1.
New South Wales
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New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south and it has a coast line with the Tasman Sea on its east side. The Australian Capital Territory is an enclave within the state, New South Wales state capital is Sydney, which is also Australias most populous city. In March 2014, the population of New South Wales was 7.5 million. Just under two-thirds of the population,4.67 million. Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen, the Colony of New South Wales was founded as a penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised a more than half of the Australian mainland with its western boundary set at 129th meridian east in 1825, in addition, the colony also included the island territories of New Zealand, Van Diemens Land, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century, most of the area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became New Zealand. However, the Swan River Colony has never administered as part of New South Wales. Lord Howe Island remains part of New South Wales, while Norfolk Island has become a federal Territory, as have the now known as the Australian Capital Territory. The prior inhabitants of New South Wales were the Aboriginal tribes who arrived in Australia about 40,000 to 60,000 years ago, before European settlement there were an estimated 250,000 Aboriginal people in the region. The Wodi Wodi people are the custodians of the Illawarra region of South Sydney. The Bundjalung people are the custodians of parts of the northern coastal areas. The European discovery of New South Wales was made by Captain James Cook during his 1770 survey along the eastern coast of the Dutch-named continent of New Holland. In his original journal covering the survey, in triplicate to satisfy Admiralty Orders, Cook first named the land New Wales, however, in the copy held by the Admiralty, he revised the wording to New South Wales. After years of chaos and anarchy after the overthrow of Governor William Bligh, macquaries legacy is still evident today. During the 19th century, large areas were separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria. Responsible government was granted to the New South Wales colony in 1855, following the Treaty of Waitangi, William Hobson declared British sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840
2.
Blue Mountains (New South Wales)
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The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region and a mountain range located in New South Wales, Australia. The region borders on Sydneys metropolitan area, its foothills starting about 50 kilometres west of the state capital, the publics understanding of the extent of the Blue Mountains is varied, as it forms only part of an extensive mountainous area associated with the Great Dividing Range. Geologically, it is situated in the parts of the Sydney Basin. For about two thirds of its length it is traversed by the Great Western Highway and the Main Western railway line, several established towns are situated on its heights, including Katoomba, Blackheath, Mount Victoria, and Springwood. The range forms the watershed between Coxs River to the south and the Grose and Wolgan rivers to the north, the range contains the Explorer Range and the Bell Range. The Blue Mountains area includes the government areas of the City of Blue Mountains, the City of Hawkesbury. Following European settlement of the Sydney area, the area was named the Carmarthen, the Carmarthen Hills were in the north of the region and the Lansdowne Hills were in the south. The name Blue Mountains, however, was preferred and is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause Mie scattering, gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation has a registered Native Title Claim since 1995 over their traditional lands, which include the Blue Mountains and surrounding areas. Examples of Aboriginal habitation can be found in many places, in the Red Hands Cave, a rock shelter near Glenbrook, the walls contain hand stencils from adults and children. On the southern side of Queen Elizabeth Drive, at Wentworth Falls, there are also carved images of animal tracks and an occupation cave. The site is known as Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site and dates back 22,000 years, Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales, first glimpsed the extent of the Blue Mountains from a ridge at the site of todays Oakhill College, Castle Hill. He named them the Carmarthen Hills, some forty to sixty miles distant, and he reckoned that the ground was most suitable for government stock. This is the location where Gidley King in 1799 established a town for political prisoners from Ireland and Scotland. The first documented use of the name Blue Mountains appears in Captain John Hunter’s account of Phillip’s 1789 expedition up the Hawkesbury River and it could be followed upstream to the open plains of the Kanimbla Valley, the type of country that farmers prize. European settlers initially considered that fertile lands lay beyond the mountains, as was China in the belief of many convicts and this idea was, to some extent, convenient for local authorities. An insurmountable barrier would deter convicts from trying to escape in that direction, a former convict, John Wilson, may have been the first European to cross the Blue Mountains. It is also believed that Mathew Everingham,1795, may have also been partly based on letters he wrote at the time which came to light in the late 1980s
3.
