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Blue Mountains (New South Wales)

The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region and a mountain range located in New South Wales, Australia. The region is considered to be part of the western outskirts of the Greater Sydney Region, The region borders on Sydney's main metropolitan area, its foothills starting about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of centre of the state capital, close to Penrith on the outskirts of the Greater Metropolitan region.[4] The public's 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.[5] As defined in 1970, the Blue Mountains region is bounded by the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers in the east, the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang to the west and south, and the Wolgan and Colo rivers to the north.[6] Geologically, it is situated in the central parts of the Sydney Basin.[7]

Blue Mountains
New South Wales
The Three Sisters sandstone rock formation, one of the region's best-known attractions
Coordinates33°43′05″S 150°18′38″E / 33.71806°S 150.31056°E / -33.71806; 150.31056Coordinates: 33°43′05″S 150°18′38″E / 33.71806°S 150.31056°E / -33.71806; 150.31056[1]
Population79,000 (2018)[2]
 • Density6.93/km2 (17.95/sq mi)
Area11,400 km2 (4,401.6 sq mi)
Location50 km (31 mi) NW of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)Blue Mountains
State electorate(s)Blue Mountains
Federal division(s)
Blue Mountains Range
Blue Mountains
The characteristic blue haze,
as seen in the Jamison Valley
Highest point
Peakunnamed peak, north-east of Lithgow
Elevation1,189 m (3,901 ft)
AHD
Dimensions
Length96 km (60 mi) NW/SE[3]
Geography
Blue Mountains Range
Location of the Blue Mountains Range in New South Wales
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
Aboriginal hand stencils in Red Hands Cave, near Glenbrook
Broken china from ruins near Asgard Swamp, where a coal mine was opened in the nineteenth century

The Blue Mountains Range comprises a range of mountains, plateau escarpments extending off the Great Dividing Range about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) northwest of Wolgan Gap in a generally southeasterly direction for about 96 kilometres (60 mi), terminating at Emu Plains. For about two-thirds of its length it is traversed by the Great Western Highway, the Main Western railway line and the soon to be completed, Blue Mountains tunnel.[8] 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.[3] The range contains the Explorer Range and the Bell Range.[9]

The Blue Mountains area includes the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. Since the early 2010s, the region's biodiversity and infrastructure has been severely affected by massive bushfires of unprecedented size and impact.[10] In 2018 8.4 million people visited the Blue Mountains.[11] The Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands Basalt Forests is a prominent forest community within the ecoregion.[12]

Etymology

Following European settlement of the Sydney area, the area was named the Carmarthen and Lansdowne Hills by Arthur Phillip in 1788. 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[13] and is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. The tinge is believed to be caused by Mie scattering which occurs when incoming light with shorter wavelengths is preferentially scattered by particles within the atmosphere imparting a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause Mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named.[14]

History

Geological history

A sandstone plateau dominated by a landscape of endless eucalyptus forests, the Blue Mountains are located at the top of a 470-million-year-old quartzite. In the Permian period, a shallow sea covered the region, when rivers brought shales, siltstones and mudstones. Then during the Mesozoic period, rivers dumped vast amounts of sand, burying the other sedimentary rocks. By about 1 million years ago during the Pliocene era, the Blue Mountains began to form, carving out deep valleys and steep cliffs, with an elevation of 3,900 feet. Its main distinctive natural feature are the Three Sisters, a formation of triple sandstone peaks scoured by erosion, whose rocks are lit by the glimpse of light at the time of day.

Aboriginal inhabitants

The Blue Mountains have been inhabited for millennia by the Gundungurra people, now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation based in Katoomba, and, in the lower Blue Mountains, by the Darug people, now represented by the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation.[15][16]

The Gundungurra creation story of the Blue Mountains tells that Dreaming creatures Mirigan and Garangatch, half fish and half reptile, fought an epic battle which scarred the landscape into the Jamison Valley.

The Gundungurra Tribal Council is a nonprofit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners, promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country.

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.[17]: 170  On the southern side of Queen Elizabeth Drive, at Wentworth Falls, a rocky knoll has a large number of grinding grooves created by rubbing stone implements on the rock to shape and sharpen them.[18] There are also carved images of animal tracks and an occupation cave.[19] The site is known as Kings Tableland Aboriginal Place and dates back 22,000 years.[20][21]

Australian Colonial History

Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales, first glimpsed the extent of the Blue Mountains from a ridge at the site of today's 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 prison 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. Describing the events of about 5 July, Hunter wrote: "We frequently, in some of the reaches which we passed through this day, saw very near us the hills, which we suppose as seen from Port Jackson, and called by the governor the Blue Mountains."[22] During the nineteenth century the name was commonly applied to the portion of the Great Dividing Range from about Goulburn in the south to the Hunter Valley in the north, but in time it came to be associated with a more limited area.[5]

The native Aborigines knew two routes[citation needed] across the mountains: Bilpin Ridge, which is now the location of Bells Line of Road between Richmond and Bell, and the Coxs River, a tributary of the Nepean River. It could be followed upstream to the open plains of the Kanimbla Valley, the type of country that farmers prize.

