COOROORA CREEK PARK POMONA A HISTORY: Early 1900s to 2012 Dianne Kelly August 2012 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead Cooroora Creek Park is much loved by the community. This report is a community project. We hope the community will continue to enjoy Cooroora Creek Park and care for it into the future. Queensland Blue Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Paperbarks (Melaleuca quinquenervia), and exercise ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: equipment along the pathway Noosa District Landcare Group: Phillip Moran Anita Russell Gemma Wright Noosa Museum and Cooloola District Historical Society: Jeanette Alfreson Alison Napier Sunshine Coast Council: Col Leavey Exotic pine trees, (Pinus radiata), green grass and the Raul Wychardt pathway Narelle Reid Sue Lowrie Michael Lyons Former Noosa Shire Councillors: Peter Hansen Doug Bettens Noel Playford Alan Page Copyright Dianne Kelly. Please seek permission for reprinting or reproduction or any other uses apart from reference. COOROORA CREEK PARK – A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BE. Black Bean (Castanospermum australe) in November CONTENTS: Introduction p 5 Timeline p 6 Summary p 35 Limitations p 36 Recommendations p 37 List of Appendices p 38 References p 39 Brown Bolly Gum (Litsea leefeana) Appendices 1 -14 pp 40- 56 Additional maps showing Mary Valley Catchment with Biodiversity and Zoning Overlays 40-41 Noosa Trail Network Map p42 4 INTRODUCTION Cooroora Creek Park is a green oasis of tranquillity and beauty in the midst of the town of Pomona. Sweeps of green mown turf, clumps of tall trees and riparian vegetation accompany winding pathways that surprise and intrigue the viewer. The brownish- milky, sometimes khaki-coloured, Cooroora Creek serpentines its way through the park, accompanied by an assortment of watery channels or basins, curving, circular or pond-like, receiving whatever water drains from higher ground or from gushing floods in heavy rain. The creek and reservoirs are sometimes still, dark and dense, and the water basins may be empty and dry when the rain does not come. Several streams, springs and storm-drains feed into Cooroora Creek from the southern and western town side. Cooroora Creek itself arises in Yurol Forest and joins Six Mile Creek on the northern side of Louis Bazzo Drive forming part of the Mary River system (Appendices 13 and 14). Sub-tropical rainforest plants and planted natives, both local and from other parts of Queensland, thrive here. They are often pruned and shaped by storms, and floods tear away at plants and debris in their way. Nevertheless our park is maintained carefully by the Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa and District Landcare Group, local residents and others who appreciate and take care to maintain its beauty and integrity. Some of the birds that make the park their home include scrub wrens, noisy pittas, gerygones, honeyeaters, whip-birds, cat-birds, brush-turkeys, willy wagtails, peewees, lorikeets, rosellas, noisy miners, visiting water birds such as little black cormorants, white faced heron and ducks (my own observation). Tree frogs, tusked, giant barred, striped marsh, eastern sedge frogs have all been reported to inhabit the park, and native fish and turtles, plus a myriad of insects, contribute to its ecology (Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee Frog Monitoring Records 2009-10). How did all this come about? When was the park first developed? Who was responsible? How much change has occurred to the original landform and vegetation? These are some of the questions which spiked my curiosity as I walked, explored and photographed the park and regularly tested the creek water as a Waterwatch volunteer. Waterwatch is administered by Noosa and District Landcare Group. In my search I found that many people and organisations had been involved in the creation of Cooroora Creek Park since the mid-1980s. It now consists of four separate land parcels with a total area of 9.72 hectares. The following timeline of significant events and developments, along with a range of maps, photographs and plans will all contribute to an understanding and appreciation of our beautiful park. There may be others who can contribute to on-going recollections and further development of this history. 5 TIMELINE 1910 Photo 1: ‘Noosa Shire Office, 35 Factory Street’ showing part of the vegetated area in the background which forms part of the current Cooroora Creek Park. Photo 2 (undated): ‘Pomona Railway Station’ (foreground), Railway Hotel, Factory Street (mid- ground) with background of trees in the area of the current Cooroora Creek Park. Timber getting and sawmilling was an early industry and these trees most likely were harvested. 