Whites Hill, Nature reserve in Camp Hill, Brisbane, Australia.
Whites Hill is a nature reserve in the Camp Hill area of Brisbane, covering rolling terrain with eucalyptus woodland and sections of rainforest. Several walking paths run through the grounds, alongside open fields used for sports and picnic areas with outdoor exercise equipment.
Robert White bought 21.5 hectares around the hill in 1873 and built the family home halfway up. In 1886 he installed a telescope for others to use, and later added a summit house with wide verandahs, a camera obscura and a music machine; he was prosecuted in 1890 for sly grog-selling. The council acquired the land after his death in 1927, used the hill as a WWII observation post, and demolished the house in 1964.
Boolimba is the indigenous name for the area around Whites Hill, meaning "place of magpie larks". The reserve keeps a record of 58 bird species from a 1981 survey, and koalas, echidnas, elf skinks and swamp wallabies are also reported there. The Whites Hill Bushcare and Environment Group runs monthly working bees and guided bushwalks.
The reserve has several entry points with parking available near the main accesses, making it easy to reach by car. The paths vary in difficulty across the hilly terrain, so it is worth picking a route that suits your fitness level before setting out.
Within the reserve lies Sankeys Scrub, a patch of dry rainforest sheltering rare trees such as white beech and hoop pine. This small forest has survived the urban growth around Brisbane and is one of the few remaining areas of its type in the region.
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