British settlers initially considered that fertile lands lay beyond the mountains; while in the belief of many convicts China lay beyond. However, there was little fear that the mountains might provide a means of escape since they were considered impassable.[23] 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 colonist to cross the Blue Mountains. It is also believed that Mathew Everingham, 1795,[24] may have also been partly successful based on letters he wrote at the time which came to light in the late 1980s. Wilson arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was freed in 1792. He settled in the bush, living with the Aborigines and even functioning as an intermediary between them and the settlers. In 1797 he returned to Sydney, claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney, including across the mountains. His descriptions and observations were generally accurate, and it is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the southern aspect at the Coxs River corridor, guided by the Aborigines.[25]: 76–77 

Governor Hunter was impressed by Wilson's skills and sent him on an expedition with John Price and others in January 1798. The party crossed the Nepean River and moved southwest towards the present site of Mittagong. There they turned west and found a route along the ridge where today the Wombeyan Caves Road is located. In the process they found a way to go west of the mountains, by going around them instead of across them. In March of the same year, Wilson and Price ventured to the Camden area, and then continued further south until they encountered Thirlmere Lakes, finally almost reaching the present site of Goulburn.

It is possible that the accomplishments of this expedition were suppressed by Hunter, who may not have wanted convicts to know that there was a relatively easy way out of Sydney.[25]: 83  Wilson was killed by Aborigines after abducting an Aboriginal woman "for his personal use",[26] but he had accomplished much as an explorer. He was never recognised as the first person to cross the mountains, possibly because his Coxs River journey could not be verified, while his route west of Mittagong may have been the "long way around" for a colony that had its eyes fixed on the sandstone fortress west of the Nepean.

 
Route of the Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth Crossing of 1813
 
The typical blue haze in the Jamison Valley behind the Three Sisters, New South Wales, Australia.

Between 1798 and 1813, many people explored various parts of the mountains, from the Bilpin Ridge to the southern regions, today the site of the Kanangra-Boyd National Park. Still, they did not find a definite route across the mountains. The 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains by Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth is officially credited as the first successful European crossing.[27] Blaxland set out with Lawson and Wentworth on 11 May 1813 and succeeded in crossing the mountains by 31 May. They ventured as far as to what is now Mount Blaxland, just west of Coxs River.

In November 1813, Macquarie sent the surveyor George Evans on an expedition to confirm the apparent discoveries made by Blaxland and his party. He was also told to see if there existed enough arable land to justify settlement. The issue had become more urgent because the colony was in the grips of a drought.

Evans and his party reached the Fish and Macquarie rivers, and the site of Bathurst.[28] On 7 July 1814, construction of a road across the mountains was begun by William Cox. The work was at the behest of Governor Macquarie. 30 convict labourers and 8 guards completed the road on 14 January 1815 after 27 weeks of hard work.[25]: 145 

Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale, mining for these resources began in Hartley Vale in 1865. J.B. North ran a shale mine in the Jamison Valley in the 19th century,[17]: 243  and other operations were set up in several places. Locations for mining activities included the Jamison Valley, the upper Grose Valley, Newnes, Glen Davis and the Asgard Swamp area outside Mount Victoria. Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not profitable.

Climate

 
Kanangra-Boyd National Park after a snowfall.

The climate varies with elevation. At Katoomba, (1,010 m or 3,314 ft) the summer average maximum temperature is around 22 °C with a few days extending into the 30s (80s–90s °F) although it is quite common to see maximum temperatures stay in the teens when east coast troughs persist. Night-time temperatures are usually in the teens but can drop to single figures at times.

During winter, the temperature is typically around 10 to 11 °C in the daytime with −1 °C or so on clear nights and 3 to 4 °C on cloudy nights. Very occasionally it will get down to −3 °C or slightly lower but usually the coldest air drains into the valleys during calm, clear nights. However, the passing of cold fronts can significantly lower the average temperature during the night and the day. The Blue Mountains is not known for particularly cold mornings compared to other areas on the Central Tablelands, such as Oberon, Bathurst and Orange. There are two to three snowfalls per year.

Annual rainfall is about 1,050 millimetres (41 in) in the Upper Blue Mountains[29] with many misty days.

Geography

 
Neates Glen, outside Blackheath
 
Upper Wentworth Falls as viewed along the National Pass walking track near the town of Wentworth Falls
 
The Greater Blue Mountains Area is sometimes considered to be part of Greater Western Sydney region.

The predominant natural vegetation of the higher ridges is eucalyptus forest. Heath-like vegetation is present on plateau edges above cliffs. The sheltered gorges often contain temperate rainforests. There are also many hanging swamps with button grass reeds and thick, deep black soil. Wollemia nobilis, the "Wollemi pine", a relict of earlier vegetation of Gondwana, is found in remote and isolated valleys of the Wollemi National Park.

Mountain peaks

The Blue Mountains Range contains smaller mountain ranges: the Bell Range near The Bells Line of Road and north of the Grose River; the Explorer Range, south of the Grose River extending west towards Mount Victoria; the Caley Range, Erskine Range, Mount Hay Range, Paterson Range, and the Woodford Range.[30] The major recorded peaks are:[31]

The Blue Mountains are a dissected plateau carved in sandstone bedrock. They are now a series of ridge lines separated by gorges up to 760 metres (2,490 ft) deep. The highest point in the Blue Mountains, as it is now defined, is an unnamed point with an elevation of 1,189 m (3,901 ft) AHD , located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-east of Lithgow. However, the highest point in the broader region that was once considered to be the Blue Mountains is Mount Bindo, with an elevation 1,362 m (4,469 ft) AHD .[5] A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve.[36]

The Blue Mountains area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger Hunter-Hawkesbury Sunkland province. This is in turn a part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division.

Bushfires

The main natural disasters to afflict the area are bushfires and severe storms. In recent years the lower mountains have been subjected to a series of bushfires which have caused great loss of property but relatively little loss of life. The upper mountains had not had a major fire for some decades until December 2002 (the Blackheath Glen Fire) and November 2006 when an extensive blaze in the Grose Valley threatened several communities including Bell and Blackheath (the Lawsons Long Alley Fire). This latest fire burned for almost a month but was extinguished, mainly due to a change in the weather, without loss of human life or property. A program of winter burning seemed to have been successful in reducing fires in the upper mountains.

