Editing Barron Gorge National Park (section)

==History==

In 1885, the explorer [[Archibald Meston]] described the Barron Falls in flood where the raging waters "''rush together like wild horses as they enter the straight in the dread finish of their last race ... (where) the currents of air created by the cataract waved the branches of the trees hundreds of feet overhead ... the rock shook like a mighty steamer tumbling with the vibrations of the screw.''"

In 1935, the waters of the Barron River were harnessed in the [[Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station]] to generate Queensland's first hydroelectric power. Two hundred metres from the base of the Barron Falls an underground power station was carved into the cliff face. Water was delivered through pipes to drive the turbines, two 1,200&nbsp;kW turbo-alternators. The substation, workshops and staff houses were built around the area now forming the [[Skyrail Rainforest Cableway|Skyrail]] station.

The Djabugandji Bama (Aboriginal people) are the [[traditional owners]] of the area known as Djirri Nyundu Nyrrumba, which includes Barron Gorge National Park. Ownership of the park returned to its traditional owners on 17 December 2004.<ref name="am">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1267501.htm |title=National park to be handed back to traditional owners |author=Jeff Waters |format=transcript |access-date=23 October 2009 |date=17 December 2004 |work=AM |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110084755/http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1267501.htm |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> This is the first park in Queensland to have a native title determination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/barron-gorge/culture.html|title=Nature, culture and history|website=Department of Environment and Science Queensland|date=8 September 2006 |publisher=[[Queensland Government]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505012856/https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/barron-gorge/culture.html|archive-date=5 May 2019|url-status=live|access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> Visitors to the park have not faced any changes under the new owners but Aboriginals were then able to hold traditional religious ceremonies.