Blaxland, New South Wales
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Blaxland is a town in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. Blaxland is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the government area of the City of Blue Mountains. It is at an altitude of 234 metres and borders the townships/suburbs of Glenbrook, Mount Riverview, Blaxland is named for Gregory Blaxland who along with William Lawson and William Wentworth, led the exploration that discovered a route over the Blue Mountains in 1813. Prior to 1879 the area was known as Wascoe, the Pilgrim Inn was built c. It was a significant element in the area for some time, the remains, which are now adjacent to McDonalds, are heritage-listed. The Rev. Joshua Hargrave became a presence in the area in the early 20th. Century, and a significant force in the growth of Blaxland as a village, Blaxland railway station is on the Blue Mountains Line of the NSW TrainLink intercity network. The village of Blaxland received an overhaul in 2001 with the widening of the Great Western Highway. This work included the planting of Canary Island Palm trees along the highway. These changes, combined with the upgrade of Blaxland Station, have improved business in Blaxland, local businesses include, Blue Wail Coffeehouse Como Restaurant, winner of a Good Food Guide Chefs Hat award for 2008. The Lennox bridge and Knapsack Viaduct could be approached via Mitchells Pass and it is home to the Blaxland Redbacks soccer and netball teams. It is also home of 1st Blaxland Scout group Blaxland History Blaxland High School Blaxland Football Club Media related to Blaxland, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
4.
Blackheath, New South Wales
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Blackheath is an Australian town located near the highest point of the Blue Mountains, between Katoomba and Mount Victoria in New South Wales. Various shops from the late 1800s still exist in Blackheath, the region of what is now known as Blackheath was originally known as East Lithgow. Surrounding areas were thought to be a summer meeting place for several Indigenous peoples of the Darug, Gundungurra. Following European settlement of Australia, the site was originally named Hounslow, macquarie recorded in his journal, This place having a black wild appearance I have this day named it Black-Heath. The first building in Blackheath, the Scotch Thistle Inn, was erected by Andrew Gardner in 1831, the extent of the original grant of land to Gardner can be seen today as the area bound by the Great Western Highway, Govetts Leap Road and Gardiners Crescent. Blackheath developed into a town after the Main Western railway line was built in 1869, a large dam built to supply water for railway steam engines became the public baths well before steam operations ceased upon electrification. The baths opened for swimming in 1931 and since then have been redeveloped to include swimming pools, childrens play facilities. Blackheaths original post office opened in 1910 and has now converted into a gift shop. Blackheaths sporting claim to fame is that Don Bradman hit a century off three overs for the Blackheath team in November 1931 at Blackheath Oval in a match against Lithgow. At the 2011 census, Blackheath had a population of 4,353 people, of these, Age distribution, The residents median age was 47 years, which is ten years older than the national median age of 37. Children aged under 15 years made up 17. 2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21. 3% of the population. Ethnic diversity, 68% were born in Australia, similar to the average of 70%, the next most common countries of birth were England 6. 2%, New Zealand 1. 6%, Germany 0. 9%. At home, 81% of residents only spoke English, other languages spoken at home included German 0. 7%, Greek 0. 4%, French 0. 4%, Spanish 0. 4% and Dutch 0. 3%. Finances, The median household income was $924, compared to the national median of $1,234. This difference is reflected in real estate, with the median mortgage payment being $1,600 per month. Housing, The great majority of residences were separate houses,3. 4% were semi-detached, the average household size was 2.1 people. Religion, The most common religious affiliation was No Religion, the next most common responses were Anglican 16%, Catholic 16%, Uniting Church 3% and Buddhism 3%. From Blackheath town centre, a drive to the east northeast takes visitors to Govetts Leap
5.