In recent years, the bushfires have become far more destructive and expansive than before. The region was severely damaged in the 2013 New South Wales bushfires. However, even this was dwarfed by the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, during which the entire mountain range was devastated at a scale never seen before. According to preliminary reports, up to 80% of the World Heritage Area has burned as of January 2020, many of these being areas that had never burned in any previously observed bushfires. These destructive blazes have been linked to accelerating climate change. There have been fears that the blazes may severely reduce the biodiversity of the area and even wipe out some of the threatened species in the area, such as the regent honeyeater.[10]

World Heritage listing

The Greater Blue Mountains Area was unanimously listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO on 29 November 2000, becoming the fourth area in New South Wales to be listed.[37] The area totals roughly 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi), including the Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd, Wollemi, Gardens of Stone, Yengo, Nattai and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks, plus the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve.

This site was chosen to be included on the World Heritage list because:

"Criteria (ii) and (iv): Australia’s eucalypt vegetation is worthy of recognition as of outstanding universal value, because of its adaptability and evolution in post-Gondwana isolation. The site contains a wide and balanced representation of eucalypt habitats from wet and dry sclerophyll, mallee heathlands, as well as localised swamps, wetlands, and grassland. 90 eucalypti tax (13% of the global total) and representation of all four groups of eucalypts occur. There is also a high level of endemism with 114 endemic taxa found in the area as well as 120 nationally rare and threatened plant taxa. The site hosts several evolutionary relic species (Wollemia, Microstrobos, Acrophyllum) which have persisted in highly restricted micro sites."[38]

Fauna

 
Platypus in the Blue Mountains

The Greater Blue Mountains Area is inhabited by over 400 different forms of animals. Among them are rare mammal species like spotted-tailed quoll, the koala, the yellow-bellied glider, and long-nosed potoroo. There are also some rare reptiles, like the Blue Mountain water skink.[39] There are also some dingoes in the area, which form the top predators and hunt for grey kangaroos.[40]

Tourist attractions

Recreational activity

The Blue Mountains are a popular destination for rock climbers, mountain bikers and hikers as well as canyoning and other adventure sports. These sports are well catered for by guiding companies and equipment stores located mainly in Katoomba.

Popular climbing destinations include the Centennial Glen cliffs near Blackheath and Mount Piddington near the town of Mount Victoria. Climbing is currently banned on The Three Sisters.[48]

Mountain biking takes place mainly on the many fire trails that branch away from the main spine of the Great Western Highway, such as Narrow Neck, Anderson's Fire Trail and others.[49][50]

Likewise many of the fire trails are popular with day hikers, though many dedicated walking trails exist away from the fire roads.[51]

Canyoning in the Blue Mountains is a popular sport and caters for various skill levels. It carries inherent dangers, yet for those with the appropriate skills or those looking to take a guided trip there are many great opportunities to experience a different view of the Blue Mountains.

There are numerous abseiling options available in the Blue Mountains including single and multipitch routes. There are some restrictions though with certain areas being closed for abseiling.[52]

Cricket is a popular sport in the Blue Mountains, with the Blue Mountains Cattle Dogs representing the district in the Western Zone Premier League, Country Plate and Presidents Cup competitions.[53]

Collapse of the Dog Face Rock cliff face

At 4am on the 28th of January 1931[54] a cliff face known as "the Dog Face Rock" collapsed into the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains.[55] A second collapse from the same cliff face occurred on the 2nd of May 1931[54] and it was estimated that millions[56] of tons of rock fell several hundred feet into the valley below.

Injuries and deaths

It was reported that "More than 450 incidents resulting in greater than 200 deaths between 1875 and 2021..." have occurred.[57] Every year there are up to 200 people who are lost or injured in the Blue mountains.[57]

In 2022 two people died and two were injured when they were on a walking track in Wentworth Falls and a landslide occurred and debris collided with them.[58]

Gallery

 
View of Jamison Valley from north escarpment, outside Katoomba:Three Sisters far left; Mount Solitary left of centre; Narrowneck Plateau, far right

