Mount Warning

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Mountain in New South Wales, Australia

title: "Mount Warning" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["tweed-volcano", "mountains-of-new-south-wales", "volcanic-plugs-of-new-south-wales", "northern-rivers", "sacred-mountains-of-australia"] description: "Mountain in New South Wales, Australia" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Warning" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mountain in New South Wales, Australia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]

FieldValue
nameWollumbin
other_nameBundjalung: Wollumbin
photoMt Warning as seen from Pinnacle Lookout in the NSW Border Ranges.jpg
photo_captionMount Warning as seen from the Border Ranges in New South Wales, 2023
elevation_m1159
elevation_ref
prominence_m952
prominence_ref
locationNorthern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia
rangeTweed Range
coordinates
typeVolcanic plug
ageOver 23 million years
last_eruption~23 Ma
mapAustralia New South Wales
label_positionleft
map_size250
map_captionLocation in New South Wales, Australia
coordinates_ref
::

::callout[type=note] the mountain in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales ::

| name = Wollumbin | other_name = Bundjalung: Wollumbin | photo = Mt Warning as seen from Pinnacle Lookout in the NSW Border Ranges.jpg | photo_size = | photo_caption = Mount Warning as seen from the Border Ranges in New South Wales, 2023 | elevation_m = 1159 | elevation_ref = | prominence_m = 952 | prominence_ref = | location = Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia | range = Tweed Range | coordinates = | type = Volcanic plug | age = Over 23 million years | last_eruption = ~23 Ma | easiest_route = | map = Australia New South Wales | range_coordinates = | label_position = left | map_size = 250 | map_caption = Location in New South Wales, Australia | coordinates_ref = Mount Warning (Bundjalung: Wollumbin,), a mountain in the Tweed Range in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, was formed from a volcanic plug of the now-gone Tweed Volcano. The mountain is located 14 km west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border between New South Wales and Queensland. Lieutenant James Cook saw the mountain from the sea and named it Mount Warning.

Shield volcano

Main article: Tweed Volcano

Wollumbin is the central volcanic remnant of an ancient shield volcano, the Tweed Volcano, which would have been about 1900 m above sea level or just under twice the height of the current mountain. This volcano last erupted around 23 million years ago. As the mountain's central vent cooled it shrank, forming a depression at the top that has greatly eroded. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Mount_Warning.jpg" caption="Wollumbin and surrounds"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/AU_Mt_Warning_from_Tweed.jpg" caption="Coolangatta"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Mt_Warning_011.jpg" caption="Byron Bay]] and surrounding areas from the summit"] ::

Today the vast areas that were part of the volcano include many mountains and ranges at some distance from Mount Warning, and include the Border Ranges, Tamborine Mountain, the McPherson Range and both the Lamington Plateau and Springbrook Plateaus. The erosion caldera formed since this eruption is easily visible around the summit and forms the rim of the Tweed Valley.

During the last stages of eruption, different and more resistant forms of lava that were cooler than those flows that created the shield volcano remained to form the current peak. The whole central Mount Warning massif was also pushed up by forces that remained active after lava eruptions had stopped.

Ecology

A species of frog, the Mount Wollumbin hip-pocket frog (Assa wollumbin) is endemic to the slopes of the mountain.

Aboriginal significance

Wollumbin is a place of cultural and traditional significance to the Bundjalung people and contains sacred sites, where particular ceremonies and initiation rites are performed.

While now spelt Wollumbin, the Aboriginal word had numerous alternative spellings which are recorded in the historic record including; Walumban, Walumbin, and Wooloombin, all referring to the same place. In 1873 reference can be found to the Mountain being referred to by Aboriginal people as "Wollumbin", signifying "big fellow mountain". The Aboriginal significance of the area is contextual and dependant on direction of observance, gender, and status of whoever is telling the story. Several different stories exist about Wollumbin including reference to the Mountain as the Warrior Chief, a special place of significance for brush turkey, and the cloud catcher. Many more stories exist that are not in the public record. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Mount-warning-cloudcatcher.jpg" caption="Small cloud over the "cloud catcher", photographed from an aeroplane" alt="Small cloud over the 'cloud catcher' on a clear day."] ::

The name Wollumbin refers to the whole of the central vent and its surrounding ring dykes.

Name confusion

In 2005 the name "Mount Wollumbin" was removed from a peak nearby to Mount Warning by the Geographical Names Board. This mountain is also referred to as Mount Ivy and Mount Dum Dum and was believed to be named Mount Wollumbin in error. In 2006 the Geographical Names Board assigned dual naming to Mount Warning, to also be known by its Aboriginal language name of Wollumbin. The name Wollumbin refers the whole of the central vent and its surrounding ring dykes.

Etymology

On 16 May 1770, Captain James Cook was the first European to record seeing "… a remarkable sharp peaked Mountain lying inland…" from a point of land he named Cape Byron. Just five hours later while sailing North, Cook was forced to change course to the East after encountering the dangerous reefs that run 3 miles to the East from Fingal Head, now named Danger Reefs (Inner, South, and Outer reefs).

