Talk:The Leap, Queensland

Respectful and accurate changes

/* History */ Error in newspaper article sourced. I deleted 3yo/infant to child (avoid error or conflict - Baptism Birth Certificate of adoption, diaries + other references that the child was female and an infant). There were many incidents, article refers to incident in 1858 which Barnes homestead was approached by hunting tribe. I believe from my research it was prior to pastoral leases. There were many incidents and sources have been merged by some causing distortion in accurate accounts of each incident. Initially called The Gin's Leap as per the story of the rescue of the infant by Allen and James Ready (who adopted the baby). Over time, the area became more widely known as The Leap. I also added word census as this was conducted to assess the indigenous population at later period (a widespread practice at the time and the formation was not always accurate). I made very minor changes to be more accurate and most respectful way. I am new to wiki editing. I have undertaken extensive research on the area history and process of a related project. <3 Leo Leo Alexander Scott (talk) 23:59, 12 October 2023 (UTC)

Local Aboriginal Name for the Mountain area was Bingunbeera (info below)

The Leap was said to have originally been called Mt.Johannesburg but was nicknamed by locals as The Leap following the incident that occurred at the location. It is believed the rescue female infant was named by the Ready’s as Johanna after the mountain. It is uncertain when and who officially changed the name of the mountain Mt Mandurana, but it is believed to have officially altered mid-twentieth century to reflect a property acquired and titled by Robert Martin (said to have been mistaken with intentions to represent the local indigenous history). There was also concern that syllable “man” did not exist in any of the dialect of local aboriginal languages (confirmed by Alexander Macartney who understood the local aboriginal dialect and local aboriginal place names). It is believed that Mr Martin had mistook the name of Mundurrina which was named Mt Blackwood by Dalrymle. The Leap (original titled Mt Johannesburg) was known by the local aboriginal people as “Bingunbeera”. (Daily Mercury 1st September 1931; Daily Mercury 5th August 1958; also local council records including topography; local historical society documents and publications including the diary excerpts republished in Shamrock’s Among The Gum Trees by Carmel MacDonald) Leo Alexander Scott (talk) 09:12, 4 April 2024 (UTC)

Background information related to construction of the statue

The statue that stands at the Leap Hotel is believed to have been constructed by funds raised by settlers’ descendants, local aboriginal and South Seas Islanders descendants, the Mackay community and organisations and in partnership with the hotel. The statue displays an aboriginal woman with the infant baby in the shroud. The statue is believed to have been titled after the spirit Koweha, based on a story that circulated about the woman who jumped from the mountain. It was said that the woman who jumped was Koweha, and as she jumped, she cursed the white men. This resulted in the 1918 cyclone that devasted the Cremorne area, destroying the Cremorne Hotel, and the exotic gardens of which Mr Barnes had cultivated there. (Note: I have not found any solid written evidence to date about the naming decision on any records except from undated Daily Mercury article that confirms interview accounts from those involved in the construction of the statue. My own extended research understands that Koweha and Biambi were favourites of Guenya and these spirits are associated with the Lindeman Island tribe. It is known that the Lindeman Island tribe interacted with mainland tribes, and this may be consistent with a story of a hunting expedition that may have occurred at the time of the Leap incident, for which got passed down by surviving descendants for which the story was recorded) Leo Alexander Scott (talk) 10:04, 4 April 2024 (UTC)