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mount Piddington". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2015.  
  2. ^ Result based on totalling of population of the 4 LGAs (via LGA's wikipages) that make up the region.
  3. ^ a b "Blue Mountains Range". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2015.  
  4. ^ Gregory's New South Wales State Road Map, Map 220, 11th Edition, Gregory's Publishing Company
  5. ^ a b c Macqueen, Andy (October 2012). "The Blue Mountains: where are they?" (PDF). Blue Mountains History Journal. Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage Organisations. 3: 1–25. (PDF) from the original on 10 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Blue Mountains". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.  
  7. ^ http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/96847/20758.gif[bare URL image file]
  8. ^ "Australia's longest tunnel will save commuters "up to 30 minutes"". 16 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Map of Bell Range, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  10. ^ a b Cox, Lisa; Evershed, Nick (16 January 2020). "'It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of Gondwana rainforests burn in bushfires". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. ^ Curtin, Jennie (19 August 2019). . Blue Mountains Gazette. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  12. ^ Blue Mountains Basalt Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - profile Office of Environment & Heritage by NSW Government. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Project Gutenberg Australia". Gutenberg.net.au. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  14. ^ Bohlmann, J.; Keeling, C. I. (2008). "Terpenoid biomaterials". The Plant Journal. 54 (4): 656–669. doi:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03449.x. PMID 18476870.
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 9 April 2013.
  16. ^ "About Gundungurra Tribal Council". Gundungurra.org.au. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  17. ^ a b c Paton, Neil (2004), Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, Kangaroo Press, ISBN 978-0-7318-1227-1
  18. ^ "Wentworth Falls | Towns | info | Blue Mountains". Blue Mountains Australia. 30 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Kings Tableland | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". Office of Environment and Heritage, New South Wales Government. Office of Environment and Heritage (New South Wales). from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  20. ^ (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. Government of New South Wales: 6537. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2019.
  21. ^ Gillespie, Richard; Temple, R. (1976). "Sydney University Natural Radiocarbon Measurements III". Radiocarbon. American Journal of Science. 18 (1): 99. Bibcode:1976Radcb..18...96G. doi:10.1017/S0033822200002393. hdl:10150/652478.
  22. ^ Hunter, J. (1793) An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island. John Stockdale, London.
  23. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008. (88.8 KiB), Luke Heffernan.
  24. ^ "DECCW | Blue Mountains National Park — History since colonisation". Environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  25. ^ a b c Cunningham, Chris (1996), The Blue Mountains Rediscovered, Kangaroo Press, ISBN 978-0-86417-768-1
  26. ^ Collins, David (1804). An account of the English colony in New South Wales (2nd ed.). London: T. Cadell and W. Davies. p. 529. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Lawson, William". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  28. ^ Shaping Australia – Explorers, Mitchell Scott (Watts Publishing) 2004, pp.5–6
  29. ^ "Blue Mountains Weather and Climate". Bluemts.com.au. 1 January 2003. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  30. ^ "Map of Explorers Range, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  31. ^ "Mountain systems of Australia". Year Book of Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  32. ^ "Mount Boyce". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 May 2015.  
  33. ^ "Map of Mount Banks". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  34. ^ "Map of Mount Wilson, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  35. ^ Mt Wilson Topographic Map (Map). 8930-1N. Cartography by Land and Property Information. New South Wales: Government of New South Wales.
  36. ^ "Blue Mountains". VisitNSW.com. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  37. ^ Gardens of Stone National Park Information Sheet, National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales, October 2001
  38. ^ "whc.unesco.org". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  39. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Convention: Greater Blue Mountains Area downloaded on 2 August 2011
  40. ^ Brad V. Purcell: A novel observation of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) attacking a swimming eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Australian Mammalogy 32(2) 201–204, 2010.online Abstract
  41. ^ "Australia's Most Photographed Landmarks article | Inspiration articles | PictureStore , poster, framed art, art posters, movie posters". www.picturestore.com.au.
  42. ^ "Bushwalking on the Echo Point to Scenic World via Giant Stairway". AU-NS: Wildwalks.com. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  43. ^ "Blue Mountains (Katoomba)". Wildwalks. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  44. ^ "How to get to the Blue Mountains". 25 September 2018.
  45. ^ "About Logan Brae". Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  46. ^ "Red Hands Cave". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  47. ^ "Lincoln's Rock, Wentworth Falls | True Blue Mountains".
  48. ^ . Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  49. ^ "Blue Mountains". Northern Beaches MTB. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  50. ^ . Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
  51. ^ "Popular Blue Mountains Bushwalks". www.bluemts.com.au.
  52. ^ "NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service | Home". NSW National Parks.
  53. ^ "Blue Mountains Cricket Association". www.bmca.nsw.cricket.com.au.
  54. ^ a b "The Changing Face of the Blue Mountains". Sydney Mail. 6 May 1931. Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  55. ^ "THE LANDSLIDE:DOG FACE ROCK COLLAPSES". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 1931. Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  56. ^ "LANDSLIDE Expected at Katoomba". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 January 1931. Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  57. ^ a b Webber, Christopher. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2022.
  58. ^ . Reuters. 4 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.

External links

  •   Media related to Blue Mountains, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
  •   Blue Mountains travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Official Blue Mountains National Park website
  • Visitor's Guide to the Blue Mountains – Visit NSW

