Mount Disappointment (Australia)
Encyclopedia
Mount Disappointment is an 800 m (2,624.7 ft) mountain, located on the southern end of The Great Dividing Range
, 60 km (37.3 mi) north of Melbourne
, the state capital of Victoria (Australia)
, Australia
. It was first climbed by New South Wales
explorers Hamilton Hume
and William Hovell
in 1824, and the mountain is now a popular hiking spot.
Prior to European settlement, Australian Aborigines are known to have lived in the Mount Disappointment area. Stone weapons have been found near the junction of Drag Hill and Sunday Creeks.
In 1870, European settlers began mining for gold at Mount Disappointment. In 1880 The Australian Seasoned Timber Company commenced timber cutting and sawmilling operations there and with an influx of workers, townships were soon created at Clonbinane, Reedy Creek and Strath Creek. The company operated two mills, named 'Comet Mill' and 'Planet Mill', located in the heart of the forest. A network of tramways carried logs to the mills for cutting. These tramways included a notorious section ironically called "The Bump" - a steep incline that required a winch to haul the solid hardwood logs. By the 1890s, the Comet sawmill was processing 800 Mountain Ash
logs a month.
In 1883–1885, the catchments to the east of Mount Disappointment were captured by Toorourrong Reservoir
and associated aqueducts. They are protected as part of Kinglake National Park
.
The Australian Seasoned Timber Company's finishing and seasoning works were located in the township of Wandong
, north of Melbourne on the edge of the Mount Disappointment forest. This seasoning plant treated messmate timber, used principally for furniture making. The Wandong seasoning works were established by a different company in 1889 and were one of the earliest attempts to season hardwood in Australia.
At its peak, the timber industry in the area employed 420 men. Sawmilling ceased in 1939 but timber from the Mount Disappointment area is still being logged today, with improvements to forest management ensuring long-term sustainability of the industry.
On 5 August 1942, a Bristol Beaufighter
IC crashed into the mountain, three hundred yards north of the peak, killing two men from 30 Squadron RAAF.
There is an abundance of bird life and habitat for wombat
s and wallabies
.
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, 60 km (37.3 mi) north of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the state capital of Victoria (Australia)
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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 was first climbed by 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...
explorers Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume was the first Australian born explorer. Along with Hovell in 1824, Hume was part of an expedition that first took an overland route from Sydney to Port Phillip near the site of present day Melbourne...
and William Hovell
William Hovell
William Hilton Hovell was an English explorer of Australia.-Early life:Hovell was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England and went to sea as a boy, becoming a Royal Navy captain before settling in New South Wales, arriving in October 1813 aboard the Earl Spencer with his wife Esther née Arndell...
in 1824, and the mountain is now a popular hiking spot.
History
After making the arduous climb to the summit, European explorers Hume and Hovell hoped to view the distant Port Phillip Bay. Unfortunately, the mountain's many trees prevented this, and consequently they recorded their feelings in the name they chose for the mountain.Prior to European settlement, Australian Aborigines are known to have lived in the Mount Disappointment area. Stone weapons have been found near the junction of Drag Hill and Sunday Creeks.
In 1870, European settlers began mining for gold at Mount Disappointment. In 1880 The Australian Seasoned Timber Company commenced timber cutting and sawmilling operations there and with an influx of workers, townships were soon created at Clonbinane, Reedy Creek and Strath Creek. The company operated two mills, named 'Comet Mill' and 'Planet Mill', located in the heart of the forest. A network of tramways carried logs to the mills for cutting. These tramways included a notorious section ironically called "The Bump" - a steep incline that required a winch to haul the solid hardwood logs. By the 1890s, the Comet sawmill was processing 800 Mountain Ash
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
logs a month.
In 1883–1885, the catchments to the east of Mount Disappointment were captured by Toorourrong Reservoir
Toorourrong Reservoir
Toorourrong Reservoir is a small reservoir located on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range approximately north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Melbourne Water and forms part of the Melbourne water supply system...
and associated aqueducts. They are protected as part of Kinglake National Park
Kinglake National Park
Kinglake is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 50 kilometres northeast of Melbourne. The park includes tracks , and camping facilities....
.
The Australian Seasoned Timber Company's finishing and seasoning works were located in the township of Wandong
Wandong, Victoria
Wandong is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is about north of the state capital, Melbourne, on the Hume Highway. It is located right next to the town of Heathcote Junction, and at the 2006 census, the two towns had a population of 1,490.. The main centre nearest Wandong is Kilmore.Wandong...
, north of Melbourne on the edge of the Mount Disappointment forest. This seasoning plant treated messmate timber, used principally for furniture making. The Wandong seasoning works were established by a different company in 1889 and were one of the earliest attempts to season hardwood in Australia.
At its peak, the timber industry in the area employed 420 men. Sawmilling ceased in 1939 but timber from the Mount Disappointment area is still being logged today, with improvements to forest management ensuring long-term sustainability of the industry.
On 5 August 1942, a Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
IC crashed into the mountain, three hundred yards north of the peak, killing two men from 30 Squadron RAAF.
Flora and fauna
Stately Mountain Ash dominates the mountain and thrive in granite soils where the rainfall is high. Mountain Grey Gums grow in drier pockets. Red Stringybarks, Narrow-leafed Peppermints, Long-leaved box and Candlebark can be found growing along some waterways.There is an abundance of bird life and habitat for wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
s and wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
.