On 6 July 1828, the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham originally named this mountain Mount Hooker after botanist William Hooker and called another mountain by the name Mount Lindesay after Colonel Patrick Lindesay, the Commandant of Troops in New South Wales 1827–1836. Later, the New South Wales Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell is believed to have changed the names to be Mount Lindesay and Mount Barney respectively. The first recorded ascent of Mount Lindesay was made in May 1872, by Thomas de Montmorency Murray-Prior and Phillip Walter Pears. At the time of the 1872 ascent, an Aboriginal elder at nearby Unumgar station claimed to Pears that his father had once climbed the peak. The second recorded ascent of Mount Lindesay was made in July 1890, by the Norwegian naturalist and explorer Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink, then working in the district as a surveyor's labourer, and Edwin Villiers-Brown, of Beaudesert. There were a further eight recorded ascents by the late 1920s, when pioneering climbers such as Bert Salmon started visiting the peak regularly. The first women to climb Mount Lindesay were Brisbane climbers Jean Easton and Nora Dimes, who made the ascent with Bert Salmon in March 1931. In December 1928 Mount Lindesay was the site of the first known recreational climbing fatality in Australia, when Lyle Vidler fell to his death whilst attempting a solo ascent of Vidler's Chimney. He is buried in a grave in the rainforest, not far from where he fell. On 19 June 2011, Ross Miller, one of a party of six, fell to his death while climbing in a designated area. Mount Lindesay has been part of a successful native title claim made by the Trevor Close on behalf of the Githabul people, for whom the peak holds a special significance.
Climbing
Despite appearances, Mount Lindesay offers few opportunities for rock-climbers, due to the unsound nature of the rock. There is one steep and exposed scrambling route to the summit, rated at approximately grade 6–7, which starts at the south east corner of the upper cliffs. However, this is not a bushwalking route as such, and anyone making an ascent should have basic rock-climbing and abseiling skills, or be under the guidance of experienced rock-climbers.
Schools
There are no schools in Mount Lindesay. The nearest primary school is in Rathdowney, while the nearest secondary school is in Beaudesert.
Demographics
Mount Lindesay has a population of 3 at the. The locality contains 0 households, in which 0.0% of the population are males and 100.0% of the population are females with a median age of 12, 26 years above the national average. The average weekly household income is $0, $1,438 below the national average.