blue, mountains, south, wales, confused, with, greater, blue, mountains, area, blue, mountains, national, park, city, blue, mountains, blue, mountains, mountainous, region, mountain, range, located, south, wales, australia, region, considered, part, western, o. Not to be confused with Greater Blue Mountains Area Blue Mountains National Park or City of Blue Mountains The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region and a mountain range located in New South Wales Australia The region is considered to be part of the western outskirts of the Greater Sydney Region The region borders on Sydney s main metropolitan area its foothills starting about 50 kilometres 31 mi west of centre of the state capital close to Penrith on the outskirts of the Greater Metropolitan region 4 The public s 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 5 As defined in 1970 the Blue Mountains region is bounded by the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers in the east the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang to the west and south and the Wolgan and Colo rivers to the north 6 Geologically it is situated in the central parts of the Sydney Basin 7 Blue Mountains New South WalesThe Three Sisters sandstone rock formation one of the region s best known attractionsCoordinates33 43 05 S 150 18 38 E 33 71806 S 150 31056 E 33 71806 150 31056 Coordinates 33 43 05 S 150 18 38 E 33 71806 S 150 31056 E 33 71806 150 31056 1 Population79 000 2018 2 Density6 93 km2 17 95 sq mi Area11 400 km2 4 401 6 sq mi Location50 km 31 mi NW of Sydney CBDLGA s Blue MountainsState electorate s Blue MountainsFederal division s MacquarieLindsayCalareLocalities around Blue Mountains Central West Central West HunterCentral West Blue Mountains Greater Western SydneySouthern Tablelands Southern Tablelands MacarthurBlue Mountains RangeBlue MountainsThe characteristic blue haze as seen in the Jamison ValleyHighest pointPeakunnamed peak north east of LithgowElevation1 189 m 3 901 ft AHD DimensionsLength96 km 60 mi NW SE 3 GeographyBlue Mountains RangeLocation of the Blue Mountains Range in New South WalesCountryAustraliaStateNew South WalesAboriginal hand stencils in Red Hands Cave near Glenbrook Broken china from ruins near Asgard Swamp where a coal mine was opened in the nineteenth century The Blue Mountains Range comprises a range of mountains plateau escarpments extending off the Great Dividing Range about 4 8 kilometres 3 0 mi northwest of Wolgan Gap in a generally southeasterly direction for about 96 kilometres 60 mi terminating at Emu Plains For about two thirds of its length it is traversed by the Great Western Highway the Main Western railway line and the soon to be completed Blue Mountains tunnel 8 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 3 The range contains the Explorer Range and the Bell Range 9 The Blue Mountains area includes the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains Since the early 2010s the region s biodiversity and infrastructure has been severely affected by massive bushfires of unprecedented size and impact 10 In 2018 8 4 million people visited the Blue Mountains 11 The Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands Basalt Forests is a prominent forest community within the ecoregion 12 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Geological history 2 2 Aboriginal inhabitants 2 3 Australian Colonial History 3 Climate 4 Geography 4 1 Mountain peaks 4 2 Bushfires 5 World Heritage listing 6 Fauna 7 Tourist attractions 8 Recreational activity 9 Collapse of the Dog Face Rock cliff face 10 Injuries and deaths 11 Gallery 12 See also 13 References 14 External linksEtymology EditFollowing European settlement of the Sydney area the area was named the Carmarthen and Lansdowne Hills by Arthur Phillip in 1788 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 13 and is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance The tinge is believed to be caused by Mie scattering which occurs when incoming light with shorter wavelengths is preferentially scattered by particles within the atmosphere imparting a blue greyish colour to any distant objects including mountains and clouds Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause Mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named 14 History EditGeological history Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message A sandstone plateau dominated by a landscape of endless eucalyptus forests the Blue Mountains are located at the top of a 470 million year old quartzite In the Permian period a shallow sea covered the region when rivers brought shales siltstones and mudstones Then during the Mesozoic period rivers dumped vast amounts of sand burying the other sedimentary rocks By about 1 million years ago during the Pliocene era the Blue Mountains began to form carving out deep valleys and steep cliffs with an elevation of 3 900 feet Its main distinctive natural feature are the Three Sisters a formation of triple sandstone peaks scoured by erosion whose rocks are lit by the glimpse of light at the time of day Aboriginal inhabitants Edit The Blue Mountains have been inhabited for millennia by the Gundungurra people now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation based in Katoomba and in the lower Blue Mountains by the Darug people now represented by the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation 15 16 The Gundungurra creation story of the Blue Mountains tells that Dreaming creatures Mirigan and Garangatch half fish and half reptile fought an epic battle which scarred the landscape into the Jamison Valley The Gundungurra Tribal Council is a nonprofit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country 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 17 170 On the southern side of Queen Elizabeth Drive at Wentworth Falls a rocky knoll has a large number of grinding grooves created by rubbing stone implements on the rock to shape and sharpen them 18 There are also carved images of animal tracks and an occupation cave 19 The site is known as Kings Tableland Aboriginal Place and dates back 22 000 years 20 21 Australian Colonial History Edit Arthur Phillip the first governor of New South Wales first glimpsed the extent of the Blue Mountains from a ridge at the site of today s 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 prison 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 Describing the events of about 5 July Hunter wrote We frequently in some of the reaches which we passed through this day saw very near us the hills which we suppose as seen from Port Jackson and called by the governor the Blue Mountains 22 During the nineteenth century the name was commonly applied to the portion of the Great Dividing Range from about Goulburn in the south to the Hunter Valley in the north but in time it came to be associated with a more limited area 5 The native Aborigines knew two routes citation needed across the mountains Bilpin Ridge which is now the location of Bells Line of Road between Richmond and Bell and the Coxs River a tributary of the Nepean River It could be followed upstream to the open plains of the Kanimbla Valley the type of country that farmers prize British settlers initially considered that fertile lands lay beyond the mountains while in the belief of many convicts China lay beyond However