The Glass House Mts from Mary Cairncross Reserve, looking South towards Brisbane
The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of hills, the highest being Mt Beerwah at 556 m, rising abruptly on the flat coastal plains of Southern Queensland located at around E153 deg, S27 deg.
On the 17 May 1770, Lt James Cook, commander of HMS Endeavour on his journey north exploring the east coast of Australia. As he pasted Cape Moreton, he wrote in his journal:
"From Cape Morton the Land Trends away West, further than we could see, for there is a small space where we could see no land; some on board was of opinion that there is a River there because the Sea looked paler than usual. Upon sounding we found 34 fathoms fine white sandy bottom, which alone is sufficient change, the apparent Colour of Sea Water, without the Assistance of Rivers. The land need only to be low here, as it is in a Thousand other places upon the Coast, to have made it impossible for us to have seen it at the distance we were off. Be this as it may, it was a point that could not be clear'd up as we had the wind; but should any one be desirous of doing it that may come after me, this place may always be found by 3 Hills which lay to the Northward of it in the Latitude of 26 degrees 53 minutes South. These hills lay but a little way inland, and not far from each other; they are very remarkable on account of their singular form of elivation, which very much resembles glass houses which occasioned my giving them that name."
Joseph Banks noted in his journal on this date that: "Continued to blow tho not so fresh as yesterday. Land trended much to the westward; about 10 we were abreast of a large bay the bottom of which was out of sight. The sea in this place suddenly changd from its usual transparency to a dirty clay colour, appearing much as if chargd with freshes, from whence I was led to conclude that the bottom of the bay might open into a large river. About it were many smoaks especialy on the Northern side near some remarkable conical hills."
The Queensland Government highlights that Lieutenant James Cook named the Glass Houses on May 17, 1770, after the glass-making kilns in his native Yorkshire, England. A more truthful statement would be, that while this is a reasonable hypothesis, there are other plausible alternatives to the naming of the Glass House Mountains.
The more important point of Cook's journal is that, as a master commander and navigator, he was meeting his obligations by documenting the distinctive features of this coastal survey while ensuring the survival of his ship and crew. A considerable amount of information exists about Cook's early life and later career. But there is also significant missing documentation which may have been simply lost in time or retained by the Admiralty with no record of its subsequent history.
This interest in Cook arises because we have the privilege of living SE Queensland in the shadow of these beautiful volcanic remnants. As children, the distinctive face of the 'spirit' in Mt Tibrogargan marked a point in our travels. In many respects, why Cook gave the name "Glass Houses" is irrelevant, but does seem strangely apt for those of us who experience this amazing place every day.
What were the glass houses that these hills very much resembled in Cook's mind?
What did Cook actually see from the Endeavour in May 1770, and might this have influenced his naming these hills?