Bullaburra, New South Wales
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Bullaburra is a small town in the state of New South Wales, Australia, in the City of Blue Mountains. It is one of the towns that stretch along the route of the Main Western railway line and Great Western Highway which pass over the Blue Mountains, Bullaburra used to have a service station but it was demolished in 2008. Bullaburra is an Aboriginal word meaning clear day, Bullaburra lies west of Lawson, and east of Wentworth Falls. The population together with Lawson was 3637 at the 2001 census, Bullaburra has a railway station served by NSW TrainLinks Blue Mountains Line, and a playground. Two reserves, Red Gum Park and Sir Henry Parkes Park, are nearby, Minnatonka Falls are a feature of the park. Another notable landmark is Rhondda Valley, a property just west of Bullaburra. The Blue Mountains National Park, which is a World Heritage Area, is situated not far to the north and south of the town, a walking track was constructed through the area in 1931. The authorities then decided to promote this track as a walking trail, the surveyor who planned the track was A. Bruce, as a result of which the track eventually became known as Bruces Walk. It passed through the side of Bullaburra on the way to Lawson. A pamphlet was published to publicise the walk, which passed through a variety of scenery, including glens, however, from World War II onwards, the track was forgotten and neglected. Parts of the track were also blocked off when the council constructed Greaves Creek dam in 1942 as a water supply. Much later, however, a local walker named Dick Rushton found a copy of the published in 1931 and set out to clear. In 1980 he led a party of walkers along the section of track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls, and in 1983 he created a guide to the track. By 1986, Bruces Walk had come to the attention of two walkers, Jim Smith and Wilf Hilder, who organised a group of volunteers to clear the track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls. In the process, they found many artefacts and features, including signs, shelter caves, seats and this part of the track was officially opened on 24 May 1986, by Alderman David Lawton. The opening was attended by 118 people, including Dick Rushton, other stretches of the track, from Wentworth Falls to Medlow Bath, were also cleared by the volunteers and opened later in 1986. The track, however, is patchy and largely without signposts. On the south side of Bullaburra, Red Gum Park offers some scope for walks, with starting from De Quency Road
6.
Glenbrook, New South Wales
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Glenbrook is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2011 census, Glenbrook had a population of 4,945 people, Glenbrook lies between Lapstone and Blaxland at an elevation of 163 m and is approximately an hours drive from Sydney. It is home to a number of tourist attractions, recreational opportunities and native flora. The suburb takes its name from Glenbrook Creek, which is on the side of the village. Glenbrook retains many historical homes and buildings throughout the village, although most homes are occupied, Glenbrook took its name from Glenbrook Creek but was originally known as Watertank, when a stop opened here on the original little zigzag railway line. A pipe-line brought water from Glenbrook Lagoon to a tank beside the line, the Lagoon itself had been dammed up to hold more water for the trains. Around 1870, a loop siding was built for trains to pass each other. In 1878, Sir Alfred Stephen, Chief Justice and Privy Councillor, decided to give the station a proper name and called it Brookdale, because the place was well watered. One year later, amid a general renaming, the station was given the name of the creek, Glenbrook. When the village was proclaimed, six years later, it took the name of the station. The abandoned Glenbrook tunnel was used to store mustard gas during World War II, on 28 January 1941, an Avro Anson of No.1 Air Navigation School, Parkes crashed near Glenbrook during a medical evacuation flight from Parkes to the Sydney Airport. All five crew members were killed, Lennox Bridge built in 1833 and designed by Scottish stonemason David Lennox is the oldest surviving stone bridge on the Australian mainland. In 1999, the town was associated with the Glenbrook train disaster, since 2005, the suburb has been the home of The Australian Gnome Convention organised by the local Rotary Club and held on Australia Day each year. Owners of garden gnomes display their decorations and compete for various awards to raise funds for charities. Glenbrook railway station is on the Blue Mountains Line of the NSW TrainLink intercity network, also, the Great Western Highway passes through the town. RAAF Base Glenbrook is the home of Headquarters Air Command, the Officers Mess at RAAF Glenbrook is the old Lapstone Hotel. Built in the 1930s, it has restored and the interior re-modelled
7.