there was little fear that the mountains might provide a means of escape since they were considered impassable 23 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 colonist to cross the Blue Mountains It is also believed that Mathew Everingham 1795 24 may have also been partly successful based on letters he wrote at the time which came to light in the late 1980s Wilson arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was freed in 1792 He settled in the bush living with the Aborigines and even functioning as an intermediary between them and the settlers In 1797 he returned to Sydney claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney including across the mountains His descriptions and observations were generally accurate and it is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the southern aspect at the Coxs River corridor guided by the Aborigines 25 76 77 Governor Hunter was impressed by Wilson s skills and sent him on an expedition with John Price and others in January 1798 The party crossed the Nepean River and moved southwest towards the present site of Mittagong There they turned west and found a route along the ridge where today the Wombeyan Caves Road is located In the process they found a way to go west of the mountains by going around them instead of across them In March of the same year Wilson and Price ventured to the Camden area and then continued further south until they encountered Thirlmere Lakes finally almost reaching the present site of Goulburn It is possible that the accomplishments of this expedition were suppressed by Hunter who may not have wanted convicts to know that there was a relatively easy way out of Sydney 25 83 Wilson was killed by Aborigines after abducting an Aboriginal woman for his personal use 26 but he had accomplished much as an explorer He was never recognised as the first person to cross the mountains possibly because his Coxs River journey could not be verified while his route west of Mittagong may have been the long way around for a colony that had its eyes fixed on the sandstone fortress west of the Nepean Route of the Blaxland Lawson and Wentworth Crossing of 1813 The typical blue haze in the Jamison Valley behind the Three Sisters New South Wales Australia Between 1798 and 1813 many people explored various parts of the mountains from the Bilpin Ridge to the southern regions today the site of the Kanangra Boyd National Park Still they did not find a definite route across the mountains The 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains by Gregory Blaxland William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth is officially credited as the first successful European crossing 27 Blaxland set out with Lawson and Wentworth on 11 May 1813 and succeeded in crossing the mountains by 31 May They ventured as far as to what is now Mount Blaxland just west of Coxs River In November 1813 Macquarie sent the surveyor George Evans on an expedition to confirm the apparent discoveries made by Blaxland and his party He was also told to see if there existed enough arable land to justify settlement The issue had become more urgent because the colony was in the grips of a drought Evans and his party reached the Fish and Macquarie rivers and the site of Bathurst 28 On 7 July 1814 construction of a road across the mountains was begun by William Cox The work was at the behest of Governor Macquarie 30 convict labourers and 8 guards completed the road on 14 January 1815 after 27 weeks of hard work 25 145 Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale mining for these resources began in Hartley Vale in 1865 J B North ran a shale mine in the Jamison Valley in the 19th century 17 243 and other operations were set up in several places Locations for mining activities included the Jamison Valley the upper Grose Valley Newnes Glen Davis and the Asgard Swamp area outside Mount Victoria Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not profitable Climate Edit Kanangra Boyd National Park after a snowfall The climate varies with elevation At Katoomba 1 010 m or 3 314 ft the summer average maximum temperature is around 22 C with a few days extending into the 30s 80s 90s F although it is quite common to see maximum temperatures stay in the teens when east coast troughs persist Night time temperatures are usually in the teens but can drop to single figures at times During winter the temperature is typically around 10 to 11 C in the daytime with 1 C or so on clear nights and 3 to 4 C on cloudy nights Very occasionally it will get down to 3 C or slightly lower but usually the coldest air drains into the valleys during calm clear nights However the passing of cold fronts can significantly lower the average temperature during the night and the day The Blue Mountains is not known for particularly cold mornings compared to other areas on the Central Tablelands such as Oberon Bathurst and Orange There are two to three snowfalls per year Annual rainfall is about 1 050 millimetres 41 in in the Upper Blue Mountains 29 with many misty days Geography EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Blue Mountains New South Wales news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Neates Glen outside Blackheath Upper Wentworth Falls as viewed along the National Pass walking track near the town of Wentworth Falls The Greater Blue Mountains Area is sometimes considered to be part of Greater Western Sydney region The predominant natural vegetation of the higher ridges is eucalyptus forest Heath like vegetation is present on plateau edges above cliffs The sheltered gorges often contain temperate rainforests There are also many hanging swamps with button grass reeds and thick deep black soil Wollemia nobilis the Wollemi pine a relict of earlier vegetation of Gondwana is found in remote and isolated valleys of the Wollemi National Park Mountain peaks Edit The Blue Mountains Range contains smaller mountain ranges the Bell Range near The Bells Line of Road and north of the Grose River the Explorer Range south of the Grose River extending west towards Mount Victoria the Caley Range Erskine Range Mount Hay Range Paterson Range and the Woodford Range 30 The major recorded peaks are 31 unnamed peak 1 189 m or 3 901 ft Mount Piddington 1 094 m or 3 589 ft Mount Boyce 1 093 m or 3 586 ft 32 Mount York 1 061 m or 3 481 ft Mount Banks 1 049 m or 3 442 ft 33 Mount Wilson 1 008 m or 3 307 ft 34 Kings Tableland 1 000 m or 3 281 ft Narrow Neck Plateau 1 000 m or 3 281 ft Mount Solitary 950 m or 3 117 ft Mount Hay 944 m or 3 097 ft 35 Mount Irvine 850 m or 2 789 ft The Blue Mountains are a dissected plateau carved in sandstone bedrock They are now a series of ridge lines separated by gorges up to 760 metres 2 490 ft deep The highest point in the Blue Mountains as it is now defined is an unnamed point with an elevation of 1 189 m 3 901 ft AHD located 7 kilometres 4 3 mi north east of Lithgow However the highest point in the broader region that was once considered to be the Blue Mountains is Mount Bindo with an elevation 1 362 m 4 469 ft AHD 5 A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve 36 The Blue Mountains area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger Hunter Hawkesbury Sunkland province This is in turn a part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division Megalong Valley Bushfires Edit