Beechmont

History

The Beechmont district was occupied by the Yugambeh people before the arrival of European timber cutters in the 1880s. The district takes its current name from the white beech trees in the area. The Beechmont State School opened on 15 August 1904. Fruit such as apples were grown in the 1910s in the rich Beech Mountain soils of the area, but were halted due to fruit fly infestations. St John's Presbyterian Church opened on Sunday 21 February 1932 with a service commencing conducted by Reverend Alexander Duff. It was the first church in Beechmont and part of the Southport parish. Following the closure of the church in 1980, the memorial windows were removed and on 25 April (Anzac Day) 1998 the windows were unveiled in a memorial gazebo at Graceleigh Park in Beechmont Road () adjacent to the Beechmont War Memorial. The church is now used for holiday accommodation. The tourism potential of Beechmont was realised in 1910 as one of the motivations to build a railway line to Canungra, which led to the Queensland Government deciding in 1911 to construct the Canungra branch line from Logan Village railway station on the South Coast railway line to Canungra. Construction began in 1913 and the line opened to Canungra railway station on 2 July 1915. A dairying property located near Beechmont on the Nerang River was advertised to be sold by auction 23 November 1920 by Cameron Brothers auctioneers. The plan shows the land for sale, 858 acres, being subdivision 2 of portion 106, Parish of Gilston, on Beech Mountain, facing the present Binna Burra Road, within 13 miles of Nerang Township. From the 1920s, the area became known as a mountain tourist destination. In July 1936, Dr John Bradfield, the designer of the Story Bridge in Brisbane and the Sydney Harbour Bridge was forced…

Geography

Beechmont is positioned on a forested ridge leading from the Lamington Plateau to Tamborine Mountain. Outstanding views in nearly all directions means that on a clear day Cunninghams Gap and other Scenic Rim landforms are visible as well as Flinders Peak, Moogerah Peaks and the D'Aguilar Range to the north west of Brisbane. To the north west of Beechmont sits the locality of Lower Beechmont and to the south is Binna Burra. Roads in the area are narrow and windy, some are prone to rockfalls and some with very steep slopes. The road to Binna Burra Lodge and access to Lamington National Park goes through Beechmont. The is a popular launch site for hangliders and paragliders. Beechmont has the following named peaks: * The Summit in the south of the locality () at above sea level * Warples Hill in the south-east of the locality () at above sea level Killarney Falls is a waterfall on Back Creek in the north of the locality ().

Most-observed species

• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  8,521
• Eastern Whipbird

  Psophodes olivaceus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  8,344
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  7,501
• Eastern Yellow Robin

  Eopsaltria australis (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  7,155
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  6,594
• Australian King-Parrot

  Alisterus scapularis (Lichtenstein, 1816) · Aves
  6,571
• Australian Brushturkey

  Alectura lathami J.E.Gray, 1831 · Aves
  6,061
• White-browed Scrubwren

  Sericornis frontalis (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves
  5,875