Hazelbrook, New South Wales
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Hazelbrook is a town in New South Wales, Australia It is located 93 kilometres west of Sydney and approximately 20 kilometres east of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains on the Great Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Hazelbrook had a population of 4,508 people, the town was named after Hazelbrook House, built in the 1870s by Svonte Noles. The name Hazelbrook was adopted in 1894 when the Hazelbrook railway station was opened opposite the home, Hazelbrook House no longer exists but Selwood House is a heritage-listed building in the nearby vicinity and now houses a veterinary practice. The village is serviced by a school, two child care centres and a lawn bowls club. There is also a centre that includes a supermarket and several shops, restaurants. Hazelbrook is also the location of the areas alternative schools Korowal, Hazelbrook has a local football club, known as the Hazelbrook Hawks, whose home ground is Gloria Park. Australian author James Roy lives in Hazelbrook
8.
Katoomba, New South Wales
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Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council. Katoomba is situated on the Great Western Highway 110 km west of Sydney and 39 km south-east of Lithgow, Katoomba railway station is on the Main Western line. Katoomba is a base for bush and nature walks in the surrounding Blue Mountains, at the 2011 census, Katoomba had a population of 8,016 people. Previously, the site was known as Williams Chimney and Colletts Swamp, in 1874 the locality was named The Crushers after the name of the railway station that served a nearby quarry. The name Katoomba was adopted in 1877 and the town achieved municipality status in 1889, Katoomba and nearby Medlow Bath were first developed as tourist destinations towards the end of the 19th century when a series of hotels were built and then repeatedly extended. Coal and shale mining was carried out in the Jamison Valley for many years. By the 1960s, Katoomba had somewhat declined, and several of its guest houses were converted for other purposes including convalescent hospitals, housing was inexpensive, allowing many young families to establish themselves, many of whom still live there. In the 1980s, the guest houses and hotels again became fashionable, housing in the Katoomba region has become more expensive, but in general housing prices in the district are still markedly lower than those in the Sydney Metropolitan area. Tourism to the area has increased significantly since 2010, katoombas main industry is tourism based on its mountain scenery. The rock formation known as the Three Sisters, viewable from Echo Point about 2 kilometres south of the main town, other features of the Jamison Valley visible from Echo Point include Mount Solitary and the rock formation known as the Ruined Castle. A short walk from Echo Point leads to The Giant Stairway which provides access to a number of walks through the Valley. Several of the Jamison Valley tracks including the Stairway itself were closed in recent years due to maintenance, the local geography includes extensive areas of dense warm temperate rainforest, hanging swamps and a series of waterfalls. Other attractions include Scenic World, a tourist complex in the southwest of the town and this site is home to the steepest funicular railway in the world, the Katoomba Scenic Railway, which was originally built to facilitate coal and oil shale mining in the Jamison Valley. Scenic World also offers the Scenic Skyway cable car, which travels over an arm of the Jamison Valley and offers views of Katoomba Falls and Orphan Rock. In 2004 the original Skyway car was replaced by a new car with a liquid crystal panel floor, in 1983 construction began at the site on a rollercoaster called the Orphan Rocker, the track was completed, but this attraction has never been opened to the public. Katoomba is served by hotels and guest-houses, the oldest of which is the Carrington Hotel, established in 1882, Katoomba has a subtropical highland climate with mild summers and cool winters. At Katoomba summer daytime temperatures are usually in the low 20s, night-time temperatures are usually in the low teens. In winter the temperature is typically about 10 °C in the daytime with 0 °C or so on clear nights and 3 to 4 °C on cloudy nights, there are usually two or three settled snowfalls per year
9.
