)
  • Keira (464 m or 1,522 ft)
  • Warra (464 m or 1,522 ft)
  • Brokers Nose (440 m or 1,444 ft)
  • Nebo (252 m or 827 ft)
The Budawangs
  • Budawang (1,129 m or 3,704 ft)
  • Currockbilly (1,087 m or 3,566 ft)
  • Wog Wog (893 m or 2,930 ft)
  • Cole (876 m or 2,874 ft)
  • Sturgiss (858 m or 2,815 ft)
  • Fosters (857 m or 2,812 ft)
  • Barneys Hill (855 m or 2,805 ft)
  • The Castle (831 m or 2,726 ft)
  • Shrouded Gods (809 m or 2,654 ft)
  • Donjon (786 m or 2,579 ft)
  • Clyde (781 m or 2,562 ft)
  • Quiltys (775 m or 2,543 ft)
  • Wirritin (674 m or 2,211 ft)
  • Pigeon House / Didthul (720 m or 2,362 ft)
  • Bushwalker (640 m or 2,100 ft)
  • Byangee (500 m or 1,640 ft)
  • Coolangatta
  • Tarn
Great Dividing Range
Tweed
  • Warning (1,156 m or 3,793 ft)
  • Bar (1,130 m or 3,707 ft)
  • Glenugie (316 m or 1,037 ft)
  • Chincogan (260 m or 853 ft)
  • Gladstone
  • Goobergooberyam
  • Moombil
McPherson and Nightcap
  • Barney (1,359 m or 4,459 ft)
  • Burrell 933 m or 3,061 ft)
  • Neville (919 m or 3,015 ft)
  • Nardi (812 m or 2,664 ft)
  • Matheson (804 m or 2,638 ft)
  • Peates (604 m or 1,982 ft)
Mid North Coast
Nandewar
  • Kaputar (1,489 m or 4,885 ft)
  • Dowe (1,457 m or 4,780 ft)
  • Mount Coryah (1,409 m or 4,623 ft)
  • Lindesay (1,373 m or 4,505 ft)
  • Grattai (1,301 m or 4,268 ft)
  • Bushy (1,260 m or 4,134 ft)
  • Round (1,250 m or 4,101 ft)
  • Yulludunida (1,225 m or 4,019 ft)
  • Castle Top (1,120 m or 3,675 ft)
  • Gins (1,120 m or 3,675 ft)
  • Ningadhun (1,013 m or 3,323 ft)
Liverpool and Watagan
  • unnamed (1,300 m or 4,265 ft)
  • Pandoras Pass (788 m or 2,585 ft)
  • Warrawolong (641 m or 2,103 ft)
New England and Moonbi
  • Round (1,585 m or 5,200 ft)
  • Point Lookout (1,564 m or 5,131 ft)
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  • Black Jack (1,300 m or 4,265 ft)
  • Gulligal (1,230 m or 4,035 ft)
  • Oaky (1,070 m or 3,510 ft)
  • Cooee (1,020 m or 3,346 ft)
  • Flaggy (984 m or 3,228 ft)
  • Big Billy (884 m or 2,900 ft)
  • Dorrigo (762 m or 2,500 ft)
  • Burning (520 m or 1,706 ft)
  • Yarrowyck
Central Tablelands
  • Canobolas (1,395 m or 4,577 ft)
  • Shooters Hill (1,394 m or 4,573 ft)
  • Bindo (1,363 m or 4,472 ft)
  • Trickett (1,362 m or 4,469 ft)
  • Blaxland (901 m or 2,956 ft)
  • Hopeless (1,056 m or 3,465 ft)
The Brindabellas and Scabby
  • Bimberi (1,913 m or 6,276 ft)
  • Gingera (1,857 m or 6,093 ft)
  • Kelly (1,829 m or 6,001 ft)
  • Ginini (1,762 m or 5,781 ft)
  • Franklin (1,646 m or 5,400 ft)
  • Aggie (1,421 m or 4,662 ft)
  • Coree (1,421 m or 4,662 ft)
  • Bramina (1,392 m or 4,567 ft)
  • Bulls Head (1,375 m or 4,511 ft)
  • Black Bottle (1,356 m or 4,449 ft)
  • Lickhole (1,188 m or 3,898 ft)
  • Brindabella (972 m or 3,189 ft)
Monaro
  • Big Badja (1,363 m or 4,472 ft)
  • Brown (1,243 m or 4,078 ft)
  • Gibraltar (Bungendore) (887 m or 2,910 ft)
  • Gibraltar Hill
Snowies
Main
  • Kosciuszko (2,228 m or 7,310 ft)
  • Townsend (2,209 m or 7,247 ft)
  • unnamed peak on Etheridge Ridge (2,180 m or 7,152 ft)
  • Alice Rawson Peak (2,160 m or 7,087 ft)
  • Byatts Camp (2,159 m or 7,083 ft)
  • Carruthers (2,145 m or 7,037 ft)
  • Abbott Peak (2,145 m or 7,037 ft)
  • Mount Northcote (2,131 m or 6,991 ft)
  • Muellers Peak (2,120 m or 6,955 ft)
  • Clark (2,100 m or 6,890 ft)
  • Lee (2,100 m or 6,890 ft)
  • Gungartan (2,068 m or 6,785 ft)
  • Tate (2,068 m or 6,785 ft)
  • Jagungal (2,061 m or 6,762 ft)
  • Perisher (2,054 m or 6,739 ft)
  • Stilwell (2,040 m or 6,693 ft)
  • Watsons Crags (2,020 m or 6,627 ft)
  • Back Perisher (2,014 m or 6,608 ft)
  • Anton (2,000 m or 6,562 ft)
  • Anderson (1,997 m or 6,552 ft)
  • Blue Cow (1,994 m or 6,542 ft)
  • The Granite Peaks (1,980 m or 6,496 ft)
  • Dicky Cooper Bogong (1,980 m or 6,496 ft)
  • Gills Knobs (1,940 m or 6,365 ft)
  • Guthega Peak (1,924 m or 6,312 ft)
  • Blue Calf (1,905 m or 6,250 ft)
  • Sentinel (1,900 m or 6,234 ft)
  • Mount Piper (1,830 m or 6,004 ft)
  • Round (1,756 m or 5,761 ft)
Ramshead
  • Rams Head (2,190 m or 7,185 ft)
  • Twynam (2,178 m or 7,146 ft)
  • Rams Head North (2,177 m or 7,142 ft)
  • Little Twynam (2,120 m or 6,955 ft)
Other mountains in the GDR
  • Yengo (668 m or 2,192 ft)
Inland mountain ranges
Barrier
  • Lewis Peak (297 m or 974 ft)
Warrumbungles
  • Exmouth (1,206 m or 3,957 ft)
  • Woorut (1,165 m or 3,822 ft)
  • Needle
Other inland mountains
Island mountain ranges
Lord Howe
Mountains not within
a specific range
  • Gibraltar (863 m or 2,831 ft)
  • Gulaga (806 m or 2,644 ft)
  • Ulandra (761 m or 2,497 ft)
  • Tilga (329 m or 1,079 ft)
  • Oxley (307 m or 1,007 ft)