Back in May with some assistance from the Uki Historical Society I submitted a nomination for Heritage listing the Mt Warning Summit Track and Lookouts.
An excerpt of the nomination appears in italics below.
While I have come to expect very little from our Governments awash as they are with wokeness, I did hold a slim hope that in this case, luck would favour the brave and perhaps for once, a decision would be made on a rational basis. Sadly, it's the usual outcome:
The minutes of the State Heritage Committee:
Item 5E – Mt Warning Summit Track and Lookouts Resolution 2025-55 The State Heritage Register Committee: 1. Considers that Mount Warning Summit Track and Lookouts may be of State significance with reference to Aboriginal cultural values, but these values are appropriately protected by an existing Aboriginal Place. Aside from Aboriginal cultural values, the Mount Warning Summit Track and Lookouts may be of State significance for one criterion only. It is not a current priority for progression to a full assessment (Tab 5E of the report).
Moved by Sally Barnes and seconded by Brian Lindsay
Sally Barnes is the former head of Parks Australia. She was in charge as European Heritage at Ayers Rock (climb, summit cairn and memorial plaques) was being destroyed. Our heritage in the hands of an ignoramus.
Excerpt from the nomination form:
Mount Warning Summit Track is of exceptional state heritage significance as a rare and outstanding example of early 20th-century bushwalking infrastructure and one of the oldest purpose-built public summit access trails in New South Wales, embodying over a century of shared cultural heritage, public recreation, environmental education, and Aboriginal significance across multiple groups.
Constructed by volunteer labour in 1908–1909 during a formative period in New South Wales’ outdoor recreational and tourism development, under the direction of the NSW Government Tourist Bureau, Murwillumbah Chamber of Commerce and Tweed Shire Council, the track remains largely intact and demonstrates exceptional engineering skill in its precisely laid dry-stone paths, stairs, and retaining walls, that have withstood over a century of use and exposure to the elements.
The track is uniquely positioned within one of the largest eroded volcanic calderas in the Southern Hemisphere and provides direct access to rare geological features, rainforest biomes, and panoramic views that have inspired scientific study, environmental appreciation, and spiritual reflection.
The track played a pivotal role in democratizing access to the summit of Mt Warning, an iconic geological and cultural landmark visible across much of northern NSW. Its establishment facilitated early nature tourism and provided generations of residents and visitors with access to an immersive natural and cultural landscape. Over 3.5 million people have used this track, making it a significant part of the nation’s collective memory and recreational history of NSW.
The summit lookouts, added in 1989, designed by architect Steve Gorrell, represent a thoughtful continuation of the site’s interpretive and experiential legacy, offering panoramic views from a place of exceptional natural beauty. The track and lookouts collectively exemplify the enduring appeal of outdoor exploration in NSW and its connection to identity, health, and environmental appreciation.
The site holds multiple, distinct Aboriginal meanings—including Wulambiny Momoli, “scrub turkey nest,” a recognised increase site by Ngarakwal custodians—who have historically encouraged public access as a means of shared spiritual experience. This pluralist cultural significance distinguishes the track as a site of reconciliation, story-sharing, and layered meaning rather than one of exclusion
.
Along with the physical infrastructure the track and summit experience provide a means for over 100,000 people each year to exercise their long standing cultural traditions and cultural heritage of engaging with the natural world through bushwalking and climbing mountain summits. I note Heritage NSW is aiming to support a broader range of heritage, including cultural practices and traditions. The long standing tradition of walking to the summit of Mt Warning falls well within this aim.
With its near-original alignment, remarkable preservation of historic fabric, and cultural importance to a broad cross-section of the NSW and Australian public, the Mt Warning Summit Track meets multiple criteria for state heritage listing, including historical, aesthetic, social, and technical significance.
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