Vandalised sacred site reopened to tourists leaving Indigenous man 'heartbroken'
There are growing calls to close the sacred mountain to protect its environmental and cultural value.
Everyone knows that it’s not okay to climb Uluru, but did you know there’s a mountain in South East Queensland that it’s also disrespectful to scale?
Because Mount Beerwah is sacred to the Jinibara community, many want hikers to stay off its peaks. Despite their concerns, the government has allowed them to continue to scale it — well that was until religious vandals cut the words “Jesus Saves” into the rock in May.
The action triggered a two-month closure of the cultural site, but on Saturday it’s being reopened by Queensland Parks and Wildlife and that's causing a split within the community. Jinibara custodian BJ Murphy told Yahoo News Australia the decision has left him “heartbroken”.
Can you see the scar on Mount Beerwah?
The first thing you notice looking at Mount Beerwah is a “scar” that’s been cut into the mountain by decades of wear from hiker’s feet and walking poles. While the mountain has been closed he has noticed its biofilm covering grow back.
But he’s concerned the healing the mountain has undergone during its closure will be undone as people return. “It’s just ridiculous, there’s no other word for it,” he said.
Call not to climb Mount Beerwah 'falls on deaf ears'
Mr Murphy conducted a solitary “peaceful protest” earlier this year, sitting at the base of the mountain for weeks and offering information about his position to walkers.
“I tried not to be confrontational and instead share cultural and environmental knowledge, trying to educate them as to why we don’t want them going up, but it just falls on deaf ears,” he said.
Hikers argue it's 'really important' for them to scale the mountain
Climbing the mountain is seen by some Jinibara men as disrespectful, similar to someone deciding to scale a church, breaking its stain glass windows.
But many non-Indigenous locals believe the mountain should be shared with them, and maintain they have a right to scale it. On Saturday, a barbecue event will be held at the mountain to try and counter the push to ban climbers.
“I respect and love their culture, but under my own culture and my own beliefs I wouldn’t expect other people to change their ways for my beliefs,” one hiker told local media. “For us it’s really important for us to keep that open,” another said.
More on government management of Indigenous cultural sites:
NSW locks Indigenous elders out of sacred forest: 'Just wrong'
Controversial plan to bulldoze cultural site for waterfront development paused
Indigenous women travel to UN to warn of 'cultural genocide' in Australia
Cultural lands opened to hikers after other sites privatised
As Mr Murphy spoke to Yahoo on Friday, he watched some hikers climb Mount Beerwah a day early, against regulations. He understands why people want to scale mountains, but questions why it should be a sacred Indigenous space that suffers.
“There’s plenty of other places they can climb, with cliffs and ridges. But the majority of that is now being fenced off and sold as private property. So all that’s left for them are our ancestral mountains.”
He’s also concerned reopening it will result in more deaths. In 2022 there were 25 callouts for help across the wider Glasshouse Mountains region. On Mount Beerwah itself there have been several incidents including the death of a woman in March.
“What will it take to close the summit if people dying isn’t enough,” Mr Murphy said.
Parks and Wildlife says changes to management will be considered
Queensland Parks and Wildlife responded to questions raised about the reopening of the mountain with a statement.
“Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service closed the summit route to allow for a period of cultural healing and to undertake restoration works,” it said.
“This period has now concluded, and the summit route has reopened. Any changes to the management arrangement for the mountain would be considered as part of the management plan review and subject to public consultation.”
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