SITES of INTEREST

There are over 1000 historic sites recorded for the Blue  Mountains. Of these, 52 are listed on the National Estate. In 2010, in  response to three years of pressure from BMACHO, the Blue Mountains  City Council completed the electronic transfer of the texts of 859  of its Site Records to the State Heritage Branch and is now processing  the large quantity of photographic images that accompany these texts.  The texts are available on line to the public at  www.heritage.nsw.gov.au BMACHO is now able to complete its update survey of recent changes to  these Mountain sites. Historical societies are able to advise on the  location of specific sites in their own districts.

Many of the sites will be of interest to visitors.  Travelling  west from Penrith along the Highway or by rail, there are, at Lapstone,  the Tunnel and Lennox Bridge (the earliest arched stone bridge on  mainland Australia); at Faulconbridge, there is the Corridor of Oaks,  each tree planted for successive prime ministers of the country;  Woodford Academy, built initially as an inn and  the oldest building in  the Mountains.

The Mountains are rich in  historic gardens, notably Lilianfels Hotel at Echo Point, Katoomba, and  Everglades, the National Trust property at Leura, with its gardens  designed by Paul Sorensen.  At a different level there is the Mount  Tomah Botanic Garden on the Bell’s Line of Road.

Many of the hotels and  houses throughout the Mountains date from the 19th century and Edwardian period as do a number of the railway stations.  Their architectural  styles are particularly attractive examples of their time.

By contrast, Lithgow has a  wealth of buildings of importance to the industrial history of New South Wales. Some of these are listed under Museums elsewhere in this web  site.

The Mountains has had its  share of renowned residents and visitors, ranging f rom Charles  Darwin to Henry Parkes, the Father of Federation. Others included the  Antarctic explorer, Tannatt Edgeworth David, who accompanied Shackleton  and Vere Gordon Childe, the outstanding archaeologist of the mid-20th  century, who achieved international renown in Europe for his work in the Orkneys and again as a theorist. Childe maintained his links with the  Mountains and died falling into one of its gorges.  His parents lived  in Wentworth Falls and are buried in the cemetery.

Artists have included  Norman Lindsay, whose Faulconbridge home is now a Museum for his work,  and, more recently, the late Reinis Zusters,  again of Wentworth Falls,  who also achieved international recognition for his paintings. Some of  his murals can be seen in the Conservation Hut restaurant at Wentworth  Falls.

Various books have been published by local historians on  different Mountains communities and subjects Local Branch libraries,  bookshops and history societies can usually advise on these or email  BMACHO. Most sites are accessible from the roads but local advice should be sought on exact locations.
 

BMACHO: Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage Organisations Inc.