2
2
Part A
Appreciating Natural Assets
L andscapes develop in response to underlying rock structures , climate and land use over time . The landscapes of the Toowoomba Region relate to a volcanic structure affected by variations in climate and land use over more than 20 million years .
Aborigines who inhabited the region for more than 40,000 years relied on food sources associated with the natural waterways and grasslands . In the 1840s , European settlers were also attracted to the lush pastures for their sheep and commercial activities soon followed . A store was established in Drayton in 1843 . However , within ten years an unreliable water supply led to some settlers relocating to a nearby swampy depression which became the city of Toowoomba .
A1
View from St Matthew ’ s Church , Drayton
If we ignore man-made elements , this view is little changed from the one which greeted the first European settlers who ventured into this area in 1840 . This is also the landscape familiar to the Aboriginal people and contains valued places of cultural significance .
It was a fertile land with valleys containing soils from eroded volcanic material still to be found in the isolated uplands with their remnant vegetation .
To the east , we see more remnants of this volcanic turmoil in the escarpment , which proved so rich in timber , but for many years acted as a barrier to the coast . It also served as a watershed dividing the river systems of the Pacific from those of
the Murray-Darling .
A2
Mt Tabletop
In 1829 , Allan Cunningham noted in his journal ‘ a singular flat-topped hill ’ which he named Twiss ’ s Table Mount . Subsequently , it was known as One Tree Hill and now as Mt Tabletop .
With its neighbouring hills it is a reminder of the sequence of volcanic activities from which Mt Tabletop was formed . Over 20 million years ago , a crater filled with lava which slowly solidified , forming basalt . This has been exposed by the erosion of the surrounding rocks to form the familiar ‘ flat-top ’.
For thousands of years it has held special significance for the Indigenous peoples of the area .
A3
The Range Volcanics
Evidence of the volcanic upheavals which formed the basis of the Toowoomba area has been exposed in railway and road cuttings and in local quarries . In 1904 the Bridge Street Quarry was identified as exhibiting excellent examples of volcanic features including vents , volcanic ash and basalt columns . As quarrying has ceased , these features are preserved for future study .
A4
Bluestone Kerb and Channel
Bluestone ( basalt ) was used for the kerbing and guttering of older streets such as Mort , Arthur and Campbell and is a feature of Toowoomba ’ s identity which Council strives to preserve .
In 1862 , it was used in the construction of the Toowoomba Gaol . In addition to its use in major buildings , bluestone is also used for civic and private walls , fences and paving .
Crushed bluestone – blue metal – continues to be used in road making .
A5
Herries Street Bridge
London plane trees overhang this picturesque basalt bridge . It spans East Creek , earlier an impassable swamp , which was drained in 1874 . The bridge is constructed from bluestone , continuing the traditional use of basalt from Toowoomba ’ s quarries . It was designed by the late Murray Clewett , Council engineer and manager of Strategic Planning in the 1990s .