Mount Coot-tha (Queensland)

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View of the city of Brisbane from Mount Coot-tha Lookout

Mount Coot-tha and the Television Towers, as seen from The Gap

Aboriginal art on Mount Coot-tha

Mount Coot-tha is 287 metres above sea level and forms the eastern extent of the Taylor Range. It is a prominent landmark approximately 6 km to the west of the Brisbane central business district, in Queensland, Australia and is visible from much of the city. The Aboriginal people of the area used to come to the mountain to collect ‘ku-ta’, honey that was produced by the native stingless bee. Mt Coot-tha’s name originated from this indigenous term which replaced its former title ‘One Tree hill' in 1880 when the area was declared a Public Recreation Reserve. Early Brisbane people called it One Tree hill when bush at the top of the mountain was cleared except for one eucalypt tree. Part of Mount Coot-tha is a residential suburb.

Mount Coot-tha is one of Brisbane's most popular tourist destinations. Facilities include the One Tree Hill Lookout and Kiosk. The restaurant, which adjoins the lookout, has large windows through which can be viewed the lights of the city at night. Well-known British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has given a night-time public lecture about the stars of the southern hemisphere at the lookout.

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive is a tourist drive circling the peak, providing access to the lookout, cafe, gift shop and restaurant. The scenic drive, from the base of Mount Coot-tha to the lookout, is a winding, climbing journey that offers spectacular views of the greater Brisbane area and of the mountains and coastline that disappear into the horizon. Many of the local people also travel to the mountain as it is a great place of illumination, both religiously and spiritually. As Mount Coot-tha is one of the highest natural locations in the Brisbane region, it is a good place for people to escape the chaos of the nearby city and rejuvenate in the 220 hectares of natural bushland and native wildlife that make up the Mount Coot-tha Reserve.

On a ridge near the summit on the other side of Mount Coot-tha, are the television transmission towers for the Brisbane television channels SBS, ABC, 10, 9 and 7. Part of the Brisbane suburb of The Gap is located on the foothills beneath the television towers.

At the base of Mount Coot-tha are the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha, which has a tropical plants hothouse and also the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium within its grounds.

There are several popular walking tracks around Mount Coot-tha, one of which includes an art display comprising works produced by local Aboriginal artists. The tracks vary in difficulty, with most involving some uphill sections or steps. Tracks around Mount Coot-tha are often used by hikers training to walk the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea as the terrain and climate are considered similar. On 20th November, 2005, one of the Mount Coot-tha trails, the Currawong trail, was renamed the Kokoda trail in honour of the Australian soldiers who marched the Kokoda Track during World War II. During World War II, the mountain was used as a military base by the RAAF and the US Navy. It was converted to a vast explosives depot and at one stage held more than 120 000 tonnes of explosive weapons. When darkness fell the lookout bristled with search lights in an amazing display as soldiers kept an eye out for enemy planes.