Would you believe we used to live within about 15 minutes of Mt Mee Queensland when we owned our own House in D’aguilar! And we went up there a fair bit but hardly stopped at the lookout to read the information about the history of the area.
The view is spectacular and it was so very green back in January. Not sure if its that green right now! But the cows were loving the grass, so lush.
We watched the clouds rolling in, and yep thought “its going to rain” – can’t remember if it did or not?
Here is what we were reading……
“MT MEE forms part of the D’aguilar Range and stands approximately 500 metres above the plains below. The area is steeped in History and was originally believed to be visited by up to three aboriginal groups who spoke different dialects of the Wacca language.
Mt Mee was all timber when the first Europeans arrived in the 1870’s. Two Aborigines, “Pompey” and “Nudlar”, are known to have shown Jonathan Litherland the massive stands of Red Cedar and that brought Jonathan and his brother Harry back to begin cutting this timber and carting it by bullock team to Caboolture. The Litherland Brothers Forged a Track down Mt Mee in the late 1870’s along a route which roughly follows Pedwell, Tidwell, Top Yard, and Jackson Roads.
Settlement followed the arrival of the timber getters. Jonathan Litherland and his family were one of the Early European Settler families to take up residence in the northern D’Aguilar Range area in the 1870’s. The land in front of, and below this lookout is part of their original holding.
Dahmongah, an aboriginal word meaning flying squirrel or flying possum, was the original name for this area. The Dahmongah Provisional School {2.5km South} opened in February 1884 and a nearby Post Office was known as Dahmongah.
The name of the school, which still operates today, was changed to Mt Mee in 1899 and the name of the area soon followed. Mt Mee is probably a derivation of the Aboriginal name for a view or lookout, Mia Mia. The old dairy formerly on this site was also known as Mia Mia Dairy.
The early Europeans came for the abundant timber, first the highly prized Red Cedar {Toona Australia} and also the White Beech {Gmelina leichaardtii} and later Hoop Pine {Araucaria cunninghamii} and various eucalypts including Tallowood, Iron Bark and Blue Gum. Many of the timber-getters became champion axemen, competing and winning all over Australia. Timber from the area was used in the construction of St Stephen’s Cathedral {Brisbane}, the Hornibrook Bridge Highway {a 3km Wooden Bridge linking Brisbane to Redcliffe} and Mackay {NQ} harbour wharves. Of Course, the lunch church, community hall and many homes used Mt Mee timber too.
Bullock teams followed the timber-getters. They used to haul the huge logs off the mountain to teh sawmills. In 1909, a branch railway line was built between Caboolture and Woodford and a sawmill opended at D’aguilar. A road, which became known as “The Cutting” was built on the northern side of the mountain. The road to D’aguilar still follows this route. As bullockies transported countless thousands of those hard won logs below, they named the various landmarks “The Cutting”, “Blue Rock Corner”, “The Dogs’ Waterhole”, “Long Bend” and “Red Bend”. Descendants of those hardy bullocky pioneer families still reside in the area.
In time the land was opened to various forms of agriculture including dairying, with many dairies supplying milk, cream and butter to the city. Cattle now graze on the lush pastures where the forest giants once stood.
Large tracts of forest can still be seen at Mt Mee State Forest, access via Sellin Road {5km South}. The State Forest was the site of the last sawmill to operate on the mountain. The site offers a day picnic area and self guided walks at Gantry Park as well as overnight camping deeper in the forest. Camping permits are available from the on-site Rangers”
Have You Been To Mt Mee Lookout?
If you are wondering how we got to see Mt Mee Queensland, we were not in our Motorhome, we were in our Campervan. It was back when The Bedford Broke down, and we were actually able to travel to places that our big bus couldn’t get to! We have seen places like Macadamia Castle, Hervey Bay, Rainbow Beach, Mt Ngungun Glasshouse Mountains, Old Petrie Town, Town of Seventeen Seventy {will have more to share as soon as I start blogging all the places we stopped at!}
We love the places we have seen, and can’t wait to see many more! As soon as I have finished what I am studying we will be exploring a lot more. Until then I have lots of posts to catch up on – can’t wait to show you the place where we got to see the longest standing Australian Bushrangers hiding cave!
Cheers
Lisa
New Life on the Road
I love those pictures, beautiful scenery!
thanks, its a beautiful country we live in for sure 🙂
What information do you have on the two aboriginal people “Pompey and Nudlar”, as Nudlar was my Great-Great Grandfather.
If you have info on these two please can you e-mail me on
Hi Troy, Sorry I only have what I was reading up there at Mt Mee. Can you do a google search and see what you can find? Or maybe pop into the local school at Mt Mee and see if there library has any information? Or even Woodford Library?
Hope you can find something about your Great-Great Grandfather xx
My ancestors were from mt mee being james stewart and jessie isabella milne reid also their children some of em were buried at mt mee cemetry