Lapstone, New South Wales
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Lapstone is a suburb on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. Lapstone is located 62 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD in the government area of the City of Blue Mountains and is part of the federal electorate of Macquarie. Lapstone consists mostly of housing and has a few public facilities. At the 2011 census, Lapstone had a population of 911 people, Lapstone was originally bought and developed by Mr Arthur J Hand, an Alderman of the Blue Mountains City Council. The Lapstone Zig Zag line opened near Glenbrook in 1867, the ascent of Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1 in 30-33, was built up the side of the range with comparatively light earthwork, includes the substantial seven-span sandstone Knapsack Viaduct. The viaduct was widened to carry the old Great Western Highway. One feature of this line was the Lucasville platform, which is now abandoned, remains of it can still be seen. A new route was created in 1892 to avoid the Zig Zag, after crossing the viaduct, the new line curved around to the west and went through a new tunnel that emerged further west near the Great Western Highway. The tunnel can still be seen from neighbouring bush tracks, in 1913, the present route was constructed, going along the escarpment of Glenbrook Gorge and through a new tunnel at the spot known as The Bluff. One of the features of this project was the construction of a railway line that crossed Darks Common south of Explorers Road. The rail line has been removed but the cutting can still be seen and it has been suggested that Lapstone was named by early explorers who found smooth stones in the area which reminded them of the lapstones used by cobblers. Lapstone railway station is on the Blue Mountains Line of the NSW TrainLink interurban network, Lapstone can be accessed by road from the Great Western Highway/M4 Motorway by exiting at Governors Drive and Explorers Road from Glenbrook. The original Lapstone Hotel was designed and constructed in early 1930s by Herwald Gordon Kirkpatrick, Mr Kirkpatrick was a notable Sydney Architect who worked with his father, John Kirkpatrick, who in the late 1800s until his death in 1923, was regarded as one of Sydneys leading architects. He was responsible for the design and construction of landmark buildings in Sydney. Following the death of Herwald in 1951, the Lapstone Hotel was taken over by the RAAF Base Glenbrook, the new Lapstone Hotel was built in 1950s on the Great Western Highway, Blaxland. It was renovated in 2007 after being purchased by the Lewis Group of Hotels, lapstone-New South Wales-Australia-Travel-theage. com. au Lapstone Rail Trail
10.
Lawson, New South Wales
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Lawson is a town in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Great Western Highway between Hazelbrook in the north east and Bullaburra in the west, at the 2006 census, Lawson had a population of 2,419 people. It has a station on the Main Western line, one of the first settlements on the eastern slopes of the Blue Mountains, Lawson was identified on early maps as 24 Mile Hollow–a name which was changed to Christmas Swamp for a few years. When the Blue Mountain Inn was opened in 1848, the locals adopted the name Blue Mountain for the village and this name was also given to the original railway station after the rail line was pushed through in 1867. In 1931, the Railway Department agreed to supply electricity to the Blue Mountains Shire Council, power lines were constructed between Blackheath and Lawson, accompanied by a maintenance track. The authorities then decided to promote the track as a walking trail, it became known as Bruces Walk. The track later became neglected and forgotten, until it was rediscovered and improved by bushwalkers in the 1980s and it can now be followed from Medlow Bath to the north side of Lawson, although it is not shown on the relevant topographic map. In more recent years, Lawson was at the centre of controversy due to a government proposal to widen the Great Western Highway. Groups opposed to the demolition claimed the hall could be re-sited, others claimed this would be too costly, there was also a group lobbying for the retention of the shops on heritage grounds. By the end of 2008, the Community Centre had been saved, the walks in South Lawson can be accessed from several points along Honour Ave, within easy walk of the train station. This includes four waterfalls, Adelina Falls, Cataract Falls, Federal Falls, while not having the height of upper mountains waterfalls, this waterfalls walk can be completed in 2 hours. On the north side of town beyond the centre, walks take in Fairy Falls, Dantes Glen, St Michaels Falls. The historic Lawson Community Hall built in 1903 has now reopened after a battle to save it from demolition due to road widening. Media related to Lawson, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Blue Mountains, whats on at the Lawson Community Hall - Mechanics Institute Mid Mountains History Save Community Centre Blogspot
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