Mount Majura, Mountain summit in Canberra, Australia.
Mount Majura is a hill of 890 metres (2,920 ft) AHD at the eastern end of Hackett, in Canberra's northern suburbs, and the highest point within Canberra's urban boundaries. It lies in the Canberra Nature Park and is an extinct Silurian volcano, about 425 million years old, built mainly of dacite and ignimbrite with smaller amounts of pyroclastic sediment and shale. Its slopes are covered with native eucalypts, including up to 26 species of terrestrial orchids.
Mount Majura was probably named by Robert Campbell, an early landowner who traded between England, India and Australia. The name Majura already appeared on Thomas Mitchell's 1831 survey, applied to country south of Bungendore, and by 1835 to an area just north of it. The hill now lies in Canberra Nature Park, cared for by the Friends of Mount Majura.
Majura was likely named by Robert Campbell, an early landowner near the mountain; the name appears on Thomas Mitchell's 1831 survey, where it labelled country south of Bungendore, and similar forms such as Majurygong were recorded across the district. Mitchell's maps carry mainly Indigenous place-names, so the word may derive from one, though some link it to Majura Gate in Surat, India, where Campbell traded.
Marked trails lead to the summit through woodland and open terrain, so sturdy footwear is a good idea. The area is more popular on weekends and in fine weather, so an early start gives a quieter experience.
The summit of Mount Majura is home to radar equipment used by Canberra Airport, making it one of the few walking destinations in Australia where you reach the top and find active aviation infrastructure. The equipment is visible from the trail, giving the summit an unexpected industrial character.
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