The main natural disasters to afflict the area are bushfires and severe storms In recent years the lower mountains have been subjected to a series of bushfires which have caused great loss of property but relatively little loss of life The upper mountains had not had a major fire for some decades until December 2002 the Blackheath Glen Fire and November 2006 when an extensive blaze in the Grose Valley threatened several communities including Bell and Blackheath the Lawsons Long Alley Fire This latest fire burned for almost a month but was extinguished mainly due to a change in the weather without loss of human life or property A program of winter burning seemed to have been successful in reducing fires in the upper mountains In recent years the bushfires have become far more destructive and expansive than before The region was severely damaged in the 2013 New South Wales bushfires However even this was dwarfed by the 2019 20 Australian bushfire season during which the entire mountain range was devastated at a scale never seen before According to preliminary reports up to 80 of the World Heritage Area has burned as of January 2020 many of these being areas that had never burned in any previously observed bushfires These destructive blazes have been linked to accelerating climate change There have been fears that the blazes may severely reduce the biodiversity of the area and even wipe out some of the threatened species in the area such as the regent honeyeater 10 World Heritage listing EditMain article Greater Blue Mountains Area The Greater Blue Mountains Area was unanimously listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO on 29 November 2000 becoming the fourth area in New South Wales to be listed 37 The area totals roughly 10 000 square kilometres 3 900 sq mi including the Blue Mountains Kanangra Boyd Wollemi Gardens of Stone Yengo Nattai and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks plus the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve This site was chosen to be included on the World Heritage list because Criteria ii and iv Australia s eucalypt vegetation is worthy of recognition as of outstanding universal value because of its adaptability and evolution in post Gondwana isolation The site contains a wide and balanced representation of eucalypt habitats from wet and dry sclerophyll mallee heathlands as well as localised swamps wetlands and grassland 90 eucalypti tax 13 of the global total and representation of all four groups of eucalypts occur There is also a high level of endemism with 114 endemic taxa found in the area as well as 120 nationally rare and threatened plant taxa The site hosts several evolutionary relic species Wollemia Microstrobos Acrophyllum which have persisted in highly restricted micro sites 38 Fauna Edit Platypus in the Blue Mountains The Greater Blue Mountains Area is inhabited by over 400 different forms of animals Among them are rare mammal species like spotted tailed quoll the koala the yellow bellied glider and long nosed potoroo There are also some rare reptiles like the Blue Mountain water skink 39 There are also some dingoes in the area which form the top predators and hunt for grey kangaroos 40 Tourist attractions Edit View from Wentworth Falls carparkThe Three Sisters near Katoomba New South Wales is one of Australia s most photographed landmarks 41 The Giant Stairway 42 walking track runs down a cliff into the Jamison Valley near the Three Sisters providing access to nature walks 43 through the valley 17 212 220 Jenolan Caves a series of limestone caves south west of Katoomba The Katoomba Scenic Railway is an incline railway now used for tourism and originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1878 and 1900 The incline railway descends 415 m 453 85 yd through sandstone cliffs via a rock tunnel with a maximum gradient of 52 degrees Also at this location is the Scenic Skyway a glass bottom aerial cable car that traverses an arm of the Jamison Valley and the Scenic Cableway the steepest aerial cable car in Australia The Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum at Faulconbridge operated by The National Trust of Australia and is located inside the former Norman Lindsay homestead Springwood Knapsack Viaduct also a location where the bell miner bird can often be heard Lennox Bridge Glenbrook on Mitchell s Pass which may be hiked downhill from Blaxland to Emu Plains 8 km Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum The Zig Zag Railway A steam powered railway near Lithgow Popular ways to visit the Blue Mountains include by train by coach by private car or small group tour 44 The last remaining apple orchard on the Shipley Plateau 45 The Prime Ministers Corridor of Oaks at Faulconbridge near the Great Western Highway Red Hands Cave in the Blue Mountains National Park near Glenbrook is one of the best examples of Aboriginal art in the area 46 Lincoln s Rock in Wentworth Falls New South Wales offers spectacular views of the Jamison Valley Formerly known as Flat Rock it was named after Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall climber in 2013 47 Recreational activity EditThe Blue Mountains are a popular destination for rock climbers mountain bikers and hikers as well as canyoning and other adventure sports These sports are well catered for by guiding companies and equipment stores located mainly in Katoomba Popular climbing destinations include the Centennial Glen cliffs near Blackheath and Mount Piddington near the town of Mount Victoria Climbing is currently banned on The Three Sisters 48 Mountain biking takes place mainly on the many fire trails that branch away from the main spine of the Great Western Highway such as Narrow Neck Anderson s Fire Trail and others 49 50 Likewise many of the fire trails are popular with day hikers though many dedicated walking trails exist away from the fire roads 51 Canyoning in the Blue Mountains is a popular sport and caters for various skill levels It carries inherent dangers yet for those with the appropriate skills or those looking to take a guided trip there are many great opportunities to experience a different view of the Blue Mountains There are numerous abseiling options available in the Blue Mountains including single and multipitch routes There are some restrictions though with certain areas being closed for abseiling 52 Cricket is a popular sport in the Blue Mountains with the Blue Mountains Cattle Dogs representing the district in the Western Zone Premier League Country Plate and Presidents Cup competitions 53 Collapse of the Dog Face Rock cliff face EditAt 4am on the 28th of January 1931 54 a cliff face known as the Dog Face Rock collapsed into the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains 55 A second collapse from the same cliff face occurred on the 2nd of May 1931 54 and it was estimated that millions 56 of tons of rock fell several hundred feet into the valley below Injuries and deaths EditIt was reported that More than 450 incidents resulting in greater than 200 deaths between 1875 and 2021 have occurred 57 Every year there are up to 200 people who are lost or injured in the Blue mountains 57 In 2022 two people died and two were injured when they were on a walking track in Wentworth Falls and a landslide occurred and debris collided with them 58 Gallery Edit View of Jamison Valley