[1] The mountains are the subjects of several Aboriginal tales and Coonowrin is said to be the son of Tibrogargan and Beerwah.

During a violent storm, Tibrogargan commanded his son Coonowrin to take his mother Beerwah and his siblings and help them move to safety.

Tibrogargan was so ashamed of his son's cowardice that to this day he sits with his back to Coonowrin.

However, the mountain was permanently closed to public access in March 1999 due to the high risk of rock falls that had previously killed and injured climbers.

A local woman climber was injured on the mountain after a fall sustained while descending from the summit on the south face with a male and female companion on the morning of 5 May 2013.