6 Photo 3 (undated): “Pomona from Hill Street” showing vacant land in the foreground of the Majestic Theatre (mid-ground) which would now be part of the current Cooroora Creek Park 1942 Map 1: part of Cooroy Military Map showing Pomona and vacant area adjacent to Hill Street 7 1946/7 Appendix 1: Record of Land Survey by JS Allan, Surveyor, known as Lot 37 on Registered Plan 63022, County of March, Parish of Tuchekoi. Photo 4 (undated): ‘Flood after WW2’ appears to show Hill Street Bridge and Cooroora Creek in flood 1957 Photo 5: Pomona looking west down unsealed Hill Street showing the bridge across Cooroora Creek and on the right vegetation of trees with an open grassed area where the Park would be. 8 1962 Map 2: The Town of Pomona, Gympie Land Agents District, Department of Public Lands, Brisbane. The course of the creek is shown as well as a waterway on the eastern border of Lot 37 Photo 6 (undated): ‘Pomona Postcard’ looking down sealed Hill Street showing the bridge across Cooroora Creek and vegetation of trees with an open grassed area, the site of the current Park 9 1970 Appendix 2: Certificate of Title for Lot 37 of 18 acres 0 rood 10 perches: it was under private ownership but remained undeveloped. The riparian area along Cooroora Creek and bounded by Hill and Mill Streets and bounded by the rear of the blocks of land on Factory Street and the lower blocks off Hill and Mill Streets, was subject to flooding. It was overgrown and neglected by an absent owner. Some local residents used it as a continuation of their backyards and as a dumping area for old car bodies and rubbish. One resident living in Factory Street strung barbed wire from tree to tree to fence his cattle, and had chickens which often roamed onto the road and encountered the risks associated with that. There were naturally occurring ‘melon holes’ where fallen trees had left depressions in the ground. It was largely open ground with few trees. Noel Playford said that it was an area that “you wouldn’t venture into as a kid”. 1974 Appendix 3: Map of the Town of Pomona, Gympie Land Agents District, Department of Public Lands, Brisbane. 1980 Map 3: Pomona Section, Cooroy, Australian Topographic Survey. Cooroora Creek and streams that feed into it can be seen on close examination 1981 Appendix 4: Map of Pomona Section, Sunmap, Department of Mapping and Survey, Brisbane. 1986 Appendix 5: Map of Pomona Section, Cooroy, Department of Forestry, 4th Edition. 10 1986: Noosa Shire Council: At the time the Council held an area of 1.9% as public land in Pomona. The requirement for public land area within local government areas was 8- 9%. Pomona was under-allotted for public area land and local councillor Peter Hansen as a member of the Town Planning Committee sought to increase the amount of public land in Pomona. 1987 Planning to acquire public recreation land specifically Lot 37. 1988 According to one source the purchase of the land took place for flood mitigation and for park purposes for about $26,000 (Unable to verify this from Noosa Council File). Another source thought that the land was acquired as a result of non- payment of council rates by the absent elderly owner and that the owner agreed to give the land to Council in lieu of paying back rates. Evidence supporting resumption of the land is in Appendix 7 and 7a – Application for Resumption of Land. The Land Title was held by the Council of the Shire of Noosa for Lot 37, an area of 7.3096 hectares dated 14 April 1988. Land acquisition also included Lot 2 Registered Plan 122335 of 4 acres 1 rood 38.1 perches. It is not clear who had previously owned this land. The total area was 22 acres, 1 rood, 48.1 perches, which is 9.12 hectares. Cooroora Creek Park was gazetted as a Park on 16 April 1988 See Appendices 6, 7, 7a and 8. 1989 Noosa Shire Council Maintenance Crew at Pomona Depot mowed the open areas and carried out initial clearing. Later the Noosa Council and Sunshine Coast Council Parks and Gardens Department subcontracted the rehabilitation and weed control to Noosa & District Landcare Group (NDLG). 1993 Noosa Shire Council The overall development of Cooroora Creek Park was recorded in the Noosa Shire Council Draft Recreation and Leisure Strategy. It was envisaged that an adventure playground, bike and play facilities and a multi-purpose oval, a car park off Mill Street and entertainment facilities would be part of the public area. (Appendix 9 Drawing 1) Most of the areas remained undeveloped. 11 Noosa Shire Council: The first stage was the proposed new 2 metre wide bike/pathway to be carried out by 3 workers under Bob Bickley, Parks Curator, through the Jobskills Scheme. Funds for materials were derived from the 1992/93 Budget, Park Improvements Capital Works Division 1 for $25,000. Materials including tools, concrete, plants, woodchip, road gravel and garden edging boards were purchased.