The next morning, Cook recorded:

The point off which these shoals lay I have named Point Danger to the northward of it the land which is low trends NWBN but we soon found that it did not keep that direction long before it turned again to the northward.}}

Protected area

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Mt_warning_path.jpg" caption="summit"] ::

The mountain is now protected by the surrounding Wollumbin National Park, and access is regulated by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Mount Warning is part of the United Nations World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.

Walking track

Prior to the closure of the summit walking track, over 100,000 people a year made the 8.8 km, five-hour round-trip trek to the top from .

An ascent of the mountain takes approximately 1½ to 3½ hours (one way) and requires a good level of fitness. There are also viewing platforms at the summit. The total journey is 8.8 km (5.5 mi).

In March 2020 the summit track was closed by National Parks NSW citing safety concerns, to be reviewed in May 2021. However, in February 2021 documents obtained through Freedom Of Information revealed that the track and surrounding area has actually been secretly scheduled to be permanently closed. As of August 2022 park authorities had placed a barrier on the access road several kilometres from the trailhead. This would add a forty minute uphill walk to the ascent for anyone attempting to climb the mountain; and the path on the mountain itself had deteriorated badly in places.

In late October 2022 NSW authorities did go ahead and ban public access to Wollumbin National Park, to be enforced with heavy fines. This was soon followed by a video posting showing a hiker flouting the ban. There has been significant backlash in the community surrounding the closure. Many have argued that the track was closed primarily due to complaints from some in the Aboriginal community, not due to safety concerns and the track was in fact still usable.

In 2024, Libertarian politician John Ruddick led a petition to reopen the track which garnered over the required 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the New South Wales Legislative Council on 9 May 2024. On 31 October 2024, the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network posted to X boasting of their recent hike to the summit where while wearing balaclavas they unfurled a banner advocating for white supremacy. NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe described the actions as "vile" and "utterly disgusting". The matter has been referred to the police by the National Parks. No one has been charged over the incident.

References

References

  1. "Mount Warning, Australia".
  2. (2023-06-23). "Wollumbin National Park {{!}} Park management".
  3. (February 2025). "Wollumbin".
  4. "Mount Warning".
  5. Johnson, R. Wally. (1989). "Intraplate Volcanism in Eastern Australia and New Zealand". Cambridge University Press.
  6. The Caldera of the Mount Warning Shield Volcano. [brochure] New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. 1990.
  7. (2008). "Rapid change in drift of the Australian plate records collision with Ontong Java plateau". Nature.
  8. (2021-10-26). "A new hip-pocket frog from mid-eastern Australia (Anura: Myobatrachidae: Assa)". Zootaxa.
  9. "Wollumbin {{!}} NSW Atlas of Aboriginal Places {{!}} NSW Environment & Heritage".
  10. (1858-05-01). "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.". Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893).
  11. (1947-11-01). "HISTORY OF TWEED VALLEY; THE WHITE SETTLERS". Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949).
  12. (1946-10-19). "Aboriginal Names". Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949).
  13. (1923-11-03). "OVER THE NIGHTCAP.". Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949).
  14. (2019). "Tweed Shire Council Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Plan".
  15. Corroboree, Planet. "Wollumbin, The Warrior Chief & the Turkey".
  16. Corroboree, Planet. (16 July 2014). "Wollumbin, The Warrior Chief & the Turkey".
  17. "Wollumbin Mount Warning summit track".
  18. "Extract - Geographical Names Board of NSW".
  19. "Extract - Geographical Names Board of NSW".
  20. "Extract - Geographical Names Board of NSW".
  21. Australian Hydrographic Chart "AUS 813"
  22. "James Cook's Manuscript Daily Journal for 16 May 1770".
  23. [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/new-south-wales/mt-warning-national-park#ixzz2BDTTPHe5 Introducing Mt Warning National Park] {{webarchive. link. (3 December 2013 . Lonely Planet. Retrieved on 17 December 2012.)
  24. MacKenzie, Bruce. (2021-02-18). "Summit famous for its sunrise view may be closed permanently". ABC News.
  25. Forbes, Lauren. (24 May 2024). "'Heartbreaking': Tourist industry furious as Mount Warning remains closed due to Indigenous heritage concerns, 'costing industry $50 million'". [[Sky News Australia]].
  26. Hema Maps. (1997). "Discover Australia's National Parks". [[Random House]] Australia.
  27. "NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service".
  28. (18 February 2021). "Wollumbin National Park summit, formerly known as Mount Warning, could be closed permanently". ABC News.
  29. "Hiker flouts Wollumbin/Mt Warning ban in challenge to NSW government".
  30. (9 May 2024). "Legislative Council Hansard – 09 May 2024 – Proof".
  31. (2024-11-05). "Suspected neo-Nazi rally now under NSW Police investigation, days after photos were posted online". ABC News.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

tweed-volcanomountains-of-new-south-walesvolcanic-plugs-of-new-south-walesnorthern-riverssacred-mountains-of-australia