Gympie Pyramid
Encyclopedia
The Gympie Pyramid is a terraced structure located in the outskirts of Gympie
in Queensland
, Australia
. It has been proven to be an Italian farmer's construction to stop erosion.
The feature is subject to amateur speculation, which has been argued to be hagiography
by serious scholars, especially suggestions that it was constructed by an unknown civilization, Egyptians, South Americans, or the Chinese.
Rex Gilroy
claims that he discovered the Gympie Pyramid
in 1975 and claimed that the "Pyramid" was created by Egyptians who had mining operations in Australia centuries ago, with bases of operation reaching as far as the Blue Mountains in New South Wales
. In his article on the subject, Anthony G. Wheeler writes, "It seems that a terraced hill was claimed to be a pyramid on the basis of a nearby stone wall around a church being of unusual construction, supposed local legends and taboos that warned against intrusion into the pyramid area, the predominance in the area of a cactus of South or Central American origin, a statue (the 'Iron Man' or 'Gympie Ape') of non-aboriginal manufacture found nearby, and some crude inscriptions on a stone block dug up in the area." Wheeler notes that an amateur archaeologist, Marilyn N. Pye, became convinced that the "pyramid" and other features were evidence of ancient settlement in Australia by the Incas of South America.
While Pye argues the "pyramid" is of Incan origin, Gavin Menzies
states that it is "direct and persuasive evidence of the Chinese visits to Australia" and that "its size, height and shape are typical of Ming Dynasty
observation platforms and it would have been wholly logical for the Chinese to build observatories to determine precisely the location of the phenomenal riches they had discovered."
Wheeler argues that the claims of an extraordinary origin for the pyramid are unfounded, writing, "The facts are (probably) that the Gympie "Golden" pyramid is actually an ordinary hill terraced by early Italian immigrants for viticulture that has been disfigured by erosion and the removal of stone from the retaining walls for use elsewhere ... As for all the supporting statements by the various authorities, all but a few unimportant ones fade away as one after another proves to be a misquote, a falsification or an outright fabrication."
Currently the Queensland Department of Main Roads is planning to build a road through the site.
Significant work on the origin was undertaken by a Gympie historian, Dr. Elaine Brown, during the 1990s and early 2000s in which she found that the terraced structure was constructed by a Swiss horticulturist in the late 1880s.
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has been proven to be an Italian farmer's construction to stop erosion.
The feature is subject to amateur speculation, which has been argued to be hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
by serious scholars, especially suggestions that it was constructed by an unknown civilization, Egyptians, South Americans, or the Chinese.
Rex Gilroy
Rex Gilroy
Rex Gilroy is an Australian who has published books and articles on cryptids and unexplained or speculative phenomena. His work has focused on yowie reports, 'out of place' animals, UFOs, and propositions regarding a 'lost' Australian civilization...
claims that he discovered the Gympie Pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
in 1975 and claimed that the "Pyramid" was created by Egyptians who had mining operations in Australia centuries ago, with bases of operation reaching as far as the Blue Mountains in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. In his article on the subject, Anthony G. Wheeler writes, "It seems that a terraced hill was claimed to be a pyramid on the basis of a nearby stone wall around a church being of unusual construction, supposed local legends and taboos that warned against intrusion into the pyramid area, the predominance in the area of a cactus of South or Central American origin, a statue (the 'Iron Man' or 'Gympie Ape') of non-aboriginal manufacture found nearby, and some crude inscriptions on a stone block dug up in the area." Wheeler notes that an amateur archaeologist, Marilyn N. Pye, became convinced that the "pyramid" and other features were evidence of ancient settlement in Australia by the Incas of South America.
While Pye argues the "pyramid" is of Incan origin, Gavin Menzies
Gavin Menzies
Rowan Gavin Paton Menzies is a retired British submarine lieutenant-commander and author. He is best known for his controversial book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, in which he asserts that the fleets of Chinese Admiral Zheng He visited the Americas prior to European explorer...
states that it is "direct and persuasive evidence of the Chinese visits to Australia" and that "its size, height and shape are typical of Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
observation platforms and it would have been wholly logical for the Chinese to build observatories to determine precisely the location of the phenomenal riches they had discovered."
Wheeler argues that the claims of an extraordinary origin for the pyramid are unfounded, writing, "The facts are (probably) that the Gympie "Golden" pyramid is actually an ordinary hill terraced by early Italian immigrants for viticulture that has been disfigured by erosion and the removal of stone from the retaining walls for use elsewhere ... As for all the supporting statements by the various authorities, all but a few unimportant ones fade away as one after another proves to be a misquote, a falsification or an outright fabrication."
Currently the Queensland Department of Main Roads is planning to build a road through the site.
Debunking revisionist history
The Gympie Pyramid has been researched independently and found to be far more banal. It was part of a retaining wall built by an Italian farmer to stop erosion on a natural mesa on his property.Significant work on the origin was undertaken by a Gympie historian, Dr. Elaine Brown, during the 1990s and early 2000s in which she found that the terraced structure was constructed by a Swiss horticulturist in the late 1880s.