Nature, culture and history

The headland is an important refuge and feeding area for birds. Lewin’s honeyeaters, Meliphaga lewinii,, can be spied in the park.

Photo credit: Jess Rosewell © Queensland Government

Keep watch for the flashy red of the Australian king-parrot, Alisterus scapularis, as your walk the tracks.

Photo credit: Jess Rosewell © Queensland Government

While the tawny frogmouth, Podargus strigoides, is most active at night, a keen eye might spot one resting in the trees during the day.

Photo credit: Jess Rosewell © Queensland Government

First Nations people have a special relationship with dolphins.

Photo credit: © Darren Jew/Tourism and Events Queensland

Natural environment

Explore the many features of Burleigh Head National Park and discover just how important it is to protect this coastal headland.

Geology

Between 20 and 23 million years ago, molten lava from numerous eruptions in the Woolumbin (Mount Warning) area spread in all directions, some flows reaching the present coastline at Burleigh headland and Point Danger. Slow cooling of the thick lava resulted in shrinkage and cracking into six-sided basalt columns. Many slid and rolled to the water’s edge.

Ocean waves easily eroded the soft underlying sedimentary rock, and huge basalt boulders then fell to sea level. This ring of hard basalt prevented further wave erosion of the headland flanks.

Heavy rain seeping down into the underlying rocks on top of the headland contributes to the instability of the area and aids in speeding up the movement of these huge columns further downslope.

Vegetation

The headland is a living museum and habitat for many rare species. It is dominated by littoral rainforest—a dry form of rainforest which grows only by the sea. This complex vegetation type has developed on the nutrient-rich dark soils derived from basalt parent rock.

As you cross the boundary between rainforest and open forest, notice the different rocks and soil types. Rainforest’s dependence on the richer soil is noticeable.

Open eucalypt forest grows on poorer soils derived from ancient sedimentary rock. Brush box, ironbark, bloodwood and forest red gum can be seen here.

Exposed seaward slopes support pandanus groves that withstand stress from wind, heat and salt spray. A small pocket of coastal heath grows on the slope above Sandy Cove.

Wildlife

Little remains of the diverse wildlife that once lived on the headland. Bush surrounding the headland has been cleared for residential and commercial development. Dogs and cats have hunted most ground-dwelling animals. Despite this, a range of wildlife species still enjoys the park’s protection.

The headland is an important refuge and feeding area for migrating birds. Male brush-turkeys construct large leafy mounds in which hens lay their eggs. White-bellied sea-eagles, brahminy kites, whistling kites and ospreys hunt fish along the creek. Many species of fruit-eating birds gather in the treetops to gorge on prolific rainforest fruits. Carpet pythons and Eastern water dragons can sometimes be seen sunning themselves on rock formations.

Culture and history

First Nations Culture

Burleigh headland and Tallebudgera Creek are sacred sites of cultural significance to the Traditional Owners, who have cared for this land for countless generations. Visitors are respectfully reminded to protect and preserve these areas by leaving them undisturbed.

European settlement

Government Surveyor J.R. Warner named the headland 'Burly Head' in 1840 after its massive appearance. By the 1880s the name was corrupted to its present form.

Burleigh headland was set aside as a Reserve for Public Purposes in 1886—an act of remarkable foresight. Records show the reserve survived subdivision proposals in 1916, 1929 and 1941 in an attempt to use it to grow bananas. In 1947, the reserve’s importance was recognised by gazetting it as a national park