Past, Present and Future
Value the past...
National parks had their beginnings in the 1830s when United States artist-explorer George Catlin urged the creation of a "nation's park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty".
His vision led to the establishment in 1872 of the world's first national park at Yellowstone, across three US states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho). Australia's first park followed in 1879: the Royal National Park in Sydney.
But the first time the true concept of national parks was captured in Australian legislation was right here in Queensland when The State Forests and National Parks Act was passed on 14 December 1906. It sought to protect natural bushland in national parks, helping to provide for all time a place where Australians could go to value their natural heritage, to reflect on the nation's roots and to renew their connection with Australia's unique and enthralling landscape.
The first park declared under the Act was Witches Falls, now part of Tamborine National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland, which was gazetted on the 28 March 1908.
Cherish the present...
Today our national parks play an important role. In our increasingly stressful and urban lives they provide places of tranquillity, solitude and renewal in natural surroundings that enrich our hearts, our minds and our bodies.
Eight out of ten Queenslanders have visited national parks. Forty percent are regular visitors. Our parks and forests attract two million international visitors and 16 million visits every year and the numbers are growing.
They protect the state's most exceptional scenery and provide valuable habitat for our unique native wildlife, plants and trees.
Our parks also support Queensland's enviable lifestyle by offering opportunities for a wide range of healthy leisure activities, by attracting visitors who support local economies, and by providing employment in the continuous conservation of their important natural features.
Protect the future...
As the threat of global warming and climate change increases so our parks will play an increasingly vital role: in cleaning our air, purifying our water and - through photosynthesis in plants and trees - absorbing the carbon that is pumped into the atmosphere by human activity.
Our parks are a treasure trove. They are a link to the natural heritage that runs in the blood of us all; they offer insights to the evolutionary changes of the land we live in; the secrets of the plants that grow there may provide the key to valuable medicines for the benefit of the Earth, animals and humankind; they provide healthy places where people can become more healthy in their lifestyles, helping to build healthy communities.
Your continuing interest and enthusiasm will ensure our national parks and their outstanding natural assets are protected through the next 100 years of parks in Queensland.
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Last updated: 12 March 2009