Local indigenous story of the sacred Glass House Mountains Qld

The Glass House Mountains are a group of volcanic peaks on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and they hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for the local Indigenous Australian people, particularly the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) and Jinibara peoples.

According to one sacred Dreaming story, the mountains are a family. Tibrogargan is the father, Beerwah is the mother, and the smaller peaks are their children. One day, Tibrogargan saw a great flood coming from the sea. He told his eldest son, Coonowrin, to help his mother and siblings escape. But Coonowrin ran away in fear, failing to protect his family.

Tibrogargan was so ashamed of his son’s cowardice that he struck him, disfiguring his neck—this is why Mt Coonowrin is said to have a crooked appearance. From that day on, Tibrogargan turned his back on Coonowrin and has never looked at him again.

This story teaches values of courage, responsibility, and respect for family. The Glass House Mountains continue to be sacred to Traditional Custodians and are places of ceremony, law, and storytelling.

DID YOU KNOW? At Teach Fun Oz, we offer an Art Incursion focusing specifically on these beautiful sacred mountains that are local to where our business is based. In this incursion we firstly teach students about the Glass House Mountains and their local significance, then we enjoy painting our Glass House Mountains masterpieces on canvas, to take home at the end. All art supplies are supplied for your class and cleaned up at the end. Contact us today to book or request a quote for your centre or school on the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane areas.