Image: Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM,
the 27th Governor of Queensland at Resilience Rock with Professor Nimmo (at right) and Binna Burra Chair Steve Noakes, members of the Board, Neil Scales OBE and Ian Pritchard (at left).

A new permanent landmark at Binna Burra has been dedicated by the Governor of Queensland, celebrating the strength, resilience and enduring connection between people, place and nature.

On Monday 28 September 2026, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, visited Binna Burra Lodge to formally dedicate the new Binna Burra Resilience Rock.

Positioned at the entrance to the new lodge at Mt Roberts, the Resilience Rock will become a permanent part of the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape, carrying a simple message:

“Nature builds resilience. For people and planet.”

The dedication brought together members of the Binna Burra community, including representatives from the Binna Burra Lodge Board, Binna Burra Foundation and Friends of Binna Burra, alongside volunteers from the Beechmont Rural Fire Brigade, Beechmont QCWA, Lamington Natural History Association and other community organisations.

Binna Burra Foundation Chair and Master of Ceremonies Tim Atherton APM explained that the idea emerged as work progressed on the new lodge.

Large rocks had been uncovered during preparation of the construction site, inspiring the idea of retaining one as a permanent symbol of the generations of people who have supported Binna Burra.

As Tim explained, the concept connects:

“…the long history of connection between many Governors of Queensland, Lamington National Park, Binna Burra and the long history of resilience shown by the generations who have supported Binna Burra.”

It is also a connection that extends back more than a century, through Queensland Governors who supported conservation, national parks and the protection of the landscape that would become Lamington National Park.

Binna Burra Lodge Chair Steve Noakes reflected on that history and on the significance of establishing a permanent landmark as the new lodge prepares to welcome visitors.

From its beginnings during the Great Depression to the challenges of bushfire, pandemic and severe weather, resilience has remained a recurring theme throughout Binna Burra’s story.

“Since it was founded in the early 1930s while the world was dealing with the Great Depression, resilience has been part of Binna Burra’s DNA.”

Steve described the Resilience Rock as another act of placemaking within the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape, strengthening the connection between the stories of the people who have cared for Binna Burra and the landscape itself.

He said the rock would stand as a physical legacy of the strength of the Binna Burra community, while providing a visible reminder of the foundations established during the rebuilding period following the 2019 bushfires.

The dedication also comes at an important turning point.

“Binna Burra is now making a strategic pivot — from seven years focused on response, recoveries and rebuilding — to the next seven years towards our centenary in 2033.”

In her address, the Governor reflected on the devastation of the 2019 bushfires and the determination that emerged in their aftermath.

Her Excellency recalled the shock of seeing a place within the normally lush rainforest of Woonoongoora, Lamington National Park, affected by such a catastrophic event, and acknowledged the wider impact of the fires on the Beechmont community.

She also recognised the many people and organisations whose support has helped Binna Burra rebuild and strengthen its operations for the future, including the Board, staff, Binna Burra Foundation, Friends of Binna Burra, volunteers and those involved in delivering the new building project.

Her Excellency described the dedication as the beginning of a new chapter:

“The Resilience Rock represents strength, solidarity, and an unshakeable promise to commit to the future.”

She added:

“It is a tangible reminder that Binna Burra is built on foundations that are reinforced by the compassionate spirit of all those who have loved it.”

For future visitors, the Resilience Rock will sit alongside the new lodge as both a physical landmark and a reminder of the people who have helped Binna Burra through nearly a century of change.

Its placement also symbolises the transition now underway at Binna Burra: from the rebuilding years following the 2019 bushfires toward the next chapter and the organisation’s centenary in 2033.

As visitors approach the new lodge, the words on the plaque will remain:

Nature builds resilience. For people and planet.

Binna Burra Lodge acknowledges the substantial funding support of the Queensland Government in rebuilding a replacement lodge and accommodation within the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape.

We also acknowledge the generous support of many people and organisations, including Carolyn Vincent’s Ubuntu Foundation, the Thyne Reid Foundation, Binna Burra shareholders and the Binna Burra Foundation, including the Friends of Binna Burra, as well as our dedicated staff and project teams.

Image: Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM,
the 27th Governor of Queensland with Binna Burra Lodge Chair, Steve Noakes at Coomera Terrace.