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• 02/Mar/2023 05:15:10

Castle Hill is a heritage-listed isolated pink granite monolith in the suburb of Castle Hill, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[1][2] Its Indigenous name is Cootharinga, sometimes written as Cooderinga. It rises to a height of some 286 metres (938 ft) above sea level and dominates the city skyline.[5] It is one of the most distinctive natural features on the Queensland coast. There are a number of vantage points from which to view the city below and also across Cleveland Bay to nearby Magnetic Island. Castle Hill (as a hill) was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1993. The surface is primarily bare rock or shallow lithosols with small areas of duplex soils. There are three peaks to the summit. Robert Towns (the founder of Townsville) monument is on the Castle Hill. The vegetation, largely regenerative, is dominated by indigenous plant species. Approximately 300 plant species have been identified. The fauna, which has not been surveyed comprehensively, includes the unadorned rock-wallaby.[6] The avifauna had been surveyed, with over 50 bird species either visiting or residing on the hill. Peregrine falcons and brahminy kites nest here. Echidna, death adder and quail have been seen. Castle Hill has formerly also been known locally as Cutheringa, Cudtheringa, Cootharinga, and Mt Cutheringa.[5] The Aboriginal history associated with Cutheringa has not been recorded, but its name survives as one of only two known Australian Indigenous place names in the Townsville region, the other being Pallarenda. Castle Hill was one of the earliest sites named by Andrew Ball who, together with MW Reid, were the first Europeans to explore the Ross River area in April 1864.[6] The settlement established here was known initially as Castletown, until the name was replaced by Townsville in 1865. The hill became a much admired local landmark, evoking aesthetic delight and a unique sense of identity. This prominent link between urban life and nature largely determined the disordered layout of Townsville's streets and in the late 19th century was frequented for recreational pursuits such as botanising and nature study. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill,_Townsville#See_also