from north escarpment outside Katoomba Three Sisters far left Mount Solitary left of centre Narrowneck Plateau far rightSee also Edit New South Wales portal Mountains portal Environment portal Aboriginal sites of New South Wales Blue Mountains National Park Greater Blue Mountains Area List of mountains in Australia Geography of SydneyReferences Edit Mount Piddington Geographical Names Register GNR of NSW Geographical Names Board of New South Wales Retrieved 6 May 2015 Result based on totalling of population of the 4 LGAs via LGA s wikipages that make up the region a b Blue Mountains Range Geographical Names Register GNR of NSW Geographical Names Board of New South Wales Retrieved 6 May 2015 Gregory s New South Wales State Road Map Map 220 11th Edition Gregory s Publishing Company a b c Macqueen Andy October 2012 The Blue Mountains where are they PDF Blue Mountains History Journal Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage Organisations 3 1 25 Archived PDF from the original on 10 March 2021 Blue Mountains Geographical Names Register GNR of NSW Geographical Names Board of New South Wales http www dpi nsw gov au data assets image 0007 96847 20758 gif bare URL image file Australia s longest tunnel will save commuters up to 30 minutes 16 May 2022 Map of Bell Range NSW Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia Retrieved 6 May 2015 a b Cox Lisa Evershed Nick 16 January 2020 It s heart wrenching 80 of Blue Mountains and 50 of Gondwana rainforests burn in bushfires The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 18 January 2020 Curtin Jennie 19 August 2019 More than eight million visited Blue Mountains National Park last year Blue Mountains Gazette Archived from the original on 2 October 2019 Retrieved 3 July 2022 Blue Mountains Basalt Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion profile Office of Environment amp Heritage by NSW Government Retrieved 9 September 2022 Project Gutenberg Australia Gutenberg net au Retrieved 11 September 2010 Bohlmann J Keeling C I 2008 Terpenoid biomaterials The Plant Journal 54 4 656 669 doi 10 1111 j 1365 313X 2008 03449 x PMID 18476870 Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation Archived from the original on 9 April 2013 About Gundungurra Tribal Council Gundungurra org au Retrieved 12 November 2012 a b c Paton Neil 2004 Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks Kangaroo Press ISBN 978 0 7318 1227 1 Wentworth Falls Towns info Blue Mountains Blue Mountains Australia 30 August 2018 Archived from the original on 1 April 2019 Retrieved 14 June 2021 Kings Tableland NSW Environment Energy and Science Office of Environment and Heritage New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage New South Wales Archived from the original on 9 November 2019 Retrieved 14 June 2021 National Parks and Wildlife Act Kings Tableland Aboriginal Place PDF Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales Government of New South Wales 6537 4 November 2011 Archived from the original PDF on 31 March 2019 Gillespie Richard Temple R 1976 Sydney University Natural Radiocarbon Measurements III Radiocarbon American Journal of Science 18 1 99 Bibcode 1976Radcb 18 96G doi 10 1017 S0033822200002393 hdl 10150 652478 Hunter J 1793 An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island John Stockdale London Beyond belonging The landscape and belonging in colonial and contemporary imaginings of the Blue Mountains PDF Archived from the original PDF on 20 July 2008 88 8 KiB Luke Heffernan DECCW Blue Mountains National Park History since colonisation Environment nsw gov au Retrieved 11 September 2010 a b c Cunningham Chris 1996 The Blue Mountains Rediscovered Kangaroo Press ISBN 978 0 86417 768 1 Collins David 1804 An account of the English colony in New South Wales 2nd ed London T Cadell and W Davies p 529 Retrieved 29 May 2013 Lawson William Dictionary of Sydney Retrieved 27 May 2013 Shaping Australia Explorers Mitchell Scott Watts Publishing 2004 pp 5 6 Blue Mountains Weather and Climate Bluemts com au 1 January 2003 Retrieved 11 September 2010 Map of Explorers Range NSW Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia Retrieved 8 May 2015 Mountain systems of Australia Year Book of Australia Australian Bureau of Statistics 23 November 2012 Retrieved 8 May 2015 Mount Boyce Geographical Names Register GNR of NSW Geographical Names Board of New South Wales Retrieved 7 May 2015 Map of Mount Banks Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia Retrieved 7 May 2015 Map of Mount Wilson NSW Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia Retrieved 8 May 2015 Mt Wilson Topographic Map Map 8930 1N Cartography by Land and Property Information New South Wales Government of New South Wales Blue Mountains VisitNSW com Retrieved 18 November 2012 Gardens of Stone National Park Information Sheet National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales October 2001 whc unesco org whc unesco org Retrieved 11 September 2010 UNESCO World Heritage Convention Greater Blue Mountains Area downloaded on 2 August 2011 Brad V Purcell A novel observation of dingoes Canis lupus dingo attacking a swimming eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus Australian Mammalogy 32 2 201 204 2010 online Abstract Australia s Most Photographed Landmarks article Inspiration articles PictureStore poster framed art art posters movie posters www picturestore com au Bushwalking on the Echo Point to Scenic World via Giant Stairway AU NS Wildwalks com Retrieved 11 September 2010 Blue Mountains Katoomba Wildwalks Retrieved 18 November 2012 How to get to the Blue Mountains 25 September 2018 About Logan Brae Retrieved 3 July 2014 Red Hands Cave NSW National Parks Retrieved 5 May 2019 Lincoln s Rock Wentworth Falls True Blue Mountains Sydney Rockclimbing Club Access notes Archived from the original on 24 July 2014 Retrieved 18 July 2014 Blue Mountains Northern Beaches MTB Retrieved 18 July 2014 TrailFlix Blue Mountains listing Archived from the original on 8 August 2014 Popular Blue Mountains Bushwalks www bluemts com au NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Home NSW National Parks Blue Mountains Cricket Association www bmca nsw cricket com au a b The Changing Face of the Blue Mountains Sydney Mail 6 May 1931 Retrieved 2 July 2022 via trove nla gov au THE LANDSLIDE DOG FACE ROCK COLLAPSES The Sydney Morning Herald 4 May 1931 Retrieved 2 July 2022 via trove nla gov au LANDSLIDE Expected at Katoomba The Sydney Morning Herald 27 January 1931 Retrieved 2 July 2022 via trove nla gov au a b Webber Christopher MOUNTAINS MISHAPS Community Information and Co operation for Search and Rescue Operations in the Blue Mountains PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2 July 2022 Australian landslide hits British family father and son killed Reuters 4 April 2022 Archived from the original on 2 July 2022 Retrieved 2 July 2022 External links Edit Media related to Blue Mountains New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons Blue Mountains travel guide from Wikivoyage Official Blue Mountains National Park website Visitor s Guide to the Blue Mountains Visit NSW Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blue Mountains New South Wales amp oldid 1151593673, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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